The road to iconic Ba Na Hills was blocked about two months ago and travelers and locals in the central city of Da Nang are left with only one way to reach the top: by using the suspension cable system, with prices for a two way ticket ranging from VND350,000 – 500,000 (US$17 – 24) each.

This has stirred up disagreements among the public, but Da Nang authorities confirmed that they have transferred the management of the area to the Vietnamese investor Sun Group.

The investor built a gate to close road DT602 leading to the hill in An Son Hamlet, Hoa Ninh Commune, Hoa Vang District. This is the route locals have used for decades to reach the peak of the hill.

Tuoi Tre journalists and some locals drove to the gate on March 6 and a guard said that, “This road was closed long ago.

“I am just following the instruction of the chiefs of my company to stop tourists from entering here.”

Tuoi Tre saw that only trucks carrying materials for the construction of a golf course and other facilities on the hill were allowed to enter.

Locals said the gate was built on the road about four years ago, but entrance was officially blocked two months ago.

An official of the Ba Na – Nui Chua forest management department said he can only enter the forest under his management at the permit of the company.

The road stretches around 15km from the foot to the peak of Ba Na Hill, he added.

Forester Nguyen Van Thanh of the department said the total forest area under the management of his department is 26,731 hectares wide, including areas of the Ba Na Hills which Da Nang authorities transferred to Sun Group.

The say of authorities

Nguyen Dieu, director of the Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, admitted the city decided to transfer the management of the entire Ba Na area to Sun Group after the investor built the VND300 billion ($14.4 million) suspension cable network, which is the world’s longest one-string cable system at 5,042 meters. It has 94 cabins and is able to serve 1,500 travelers an hour.

The entire area transferred to the investor includes a section for the current Ba Na Hills and another section to be planned for high-end villas, Dieu added.

Sun Group has invested no less than US$500 million into the area, he noted. The road also belongs to the management of the investor.

“In addition, road DT602 has been downgraded and is unsuitable to ensure safety for travelers commuting on it,” Dieu told Tuoi Tre. Instead, it is only used for internal purposes.

“In the coming time, Da Nang will also transfer the management of the entire Ba Na – Nui Chua forest, including the primeval forest, to the investor,” said Dieu.

Concerning the blockage of the entrance to Linh Ung Pagoda, which is located inside the Ba Na Hills, Vo Van Thuong, spokesman of Da Nang City, said he would report the case to his seniors to work out the most suitable solution.