Samten Hills Dalat, a cultural and spiritual tourist complex in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands region, has helped transform Tu Tra Commune, an arid land, into an attractive destination for domestic and international travelers.

Tu Tra, situated in Don Duong District, is only about 35km from the heart of Da Lat, a famous tourist destination and the capital city of Lam Dong.

Nestled amidst rugged terrain near mountain ranges, the commune faces challenges for cultivating rice, coffee, or vegetables due to its tough soil and limited water sources for irrigation.

But a fresh breeze has blown into the commune since the Samten Hills Dalat project was put into operation more than a year ago by its investor, Hanoi-based Kim Phat Production and Trading Company Limited.

Spanning over 220 hectares, the complex showcases Vajrayana Buddhist architecture from India.

It hosts various Buddhist artifacts, including the monumental Maitreya Buddha statue and the world's largest prayer wheel crafted from bronze and plated with 24k gold, among other revered items.

Thanks to the complex, Tu Tra has welcomed about 400,000 visitors, most of them foreigners, after more than one year of operation.

As per insights from various international travel firms, Samten Hills Dalat has risen above several other attractions in Da Lat.

It is now recognized by travelers from Europe and Asia as one of the primary destinations for their visits to the city and its surrounding areas.

The complex is coordinating with many travel operators to attract visitors from Laos, Thailand, South Korea, India, Switzerland, Australia, the U.S., and UK.

In late 2023, the Lam Dong administration chose Samten Hills Dalat as a bridge to promote tourism cooperation between the province and the Ladakh union territory of India, for there are cultural similarities between this region and the project.

In a recent tourism promotion event, Madan Mohan Sethi, Indian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that Samten Hills Dalat has become a favorite destination for Indian travelers.

He promised to promote the images of the complex, Lam Dong, and Vietnam in general to Indian people and businesses as a contribution to boost the trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and India.

The diplomat also said he would help provide Vietnamese travel firms with information about tourism habits of Indians so that they can attract more visitors from the South Asian country.

During a working trip to Lam Dong in early 2024, Advocate Tashi Gyalson, Chief Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, acknowledged that the architectural style of Samten Hills Dalat has helped bring the flow of Vajrayana Buddhism from India to Vietnam.

The complex has contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image to international friends, and, at the same time, introduce the world's quintessence to Vietnamese people through the Buddhist culture and art.

Thanks to some cultural similarities, Indian travelers feel that they find themselves when they visit Samten Hills Dalat in Tu Tra, Gyalson commented.

The official said he was really glad to represent Ladakh people to introduce diverse Indian cultural characteristics to Vietnamese people.

Gyalson expressed the fondness of Ladakh people for Vietnam, noting that some have already visited the Southeast Asian country.

He hoped for increased interactions between the two regions, fostering cultural exchanges, as well as collaboration in diverse fields such as economy and agriculture.

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