Cool green Cam Son, a mountain lake for 'our boat to go upstream, our boat to go downstream'

When the late spring sun was shining on the lake's surface, we began our exploration of Cam Son Lake by iron boat from Luc Ngan district (Bac Giang) to the dam in Lang Son province.

The boat runs on a car engine so it is quite quiet. Flocks of ibis frolic on the lake surface, looking bewildered when the boat approaches before quickly flying up or diving into the deep water. The ibis is not only a bird that provides delicious, aromatic meat, but its presence also provides an indication of the “health” of the lake environment, an important indicator in nature conservation.

There are many ginsengs here.

On the shore of the Luc Ngan lychee flower park, the bright green and white flowers are blooming, signaling a bountiful lychee harvest in June and July. The lychee patches mixed with the regenerated and primary forests are like giant, eye-catching green carpets. The lychee flowers spread to the edge of the lake. Occasionally, we also came across “lonely” islands covered with lychee flowers. In just a few months, those islands and the patches of lychee on the lake shore will turn bright red with ripe Luc Ngan lychee.

The blue lake water, rippling as the boat gently moves, reminds me of the lyrics of the song “Lake on the Mountain” by musician Pho Duc Phuong: “Our boat goes upstream, our boat goes downstream/ In the middle of the silver water, the rhythm of our oars/ Who built the dam, who destroyed the mountain/ So the lake is full like a mirror/ Green mountains but blue water oh oh/ Wait to pick up the oars huh ah/ Wait to pick up the oars oh oh…”.

In 1971, musician Pho Duc Phuong came to this place. He painted a beautiful musical picture of Cam Son Lake, created by human damming. Cam Son Lake provides irrigation water for agricultural production in Lang Son and Bac Giang provinces.

Water here is also treated and brought back to provide clean water for daily life and production for many people. Water is brought all the way to Bac Giang city (about 30 km as the crow flies).

Lakes also play a role in air conditioning, water storage, flood prevention, drought prevention, etc.

As soon as the boat docked to go to the island, we saw people catching snails and worms. Mr. Truong Van Hung from Son Hai commune (Luc Ngan) drove the boat to take us to visit the lake, but when he got to the island, he also served food to the guests. Each dish was brought out and placed on a dining table that extended to the edge of the lake. The shrimp and fish from the lake were simply prepared but were delicious, rich in natural flavor.

Mr. Hung said the lake is a source of livelihood for many fishermen. In the past, there were fish weighing up to several dozen kilograms. Recently, this resource has become scarcer. The dam surface also had to be built higher because the lake bed was silted up.

A boat trip to visit the lake by Mr. Hung costs 1.5 million VND. The boat can carry 20-30 people to explore the lake in both directions. Visitors can order food on the island and after eating, get back on the boat to the dock.

Around the island, there are some very beautiful homestays. The red cotton trees are blooming, inviting visitors…

According to VNA documents, Cam Son Lake normally has an area of ​​2,600 hectares, but during the rainy season, when the flood water rises, the lake surface can be up to 3,000 hectares wide. The length of the lake is nearly 30 km, the widest part is 7 km, the narrowest part is 200 m, the deepest part is about 47 m. The lake has many islands.

The shore of Cam Son Lake is the mountains. The people living near the lake are the Nung, Tay and Kinh ethnic groups.

Early morning is the best time to admire the scenery and space of Cam Son Lake. The early morning mist covers the lake’s surface in a magical white color, gradually dissolving into the water as the sun rises…