Experience Bird Watching on a 350ha Freshwater Lagoon in Quang Ngai - Viet Nam – an Ecological Paradise in the Central Region.

An Khe freshwater lagoon by the sea with its wild and fertile landscape attracts many species of birds to forage, offering a "little-known" experience in the Sa Huynh cultural region.

An Khe Lagoon is 350 hectares wide, located along the coast of Sa Huynh, Duc Pho town. In 1909, foreign archaeologists surveyed the area around the lagoon and discovered Sa Huynh cultural relics (about 2,000-3,000 years ago) - one of the three ancient civilizations of Vietnam.

The lagoon is believed to be the living space of ancient Sa Huynh residents and is closely associated with the lives and livelihoods of the Sa Huynh people today.

An Khe Lagoon is located close to the coast but is a freshwater lagoon, different from brackish water lagoons in similar locations.

Surrounding the lagoon are villages of local people, with many landscapes and green areas. In recent years, the lagoon has become a popular destination.  The prominent landscape is Bai Dua with many large trees reaching close to the water surface, the space below is suitable for camping, picnicking, and SUP rowing.  Mr. Le Huy, a service business, said that he has invested in about 15 SUPs and many tents and canopies since 2022 to attract tourists. "Many guests are locals but have never been to this place before. When they arrive, everyone is amazed by the beauty of this place," said Mr. Huy.  Guests are usually crowded on weekends with about 20-30 people, traveling individually or in groups.

A female tourist from Tam Quan came to An Khe lagoon to experience. She chose ao dai and conical hats to pose under the shade of coconut trees. Photo: NVCC

Ms. Phuong's family, in Duc Pho town, near An Khe lagoon, came to Bai Dua for the first time to row a sub after seeing pictures of this place on social media. Photo: NVCC

In the Bai Dua area on An Khe lagoon, around April when the water is low, mallards (black) often land to hunt for fish. Visitors can watch the birds while standing on the shore or by boat.

The lagoon has a lot of shrimp and fish, which attracts many birds and storks. Thousands of storks freely fly over the lagoon to hunt for prey and then swoop down to rest on the grass, creating a peaceful scene.

In the forest by the sea, the wild ducks rested together, on the poplar branches.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai, who lives next to An Khe lagoon, said that birds often migrate to the lagoon during the warm, sunny season, and look for food in the early morning and late afternoon. People around the lagoon do not hunt wild birds. "This place is considered a relic, so people have not hunted birds for a long time," Mr. Hai said.

In addition to experiences such as bird watching, SUP, camping, visitors to An Khe lagoon can "hunt" for sunset scenes with the afternoon light pouring golden light onto the immense water surface.

In the late afternoon, An Khe lagoon gradually turns purple-blue. People herd cows on the grass near the lagoon, creating sounds like an approaching navy.

South of An Khe lagoon, shops have sprung up since the government invested in a road connecting the national highway to the Sa Huynh Cultural Relic.

According to the locality, there was a business that wanted to do a solar power project on this freshwater lagoon. Quang Ngai province kept the lagoon and protected the heritage. The locality has carried out many releases of fish fry into the lagoon, managed fishing to maintain aquatic resources, and encouraged people to develop tourism to promote the heritage value.