K50 Waterfall

This article is about the waterfall in Gia Lai province. For the cave in Quảng Bình province, see Hang Én.

14°31′10″N 108°36′22″E / 14.51944°N 108.60611°E / 14.51944; 108.60611

K50 Waterfall
Hang Én Waterfall
K50 Waterfall (Hang Én Waterfall) in Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve
LocationSơn Lang commune
K'Bang district, Gia Lai province, Vietnam
Coordinates14°31′10″N 108°36′22″E / 14.51944°N 108.60611°E / 14.51944; 108.60611
TypeWaterfall
Total height50 to 54 m (164 to 177 ft)
Number of drops1
WatercourseCôn River

The K50 Waterfall (Thác K50; also known as Hang Én Waterfall, thác Hang Én) is a waterfall in Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve in Sơn Lang commune, K'Bang district, Gia Lai province, in Vietnam's Central Highlands.[1] It lies in the upper drainage basin of the Côn River and is about 150 km (93 mi) by road from Pleiku.[2][3]

Characteristics and naming

The waterfall drops about 50 m (160 ft), with some published figures reaching 54 m (177 ft).[4][2][5][6][7] Reported widths range from roughly 20 to 100 m (66 to 328 ft), depending on season and viewing position.[8][5][6]

K50 forms a single drop over an arched rock ledge, producing a curtain-like fall. A recessed cavity behind the falling water is known locally as hang Én ("swallow cave").[2]

The name "K50" is often linked to the waterfall's approximate 50 m (160 ft) height,[1] while "Hang Én" refers to the recess behind the water and local accounts of swallows in the area.[2][9]

Location and administration

K50 lies in the core zone of Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve and is managed by the reserve's management board.[10] The site lies near the administrative boundary with An Lão district (historically in Bình Định province, now Gia Lai).[1] Other published accounts place it in Sơn Lang and Đak Roong communes of K'Bang district.[5][6] A 2004 overview document for the nature reserve (summarizing surveys conducted in 1999) lists "Waterfall 50" at roughly 50 m (160 ft) high among the waterfalls in the upper Côn River basin.[4]

Resolution 202/2025/QH15 reorganized provincial-level administrative units, merging Bình Định province and Gia Lai province under the name Gia Lai.[11] Resolution 1664/NQ-UBTVQH15 merged Sơ Pai commune and Sơn Lang commune into a new commune named Sơn Lang; the resolution provided for the new unit to begin operating from July 1, 2025.[12]

Natural setting

Geomorphology and geology

Remote sensing research describes the broader Kon Hà Nừng area as including basalt-derived plateau surfaces and low-to-mid mountains developed on granite.[13]

Hydrology

K50 lies in the headwaters of the Côn River, which rises in the Gia Lai highlands and flows toward the coastal lowlands historically associated with Bình Định province.[2][14][7] The dry season (often given as roughly January to June) is commonly treated as the easiest period for access, when the rock ledge and the recess behind the water are more visible and river conditions are typically calmer.[8][7][6]

Ecosystem

K50 is situated in evergreen forest habitats within Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, part of the core zone of the Kon Hà Nừng biosphere reserve designated by UNESCO in 2021 under the Man and the Biosphere Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.[15] A provincial portal for the biosphere reserve gives a total area of 413,511.67 ha (1,021,809.6 acres), including core, buffer, and transition zones; Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve lies within the core zone.[16]

A 2004 overview document (summarizing a 1999 survey) records 546 species of vascular plants in the reserve, along with 62 mammal species and 169 bird species.[4] A scientific summary report gives 413 vertebrate wildlife species and 211 insect species and lists threatened plant species and conservation-priority vertebrates in the area.[17]

Two new species of Lasianthus (family Rubiaceae) have been described from Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve.[18] Specimens were recorded at elevations of roughly 900 to 1,100 m (3,000 to 3,600 ft) along routes between waterfalls in the reserve, including routes linking K50 with other waterfalls and access trails.[19] Spray from the waterfall can create heavy mist, and rainbows can appear on sunny mornings under suitable viewing conditions.[1]

Conservation and management

Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve was established in 1986 (Decision No. 194/CT) with an area of about 16,000 ha (40,000 acres); a 1999 investment project defined zones for strict protection, ecological restoration, and buffer areas.[10] A 2004 overview document gives the reserve area as about 15,900 ha (39,000 acres) and describes zoning and buffer areas at the time of compilation.[4]

Kon Chu Rang and Kon Ka Kinh National Park form part of the core area of the Kon Hà Nừng biosphere reserve designated by UNESCO in 2021.[15] Identified threats include hunting and wildlife trade; logging and extraction of forest products; agricultural expansion; infrastructure development and resource extraction; and forest fires; monitoring and enforcement are described as priorities for biodiversity protection.[17]

Kon Chu Rang forms an ecotone between the eastern and western slopes of the Annamite Range (Trường Sơn), with high forest cover and a system of streams and waterfalls in the Côn River headwaters basin.[14]

History and culture

Bahnar folklore in the region includes stories associated with waterfalls; some accounts link But Jai to Hang Én Waterfall.[1] The waterfall is promoted as a forest trekking destination in the area.[20][21]

Visiting

Access routes run from Gia Lai via main roads to the nature reserve gate, followed by a forest walk or hiking segment to reach the base of the waterfall.[2][22][3][7] During the dry season, rock features and the arched recess behind the water are more visible; storms increase hazards such as slippery terrain and falling branches.[8][7][6]

