T’nung Lake, also known as La Nueng, is located at the Bien Ho Commune in the north of Gia Lai Province, about 7 kilometres from the heart of Pleiku City. |
Spanning 250 hectares with an average depth of 18 metres, Bien Ho is the creation of a volcanic eruption having occurred some million years ago or so. |
The lake is also the subject of many mythical legends that have stood the test of time. |
Legend has it that T’nung is the name of an ancient village where villagers lived happily together. |
One day a fierce quake erupts and destroys the village. When the fire subsides all that remains is a deep hole. The survivors stand beside the hole and cry, filling it with their tears, turning it into a lake. |
Although the Pleiku Plateau is well-known as a drought area, the lake has never been out of water. |
It is full of turquoise water all year around that acts like a giant mirror, reflecting the colour of the clouds and blue sky. |
It is also a source of water the people of the Pleiku Plateau depend on for their livelihood. |
To explore the hidden charm of the lake, tourists take a ‘thuyen doc moc’ (hollowed – tree boat or a dugout canoe) tour. |
T’nung has been recognized as a national landscape by the Ministry of Culture and Information since 1988. |