The scorching heat is driving people crazy and making them hot-tempered, especially in the fight against daily troubles and work related stress. For an escape from the cramped and burning hot city to find some balance for life and relaxing moments on the weekend, Dai Nam Van Hien Tourist Park is a good choice. Tourists can experience the unwinding feelings of floating on manmade waves at the park’s artificial beach to sweep away the heat induced testiness.
Built on an area of nearly 22ha and with a total water surface of 10,000m², the beach is over 1km long and has artificial waves about 1.5m high. To bring visitors a feeling of swimming and playing with waves as if they were at a real beach, the investor has lined the beach with green coconut trees and added tree covered islets serving fresh fruit juices.
There are also manmade lakes and mountain ranges. The “Bao Son Mountain Range†is made of five “mountains†standing 65m high and measuring 250m long. This artificial sanctuary includes many statues of Buddha and fragrant incense. The highlight of the “range†is a seven-story tower for worshipping historical characters of Vietnam such as the 18 dynasties of the Hung Kings, President Ho Chi Minh, and heroes and martyrs who devoted their lives to build and defend the country.
The park gives an overview of Vietnamese history. Kim Dien Temple is one of the most striking works that features historical exhibits of dynasties from Ngo to Nguyen. The three story temple covers about 5,000m² and is dedicated to Buddha and national heroes such as King Tran Nhan Tong and the legendary character of Au Co Mother. The temple’s dome is covered with images of birds and the temple itself is decorated with figures of the four supernatural creatures, dragon, unicorn, tortoise and phoenix, and with flowers and plants such as lotus, apricots, orchids, daisies and bamboo. A narrow river called the Bao Giang, which is home to many kinds of fish, surrounds the temple.
Another highlight of the park is the Dai Nam Zoo. The zoo covers about 12ha and is home to hundreds of types of wild animals, including many rare animals like the white lion, rhino, zebra and giraffe.
Other must-see features are the Ngoc Bich Bridge spanning a river, a giant fountain and Thanh Van Gate, an imposing, solid wall representing feudal times in the Orient. Along the wall are statues of soldiers who hold spears and shields with far-away looks in their eyes as if they were on watch for enemies.
This large park also has a roller coaster, water slides, paddle boats, artificial snow, 4D-movies and electric trains to get you where you want to go without too much walking.
Dai Nam Van Hien Tourist Park is in Binh Duong Province, about 40km from HCMC. Entrance tickets are VND40,000. To get there, take a bus from Ben Thanh Bus Station in HCMC’s District 1 or a motorbike on National Road 13.