The second Da Lat of the Central Highlands is a town in Kon Tum, a 4,000ha pine forest planted by the French.

Coming to Mang Den town, visitors can see typical tree species that seem to be unique to Da Lat, such as weeping willow, purple phoenix flower, cherry blossom...

In particular, more than 4,000 hectares of ancient pine forests were surveyed and planted by the French on the plateau in the early decades of the last century, making visitors unable to help but think of the roads leading into the inner city of Da Lat.

Đà Lạt thứ 2 của Tây Nguyên là một thị trấn nhỏ ở Kon Tum, có rừng thông 4.000ha do người Pháp trồng- Ảnh 1.

Mang Den (Kon Plong district, Kon Tum province) has more than 4,000 hectares of ancient pine forest surveyed by the French and planted on the plateau.

Mang Den is located at an altitude of about 1,200 m above sea level. The climate in Mang Den is cool all year round, with temperatures usually below 22 degrees Celsius.

The dense primeval forest, covering more than 100,000 hectares, creates the highest forest coverage in the country, up to 65% of the land area, interwoven with rivers, lakes, streams, waterfalls... and the sparse population doing terraced fields, planting trees, raising livestock... has created for Mang Den an ideal potential for eco-tourism and relaxation.

Đà Lạt thứ 2 của Tây Nguyên là một thị trấn nhỏ ở Kon Tum, có rừng thông 4.000ha do người Pháp trồng- Ảnh 2.

The Mo Nam people (a branch of the Xe Dang ethnic group) call Mang Den T'mang Deeng, meaning a fairyland. Mang Den is also known as the land of "seven lakes - three waterfalls" associated with the legend of the god Yang Pling creating this place after a fit of anger at his seven sons.

But, this may be a volcanic land, forming 7 large and small lakes and red basalt soil. Among them, Pa Sy waterfall is the most beautiful waterfall in Mang Den, the waterfall is formed from 3 large streams combined and pouring down into a waterfall, the name Pa Sy also originates from that.

Đà Lạt thứ 2 của Tây Nguyên là một thị trấn nhỏ ở Kon Tum, có rừng thông 4.000ha do người Pháp trồng- Ảnh 3.

Mang Den has 5 ethnic groups: Mo Nam, Ca Dong, Xe Dang, Hre and Kinh people living together in harmony.

In addition to exploring the natural landscape, tourists can visit villages that still retain the customs and wild features of the countryside far from the city; children play innocently with plants and look at strangers in amazement.

Đà Lạt thứ 2 của Tây Nguyên là một thị trấn nhỏ ở Kon Tum, có rừng thông 4.000ha do người Pháp trồng- Ảnh 4.

Visitors stop to enjoy famous specialties of Kon Tum region such as bamboo rice, Mang Den roast pork, Mang Den grilled chicken, rice wine...; or immerse themselves in the immense gong dance in the middle of the vast primeval forest.

Đà Lạt thứ 2 của Tây Nguyên là một thị trấn nhỏ ở Kon Tum, có rừng thông 4.000ha do người Pháp trồng- Ảnh 5.

Like many areas in the Central Highlands, Mang Den has many impressive religious structures. Among them, there is the statue of Our Lady of Mang Den - a place allowed for religious pilgrimage, with legends about the sacredness and power of two severed hands.

Our Lady of Mang Den was originally carved in the image of Our Lady of Fatima in 1971, but was abandoned in the jungle during the war. In 2004, during the construction of Highway 24, the statue of Our Lady was found and the head was restored with the face of a Central Highlands woman, but the two arms could not be restored...

Đà Lạt thứ 2 của Tây Nguyên là một thị trấn nhỏ ở Kon Tum, có rừng thông 4.000ha do người Pháp trồng- Ảnh 6.

Mang Den is not filled with romance and charm everywhere like Da Lat; but, a little bit of dreaminess with peach blossoms, weeping willows, and rustling pine trees of Da Lat; a little bit of majesty of the mountains and forests, a little bit of wildness of gongs, a little bit of legend of epics, a little bit of rusticity of the ethnic people with the typical Central Highlands character... creates a wild and magical Mang Den.

And, there is a proof, because of love, because of being infatuated with Mang Den, a talented man brought his whole family from Lam Dong to Mang Den to live, opened a Mandenla (Mang Den people) coffee shop, was infatuated with logs, improvised with musical notes, and with his 5 daughters, sang freely to strangers who came to enjoy clean coffee with the true Mang Den flavor.