Mang Den

Up in Măng Đen, the first thing that changes is the air. The air is cooler and clearer, and everything is much quieter than on the plains below.

Today Măng Đen is a commune in Quảng Ngãi Province. Older tourism documents list the area under Kon Plông, in Kon Tum Province. After the administrative reorganization of 2025, the old Kon Tum area became part of the new Quảng Ngãi Province. In landscape and in daily life, though, it is still the green highland that many people fondly call the second Da Lat of the Central Highlands.

The name Măng Đen comes from Mơ Nâm, the language of the Indigenous people of this region. In that language, T'mang deeng means a wide, flat stretch of land. And the land does have flat stretches, set among mountains, with forest and peaks all around. Vietnam's national tourism authority records Măng Đen at more than 1,000 meters above sea level, with an average yearly temperature of about 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Local sources put the former town area at 1,000 to 1,300 meters, with temperatures of 18 to 24 degrees.

That is why pine forest grows here. Cold morning mist is an everyday thing, and vegetables and flowers of cooler climates do well on the plots along the roadside.

People describe Măng Đen with the picture of seven lakes and three waterfalls. A folk story about the god Pling and the seven lakes belongs to the cultural memory of the local community. It is not scientific geography. But the list of seven lakes does have a source, the former local government of Kon Plông. It begins with Toong Ly Leng and Toong Ziu. Next come Toong Zơ Ri and Toong Săng. Then come Toong Pô and Toong Đam. The seventh is Đăk Ke. The three waterfalls are Pa Sỹ and Đăk Ke. The third is Đăk Pne.

Pa Sỹ is the waterfall mentioned most often. According to local sources, the name comes from Pau Suh, which means three streams gathering into one. It was later pronounced Pa Sỹ. Around the fall there are forest, rocks and a walking path.

Đăk Ke Lake is a familiar stretch of open water in Măng Đen. In February 2026, the Măng Đen commune authorities released 5,000 young fish into the lake, to restore its fish stocks and improve the health of its waters. That suggests Măng Đen is managing tourism with its landscape in mind, and not only drawing from it.

Măng Đen is also known for its community culture: gongs called cồng chiêng, xoang dance, woven brocade costumes and a periodic market. The commune's bulletin names three villages being developed for community tourism that protects ethnic culture. The first two are Kon Vơng Kia and Kon Chênh. The third is Kon Tu Ma. A street festival on April 30 and May 1, 2026 brought a parade, gongs, xoang dance, stilt walkers and artistic costumes.

On a larger scale, the People's Council of Kon Tum Province approved a general construction plan for the Măng Đen tourist area through 2045, covering more than 90,000 hectares. The goal is to make it an appealing destination of the Central Highlands, tied to its landscape, its biodiversity and its traditional culture.

But some things in Măng Đen do not change: the morning mist, the pine forest, the sound of falling water, and the wide green country that the Central Highlands still keeps.