2 women risk lives on high cliff to take photos in Ho Chi Minh City

A short video circulated on social media the same day showing two women venturing onto a steep cliff near Nghinh Phong Cape in Vung Tau Ward to take photographs.

The footage shows the women standing on a near-vertical cliff estimated to be dozens of meters high.

One woman stood on a rocky outcrop jutting from the cliff face, while the other positioned herself lower down and held up a mobile phone to photograph her companion.

Large rocks and vegetation could be seen below, with steep rock faces surrounding them.

The video was posted with the comment, “Risking their lives just for a few photos,” and attracted hundreds of reactions, comments and shares.

Some social media users joked that the two women were ‘sacrificing themselves for art,’ but most commenters said the stunt was extremely dangerous and that people should not put their lives at risk simply for a few social-media photos.

T.V., a 43-year-old resident of Vung Tau Ward who filmed the incident, recounted that he was walking along Ha Long Street at around 5:30 pm on Saturday when he saw the two women climbing onto the cliff, which he estimated to be dozens of meters high, and began recording them with his phone.

The women may have made their way up Con Heo Hill before continuing onto the precarious cliff to take photos, he said.

The Vung Tau Ward People's Committee said Con Heo Hill is a popular photography spot because it offers panoramic views of Bai Sau Beach from above and provides opportunities to take photos against the area's dramatic vertical rock formations.

Safety railings have long been installed in the area, but some residents and visitors continue to climb over them to take photographs.

The site has previously seen an accident in which a young visitor climbed the rock face onto the cliff at a height of about 30 meters before falling and suffering injuries.

Following that incident, authorities installed signs prohibiting climbing the cliffs and entering dangerous areas.

Local authorities are verifying the latest incident and will strengthen monitoring and preventive measures to discourage residents and visitors from engaging in similarly dangerous activities.