Lang Bian mountains
From the entrance to Da Lat City, visitors can see two high mounts with sharp, harmonious and proportioned outline eminent in the blue sky. These are the two highest mounts of Lang Bian Highland at the height of 2.167 meters. In clear days, the two mounts may be seen in the distance of hundreds of kilometers. Lang Bian Mountains are an ideal place for mountain climbing, paragliding, trekking or studying flora and rare bird species.
The legend told Lang, the boy, and Bian, the girl, from two different tribes were deeply in love with each other. However, because the two tribes were enemies, their marriage failed and the couple chose the death to protect their love. All the wild animals from the highland forests came and sadly saw the two unhappy souls off. Particularly, the most loyal elephant lied prostrate to death next to the couple's graves. Since then, the two mounts were named Lang Bian. At the starting point of Prenn Pass you can see on their left a mount looking like an elephant head called Elephant Mountain.
Lang Bian Mountain (also called Lam Vien Mountain) has five volcanic peaks ranging in altitude from 2100m to 2400m. Of the two highest peaks, the eastern one is known to locals by the woman's name K'Lang; the western one bears a man's name, K'Biang. The upper reaches of the mountain are forested. Only half a century ago the verdant foothills of Lang Bian Mountain, now defoliated, sheltered wild oxen, deer, boars, elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers.
The hike up to the top of Lang Bian Mountain, from where the views are truly spectacular, takes three to four hours from Lat village. The path begins due north of Lat and is easily recognisable as a red gash in the green mountainside.
You do not need a permit to visit Lang Bian Mountain, though taking a guide along will certainly make the trip more interesting.
