Ong Thoai (or Thoai Son) Lake on An Giang Province’s Sap Mountain provides a relaxing escape for visitors

Sap Mountain, part of the magnificent That Son Mountain Range, is home to the largest manmade lake in the Mekong Delta.

The lake was named after Thoai Ngoc Hau (1761-1829), a Mandarin of the Nguyen Dynasty who reclaimed the land of An Giang and created the Thuy Ha Canal to serve as a waterway for farming practices.

Ong Thoai or Thoai Son Lake is speckled with small islands and statues of rock. Next to the lake is Thoai Ngoc Hau’s Monument standing at a height of more than 10 meters.

Visitors can row a boat through mystical caves on the resplendent water and weave among the rocky outcrops. On both sides of the lake are small huts made of wood with coconut-palm-leaf roofs.

Tourists can rest, relax and sip a cool beverage inside these huts or lay in solitude in a hammock under the shade of a leafy tree.

Tourists can also walk in the shade of a lush forest to visit several pagodas on the mountain.

Bats’ Cave, a natural grotto that stands behind a group of large rocks on the mountainside, provides a cool break from the sun.

Another feature of Sap Mountain is a large rocky statue stretching three meters in length, 1.2 meters wide and 20 centimeters thick. It was erected in 1822 under Thoai Ngoc Hau’s supervision.

For tourists looking for peace, quiet and relaxation, Sap Mountain offers a tranquil sanctuary in the heart of nature.

To reach Sap Mountain, travel 26 kilometers from Long Xuyen Town in the Mekong Delta’s An Giang Province along provincial Road 943 to arrive at Nui Sap, the administrative center of Thoai Son District.

Reported by Diem Thu