7. Big Mountain Microwave Radio Station Relic

From Ben Dinh intersection, follow Le Loi street towards Bai Truoc, about 10 meters across Le Hong Phong – Le Loi intersection, there is an asphalt road running along the mountainside, which is the road that takes visitors to the top of Big Mountain and parapon (Microwave Radio Station).

During the periods when Vietnam suffered from foreign invasion, the height of Big Mountain was always an important military control point for observing and holding the Eastern gateway of the South. Therefore, during colonial times, France placed cannons on Big Mountain to control targets in the area. In the American era, there were two Parapon antennas – microwave radio station at an altitude of 245 meters for communication for the war. It was also here that the US army set up large garrisons to protect and follow the battlefield.
The two antenna trusses are located in Hon Sup, the highest peak in the Ganh Rai range. In early 1967, the United States strengthened the expeditionary force into Vietnam and equipped more modern combat vehicles, including two parabolic antenna trusses – Microwave Radio Station on Big Mountain. All equipment was brought from the United States. The antenna is installed by helicopter, which is a system of alloyed iron bars connected together to form a large truss with a height of nearly 40 meters, width of more than 36  meters.

The area of reception and broadcasting is very large thanks to the concave bracing. According to technical experts of the military, these two antenna trusses have a very wide range of operation, not only communicating from the 17^th parallel to the South but also communicating with Thailand and Laos by underground cable system (Rolan). The operation of the Microwave Radio Station is based on the mechanism of taking advantage of the sea wave, receiving the signal through the light refraction of the sea wave in the sinusoidal shape , so the power is very large and the transceiver is very far.

In 1968, American information technology had new achievements to improve the performance of the antenna system, the US installed the MRC-85 system, using electronic lights with a capacity of 10kw.

In 1970, the Parapon antenna – Vung Tau Microwave Radio Station stopped working because at that time the US used REL-2600 technology, a semiconductor machine to communicate. This new machine is also installed on the Big Mountain but is more compact and installed indoors.

The existence of antenna trusses on Big Mountain has created a unique landscape in a very beautiful natural location loved by the tourists to Vung Tau. During the storm at the end of 2006, one antenna truss was completely knocked down, and the other antenna truss was damaged and degraded. In 2008, this relic was assigned by the Provincial People’s Committee to Vung Tau Cable Car Tourism Joint Stock Company to restore, embellish, protect, use and promote its values. Currently, truss No. 1 is located in Vung Tau Cable Car Tourism Joint Stock Company; if tourists and local people want to admire, there is no other way but to buy a cable car ticket.

Parapon antenna -Microwave Radio Station on Big Mountain is a military work to serve the US invasion apparatus and its minions in the entire Southern battlefield, not only a testament to a historical period of fighting against the US to save the heroic country of the Vietnamese nation, the existence of the two trusses also creates harmony for Big Mountain scenic spot, a familiar symbol for Vung Tau people and tourists. Hopefully in the future, this relic will be strictly managed, planned for restoration and embellishment in order to preserve historical value for local people.