Bai Tho Mountain is located in Hong Gai ward, in the center of the old Ha Long City, about 200m high. This used to be a "must-visit" destination for tourists, especially international tourists, when coming to the old Ha Long City.
From the top of the mountain, you can fully admire Ha Long Bay and the city on the shore of the bay.
However, after nearly 9 years of closure due to the forest fire in November 2017, Bai Tho Mountain has not officially reopened.
Despite being barricaded, tourists, especially foreign tourists, still find ways to climb the mountain. At times, on social networks, many international tourists share images, videos and even ways to climb barbed wire fences to conquer the mountain peak.
Female tourist Caroline - granddaughter of the owner of Tottenham Hospur Football Club - had to visit Ha Long Bay with a super yacht for the 3rd time in May 2019 to have the opportunity to climb to the top of Bai Tho mountain to live "virtually".
That attraction shows that Bai Tho Mountain is still a special tourism resource, even though it has been closed for many years.
Bai Tho Mountain, formerly known as Truyen Dang, was once an important watchtower in the Northeast region.
In 1468, King Le Thanh Tong, during a patrol through here, ordered the poem to be carved on the cliff. In 1729, Lord Trinh Cuong patrolled through, saw King Le Thanh Tong's poem and redrawned it with a poem "thất ngôn bát cú".
According to researchers, there are currently about 12 poems carved on the cliff, in which poems by King Le Thanh Tong, Lord Trinh Cuong and Nguyen Can have special historical and cultural value.
Bai Tho Mountain is also associated with the revolutionary history of the Mining region. On May 1, 1930, the Party flag first flew on the top of the mountain. Many relics of the anti-American resistance period are still preserved on the mountain.
Therefore, this is not only a scenic spot but also a valuable relic located right in the heart of the city.
Many times, businesses, tourists, and Quang Ninh Tourism Association have proposed reopening Bai Tho Mountain, especially to serve international tourists. In 2023, the old Ha Long City also developed an exploitation plan. Functional forces of Hong Gai ward once went up the mountain to clear the road to prepare to open tours.
However, to date, the plan has not been implemented, causing many people to regret the waste of special tourism resources, while Quang Ninh is still lacking unique and attractive tourism products that are attractive enough to attract and retain tourists, especially international tourists.
When will Bai Tho Mountain be awakened? That is not only the question of tourism workers, but also the desire of many tourists and local people.
