Bài Thơ Mountain — Attraction in Hạ Long City

Very much mixed opinions on this particular day. — What i recommend you bring & wear: mosquito repellent, plaster, water, wear leggings/hiking pants, GLOVES will help!!! I got 40 mosquito bites on just 1 leg, i wish i was kidding.

Me & my partner tried going through the cheaper entrance but lady told us that it’s closed & she doesn’t allow entry which was a bummer. We were ready to call defeat until we discussed the option of blue door lady, which conveniently she was right there & noticed us. She asked 500,000 dong PER PAX! which was extremely expensive as what i’ve seen from other reviews. But we paid it as we were already in the house & did not want to cause any conflict, and we really wanted to climb the mountain.

I will start by saying that i think because it was a rainy day, she wasn’t getting enough ‘sales’ thus the 500,000 dong per pax. dont hike when it just rained 🙃 (Our shoes were super muddy after, i recommend you maybe bring a pair of shoe that you can throw after hiking everywhere in vietnam) The entrance included an incredibly annoying yappy dog, (i love dogs but this one…. not so much) It just wants to bark, let it bark & swiftly walk past with no fear.

She collected payment & we proceeded with the climbing, she has several dogs & chickens that was yapping on the roof of her house as well. She has a long ladder which you will need to help her bring up & down the short ‘cliff’ in order for you to climb up & down.

I will advise if you are NOT fit, DO NOT ENTER by her house’s method. The climb up to the stairway itself was incredibly dangerous, tiring & honestly CRAZY. Just imagine mountain/rock climbing on a steep cliff with no harness to hold you. You just have to be agile & strong to climb up. The tree roots are going to be your best friend climbing up & down, make sure to yank on it to check if it’s strong enough to hold your weight first! And because we went right after it rained, it was no fun. After you get past the craziness, it’ll take you 20-30mins to climb the stairs & path.

Once we got to the top, we were still contemplating if it was worth the 1mil dong we paid 😂

I’ve attached a photo of just the path up, i sadly do not have any photos of the crazy way up she had us go by. If you’re not fit, please don’t challenge yourself by climbing & wait for the government to open the gates via proper way in. Don’t forget, the way you’re going up will be the way you’re going back down. *If you’re having trouble going back down to blue lady, i recommend ‘sitting/squatting’ & ‘sliding’. Remember, tree roots & branches are your best friend!

I will mention that even though some comments called blue door lady rude, we found her pretty nice actually. She congratulated & gave us a thumbs up 👍 several times when we returned back down & she complimented me on my eyelashes lol. I think that she comes across pretty rude due to the language barrier. But still, expensive.

If you read till the end, good...

For Today I planned to find out about that Poem Mountain. Ahead I found out it got closed but nobody was able to tell about the actual state.

When I arrived at the area I walked up and down using the navigation on my smartphone and checking the mountain behind the row of houses looking for access. Locals realized that and for an "access fee" about 500.000 Dong they got me through their house and helped with the steep climb to get access to the stairs. Attention! At first: obviously illegal. At second: fit people only. No overweight, not for weak persons, not for people with vertigo, heart diseases or breath issues. Just "do not try at home". If something happen: there is no access for anyone with a stretcher. You would need an helicopter.

Half of the ascend are stairs. Quite weathered, some fell apart but towards the peak just a rocky path. No, not a cobblestone way. Boulders. Overgroving green, old leaves make it unsecure and unobvious. Cautious steps needed. Your thighs had happier situations before only and your lungs are thinking about to go somewhere else for an easier job.

Yes, the view is amazing. No wonder this place got this name. Really inspiring. If you ask me was it worth it: yes, a real adventure. However, today we can use drones. No place you have to find to operate; you can do everywhere else (however, I have no idea about how-to operate in a legal way). They even offer individual flights over the Halong Bay area.

I had to go down soon as the sun was about to go down. At least my breath was more silent now. I missed the spot where my ascend joined the official path. Here I found the reason why it is closed. Apparently a rockslide cut off the stairs. A house high. Even if you could bribe the guard at the official entrance - He could not do anything to get you up. So I had to turn back to find the trail I got here.

Back down I was wet from sweat, dirty and relieved. The conclusion: even if the view is breathtaking: it is too dangerous. If something happen those helping people could get real difficuties, not just that injured person. Use a drone - way more versatile, take the flight or that cable car. Great view, no danger and in the last case a beautiful amusement park awaits you. Ah, and that park has a real tall ferris wheel. The mountain access need a full revamp, repair and modernisation and for the upper part stairs had to be created. Which would be a big investment. As the tip is used by a communication company: that installation is not safe for visitors Even this one has to be renewed at all. I do not see it could be open soon at all.

A last note: as I used my time after work I had too narrow time constraints. A Saturday Morning would be perfect: still cool, the fog would disappear soon, the sun delivers great photo atmosphere and plenty of...

Hiked November 17 2023. Apparently people died recently here and she either stopped letting people up or became selective about who she lets up (i.e.. look prepared to hike and not like a liability). Climb is doable for the fit but it is quite dangerous at the onset - you must carry a ladder up from her yard and use it to scale a small cliff. Essentially vertical, jagged rock, all fours - basically a difficult bouldering wall. Scramble through some bushes until you reach the old stairs, then it is much easier though they are quite worn down and it is a straight steep uphill.

Top is gorgeous. The big tower has a very large camera on it filming you, I assume no issues but don't do anything dumb up there as it will be recorded. (It is forbidden to be here).The lady tells you to take one hour total. Remember where the bushes you crawl in through connect to the main path, you will have to go down the same way.

I would recommend this hike to fit and experienced hikers. It is not just a walk up, there is genuine danger of falling and injuring yourself. You will be scrambling up jagged rock for the first few minutes surrounded by low bushes, branches, and barbed wire. It is essentially vertical with few footholds or handholds, and the rock is very sharp. Be ready and be careful! But it is doable, if approached carefully and prudently, and the view really is beautiful. If you're in good shape and comfortable with a bit of sketchy climbing, do this hike.

I paid 500k for just myself. She does not barter and will probably just tell you to leave entirely if you attempt. When I came down, the ladder had fallen and I had to wait about twenty minutes for her to come back and set it up. I was calling out to her and she heard me. This may happen, just wait at the ladder spot if this does happen, she will eventually come check to see if you are there. I was considering jumping down, but its a good eight or nine foot drop and the ground is uneven with rough rock so you could mess yourself up if you land improperly. Just wait and rest while she eventually...