Incidents and safety

On July 3, 2024, a 55-year-old female tourist died after being struck by a falling tree while traveling by motorcycle on the access road to the waterfall during stormy weather.[23][24][25] After the incident, safety measures on forest routes to tourist sites in the area were reviewed.[24][22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Ngô Xuân Hiền (2025-05-21). "Thác K50 - "Nàng thơ" của Tây Nguyên!" [K50 Waterfall - the "muse" of the Central Highlands]. Báo Dân tộc và Phát triển (in Vietnamese). Ủy ban Dân tộc. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lan Hương (2022-04-11). "Thác K50 mùa đẹp nhất" [K50 Waterfall in its most beautiful season]. VnExpress Du lịch (in Vietnamese). VnExpress. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  3. ^ a b "Gia Lai: A Hidden Highland Gem". Vietnam Tourism. Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  4. ^ a b c d "Kon Cha Rang" (PDF). thiennhienviet.org.vn (in Vietnamese). 2004-02-15. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  5. ^ a b c "Conquering Hang En Waterfall in Gia Lai". Vietnam Tourism. Tourism Information Technology Centre (TITC), Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism. 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  6. ^ a b c d e Quoc Thai (2024-06-16). "Conquering Hang En Waterfall". Nhan Dan Online. Nhan Dan Newspaper. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Magnificent beauty of Hang En Waterfall". VietNamNet Global. VietNamNet. 2021-08-14. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  8. ^ a b c Quốc Thái (2024-06-07). "Chinh phục thác Hang En" [Conquering Hang En Waterfall]. Nhân Dân (in Vietnamese). Báo Nhân Dân. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  9. ^ "Thác K50 "nàng tiên" giữa đại ngàn Tây Nguyên hùng vĩ" [K50 Waterfall, a "fairy" amid the majestic Central Highlands forest]. Nhân Dân (in Vietnamese). Báo Nhân Dân. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  10. ^ a b "Khu bảo tồn thiên nhiên Kon Chư Răng - Trang thông tin điện tử" [Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve - official website]. konchurang.vn (in Vietnamese). Ban quản lý Khu BTTN Kon Chư Răng. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  11. ^ "Nghị quyết 202/2025/QH15: Sắp xếp đơn vị hành chính cấp tỉnh" [Resolution 202/2025/QH15: Reorganization of provincial-level administrative units]. vbpl.vn (in Vietnamese). National database of legal documents (Vietnam). 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  12. ^ "Toàn văn Nghị quyết số 1664/NQ-UBTVQH15 sắp xếp các ĐVHC cấp xã của tỉnh Gia Lai năm 2025" [Full text of Resolution 1664/NQ-UBTVQH15 on reorganization of commune-level administrative units in Gia Lai province (2025)]. xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn (in Vietnamese). Government Information Portal (Vietnam). 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  13. ^ Dang, Hoi Nguyen; Ba, Duy Dinh; Ngo Trung, Dung; Nguyen Huu, Hieu Viet (2022-12-15). "A Novel Method for Estimating Biomass and Carbon Sequestration in Tropical Rainforest Areas Based on Remote Sensing Imagery: A Case Study in the Kon Ha Nung Plateau, Vietnam". Sustainability. 14 (24): 16857. doi:10.3390/su142416857.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  14. ^ a b "Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, Gia Lai". en.nbca.gov.vn. National Biodiversity Centre of Vietnam. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  15. ^ a b "Kon Ha Nung Highland - UNESCO Biosphere Reserve". UNESCO. UNESCO. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  16. ^ "Tổng quan" [Overview]. konhanung.gialai.gov.vn (in Vietnamese). Kon Hà Nừng Biosphere Reserve portal (Gia Lai). Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  17. ^ a b "Báo cáo tóm tắt kết quả nghiên cứu khoa học Khu BTTN Kon Chư Răng" [Scientific summary report for Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve] (PDF). konchurang.vn (in Vietnamese). Ban quản lý Khu BTTN Kon Chư Răng. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  18. ^ "Two new species of Lasianthus Jack (Rubiaceae) from southern Vietnam". European Journal of Taxonomy. 806 (1): 19–31. 2022-03-18. doi:10.5852/ejt.2022.806.1697.
  19. ^ Đặng Văn Sơn (2025-04-24). "Phát hiện 2 loài thực vật mới thuộc họ Cà phê (Rubiaceae) ở Khu BTTN Kon Chư Răng, Gia Lai" [Discovery of two new Rubiaceae plant species in Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, Gia Lai]. itb.ac.vn (in Vietnamese). Institute of Tropical Biology. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  20. ^ Dũng Nhân (2025-08-02). "Thác K50 - vũ khúc của đại ngàn" [K50 Waterfall - a dance of the great forest]. Báo Gia Lai (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  21. ^ Thanh Huyen; Thuy Du (2019-08-19). "Deep inside a vast Vietnamese forest, a cascade lets its hair down". VnExpress International. VnExpress. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  22. ^ a b Minh Châu (2025-03-04). "Mùa du lịch rừng" [Forest tourism season]. Báo Gia Lai (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  23. ^ Tấn Lực (2024-07-03). "Nữ du khách bị cây ngã đè chết trên đường tham quan thác K50" [Female tourist killed by a falling tree while visiting K50 Waterfall]. Tuổi Trẻ Online (in Vietnamese). Báo Tuổi Trẻ. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  24. ^ a b Trần Hóa (2024-07-03). "Du khách bị cây đè tử vong khi tham quan thác" [Tourist dies after being crushed by a tree while visiting a waterfall]. VnExpress (in Vietnamese). VnExpress. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  25. ^ "Tree falls at Gia Lai forest, killing tourist". DTiNews. Dan Tri. 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2026-02-03.

Further reading

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