The new cable car system that goes up to the top of Bà Đen Moutain in Tây Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Đức Hoảnh

TÂY NINH — A new two-line cable car system has opened in the southern province of Tây Ninh, taking visitors to the top of Bà Đen (Black Lady) Mountain and Bà Đen Pagoda.

Developed by the Sun Group, the cable car system, which is part of the Bà Đen Mountain Sun World Tourism Area project, was designed by Austrian company Doppelmayr at a estimated cost of VNĐ2 trillion (US$86.5 million) for the first phase.

With a designed speed of eight metres per second, it can transport 4,400 passengers per hour. Each cabin can accommodate 10 people.

The two-way cable car line 1 extends from the foot of the mountain to the peak of Bà Đen Mountain. It travels 986 metres above sea level with a length of 1,847metres.

With its 113 cabins, the cable car takes only eight minutes to reach the mountain’s summit, compared to a dangerous four-hour trek.

From the foot of the mountain to Bà Đen Pagoda, cable car line 2 has a length of 1,210 metres. It is designed to have 78 cabins, and takes five minutes each way.

The Guinness World Records Organisation has recognised the cable car station as the world's largest cable car station, covering an area of 10,959sq.metres.

An old cable car system that started at the foot of the Bà Đen Pagoda was often overloaded with tourists and pilgrims who were headed for the pagoda and temple complex during the first lunar month of the year.

The new cable car system is expected to better serve tourists who want to ascend Bà Đen Mountain, the highest mountain in the country's southeastern region.

About 986 metres above sea level, the mountain is famous for natural landscapes as well as sacred pagodas and temples.

Tây Ninh has seen a rise in the number of tourists in recent years, attracting about 4-4.5 million of domestic and foreign tourists every year.

The province’s tourism revenue has increased from 5-15 per cent each year in recent years.

In 2018, it saw a year-on-year increase of 5.4 per cent in the number of visitors. Tourism revenue that year was estimated at VNĐ935 billion ($40.4 million), up 12.2 per cent compared to the previous year. — VNS