Covered by closed forest with many valuable trees, as the habitat of many endangered rare animals, also a place owning charming scenery, Ke Go Natural Reserve is becoming an interesting destination in the land of Ha Tinh.
Ke which is originally the name of an ancient Vietnamese village in My Due Commune, Cam My comune nowadays, Cam Xuyen district, Ha Tinh, about 20 km from Ha Tinh city center to the south. In the past, Ke Go was located along the banks of Rao Cai river – the converging river of hundreds of streams poured from Truong Son mountain range. Rao Cai river brings in it two contradictory images, on one hand, it is the cool milk to feed thousands of people and is the inspiration of many folk songs. On the other hand, it is like a strong animal in the flood season, becomes a greater disaster for the southern region of Ha Tinh.
In the early twentieth century, the French thought of building a dam to control the river. They designed and began the construction of a number of items, but these items are unfinished because of the Second World War and later Indochina War. Until 26/3/1976, when the country was reunified, the work was designed, constructed by Vietnamese irrigational architects and named Ke Go. Ke Go dam was put into use on 03/02/1988.
Ke Go lake is located in the territory of 3 districts of Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh and Huong Khe. The lake is great irrigation project with reserves of 350 million m3 of water, irrigating nearly 17,000 hectares of rice and another farm produces planted in the land of Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen, Ha Tinh districts and the north of Ky Anh district. With a length of over 30 km, the lake is also a source of abundant food supply for residents here.
Ke Go lake is not only an irrigation work for flood prevention, and a source of irrigation for downstream residents, but also a highlight in the overall scale of the largest nature conservation area in the central region with the natural area of more than 35 ha. Ke Go Nature reserve is covered by closed forest with multiple trees listed in the Vietnam Red Book such as ironwood, signora wood, wipe, canary- wood, aloes wood, large- size rattan, texture wood… This is a rich flora system which is typical for many plant flows of native north Vietnam – south China flora, Indonesia – Malaysia plant flow and Himalayan flora flow.
So far, in Ke Go nature reserve, 364 vertebrate species belonging to 99 families have been dícovered. White-tailed pheasant slide, one of three endemic species of pheasant of Vietnam is being threatened with extinction, and many other rare types are also present here. In 47 species of mammals, 18 species are here recorded in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world. Ke Go forest also is the home of all kinds of beautiful and precious magnolia, orchid as elephant ear, buffalo ears, foxtail, flamboyant …
Between the swift- flowing water, there are still plants growing and shading. The lake surface is decorated as by many small oases, each of them is a mysterious world of its own.
With a bewitching beauty, Ke Go has long been visited by a large number of scientists at home and abroad coming to visit, study. Ha Tinh is actively calling for early investment to make Ke Go lake in particular and Ke Go Nature Reserve, in general, ecological tourist area full of services.
