Vietnam’s Quang Tri seeks feedback on $622mn tourism development at well-known mountain

Tran Quoc Tuan, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, said on Tuesday that the department was collecting public comments on the EIA report for the U Bo Mountain-Thac Chuoi Lake ecological tourism, resort and entertainment complex project.

The project's investor is Sun Quang Binh Sun Company, a unit of Sun Group.

Public consultation is being conducted from now until September 29.

The project received investment approval from the provincial administration in March.

It is set to span nearly 167.5 hectares across Bo Trach, Thuong Trach and Truong Son Communes.

In particular, the summit area accounts for about 82 hectares of the project, while the foothills cover 76.6 hectares.

According to the EIA dossier, the project is designed as an integrated, high-end tourism and resort complex featuring three- to five-star lodging facilities and is expected to receive around three million visitors annually.

Key components include service facilities, hotels, villas, apartments, commercial buildings, a commercial village and five cable-car lines connecting the foothills and an intermediate station with the summit of U Bo Mountain.

Hotels and service buildings are expected to feature three to six floors, while several landmark structures could reach about 15 floors.

Villas are planned at two to three floors, while apartment blocks are expected to have about four floors.

Following the public consultation, the department will review and appraise the EIA before submitting it to the provincial People's Committee for approval, paving the way for implementation of the project.

The project is seen by Quang Tri authorities as part of efforts to realize the province's four-pillar economic development strategy, particularly its goal of making tourism and services a key economic sector.

Authorities also expect the project to contribute to sustainable socioeconomic development.

Investment proposal for U Bo Mountain

The plan dates back to late February 2025, when a business formally proposed investment in several projects in the former Quang Binh Province, now part of Quang Tri Province following the national merging strategy in July last year.

One of these proposed tourism projects was the Thac Chuoi Lake and U Bo Mountain tourism complex.

The office of the Quang Tri National Assembly delegation and People's Council announced on May 26 that the provincial People's Council had approved a resolution allowing the conversion of forest land use purposes for 10 projects in the province.

Accordingly, more than 713 hectares will be subject to the conversion, including about 565 hectares of plantation forest and 148 hectares of natural forest.

Among the projects was the U Bo Mountain-Thac Chuoi Lake ecological tourism, resort and entertainment complex.

The provincial land fund development center submitted the proposal for conversion of forest-use purposes.

The project is aimed at creating a modern, integrated ecological tourism, resort and entertainment complex offering a diverse range of services to attract domestic and international visitors.

It is also intended to turn the province into Vietnam’s leading tourist destination.

Construction is scheduled to run from the third quarter of 2026 through the second quarter of 2037.

Bo Mountain: where clouds meet the forest

U Bo Mountain is the highest peak in the eastern part of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and has long been regarded as a promising destination for ecotourism.

At nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, the mountain offers views toward the Dong Hoi area, which can appear through layers of mist from the summit.

U Bo Mountain is not only a summer destination.

Its distinctive climate makes it attractive throughout the year.

In autumn, clouds and fog can become so dense that visitors describe the experience as being able to almost reach out and touch them.

The mountain has been compared with both Sa Pa, a tourist hub in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, and Da Lat, a popular tourist site in the Central Highlands region, because of its forested landscape and cool climate, with temperatures becoming noticeably chilly as visitors ascend toward the summit.

Its scenery also changes markedly with the seasons.

During hot summer days, the mountain remains relatively cool.

In autumn, visitors can encounter thick fog at the summit while looking out toward clearer skies above the clouds.

Winter can bring much colder conditions, comparable to those experienced in Sa Pa.

Visitors have also reported seeing frost covering trees and flowers in the area.