National park Núi Chúa

The park 20km from Phan Giang city (Ninh Thuận province) is evaluated to be the only one rich in dry ecology in the South East Asia, you will be surely taken by surprise at the region vegetation.

Photo: Văn Chương

First to see is long sand-dunes and stones, there are thousands of stones naturally arranged in vigorous and strange sizes and shapes. Semi-desert bushes and thorny plants grow on stone and dry land and they are changeable to climate. In dry season, they seem to be dying, but they become green quickly again when it rains. Their vitality is really a surprise.

           

The higher it’s, the greener plants and bushes become and it’s a wonder that there’s a forest of apricots growing between stones and their blooms in spring will fascinate visitors. There are over 100 orchid species some seen as really rare and precious. Birds are also rich in species, especially there are such rarities as cò thìa (a kind of stock) and animals as bears, spotted bears and 5-coloured monkeys.

           

On 1000m high above the sea level, the mountains Chúa Anh (brother-god) and 3 Chúa Em (3 young brother gods) are watered by rains, so here is rich in both fauna and flora. There are 6 types of forests to the height of 1,039m (above the sea level) from drought-stricken to sub-tropical. On 800m height, there are such rare plants as kim giao, hoàng đàn giả, thông tre, thanh tùng...

           

As statistics by the park rangers, there’s one and only a tree called hoàng đàn giả whose wood is quite valuable. It’s a big tree, fruity and shadowy,

           

The regional drought-stricken ecological system make the scene really a wonder, it’s a discovery for wide life adventurers.

                                                                         HIỀN LINH