Midnight is still bustling with pilgrims
One day at the end of June, during a visit to Chau Doc (An Giang), I planned to stay overnight and then continue the journey the next morning. However, a surprise suggestion from the hotel staff changed the schedule.
Arriving in Chau Doc when it was past 10 pm, after more than 3 hours of traveling from Can Tho city, the first thing I thought of was finding a late-night eatery to fill my hungry stomach. While checking in, I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Hoang - hotel staff - about the must-visit places if there is only one day in Chau Doc. "You should go to Ba Chua Xu Temple. If possible, go now," Mr. Hoang said.
I was quite surprised. It was almost midnight, in my thoughts, this must be the time when the temple area was deserted. As if guessing that surprise, Mr. Hoang smiled and explained: "People here believe that visiting Ba at night, especially after 12 pm, will feel more peaceful. Many people believe that it is also a sacred time.
Without hesitation, I rented a motorbike and drove straight to the foot of Sam Mountain. The road leading to the Ba Temple area was brightly lit. On both sides of the road, many shops selling incense, flowers, fruits, and offerings were still open. The bustling atmosphere was no different from a night market.
After preparing for the ceremony, I stepped through the temple gate right when the clock struck 0 o'clock. Different from the imagination of a quiet space in the middle of the night, inside the Ba Temple grounds was still bustling with people. Groups of pilgrims quietly lined up to offer incense, some clasped their hands in prayer, some sat resting in the yard waiting for their turn to enter the main hall. The sound of bells, chanting sutras mixed with footsteps created a space that was both solemn and peaceful.
Mr. Nguyen Van Binh, a tourist from Phu Tho, said that this is the first time he and his family have visited Ba Chua Xu Temple. "I have heard many people say that if you have the opportunity to come to An Giang, you must visit Ba Temple. At first, I also thought going in the middle of the night would be very deserted, but when I arrived, I saw more crowded than I could imagine. The atmosphere was very special, everyone maintained their respect, without jostling or noise. I felt the peace that is hard to find anywhere else," Mr. Binh shared.
Not only visitors from the northern or central provinces, but also many delegations from Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City... also took advantage of pilgrimage on the same night. Perhaps, the sincerity of thousands of people from all regions has created a very unique feature for the most famous temple in the Mekong Delta.
Legend of over 200 years and the attraction of the "land of fairy tales
According to documents from the Management Board of Sam Mountain Mausoleum, about 200 years ago, the statue of Ba Chua Xu once resided on the top of Sam Mountain. Once, a group of people specializing in disturbing the border area discovered the statue and had the intention to take it away. However, after carrying a short distance, the statue suddenly became heavy, and no one could move anymore. In anger, one person slammed and broke the left arm of the statue and was immediately punished.
Not long after, she appeared many times, proclaiming herself the Goddess of the Land of Holy Mother, teaching people to build temples to bless with favorable weather, bumper crops, and drive away bandits and epidemics. People decided to bring the statue down from the mountain, but dozens of healthy young men could not lift it. According to legend, at that time she became possessed and said that only 9 virgin girls carried the statue. The strange thing was that the statue suddenly became lighter and was easily brought down the mountain.
At the location of Ba Temple today, the statue suddenly became heavy again, unable to move further. People believe that Ba wanted to reside in this place, so they built a temple to worship her. That day fell on the 25th day of the fourth lunar month and later became the main day of Ba Chua Xu Festival. Since then, a series of legends about Ba's linh ứng have continued to be passed down through many generations.
People tell stories of thieves who entered to take Ba's gold but could not escape the temple grounds, or people who had difficult business after sincerely praying, and their work gradually became favorable, and business became prosperous. Although the stories are in folk colors, these legends have contributed to creating belief and the unique cultural and religious identity of Chau Doc land.
Strengths of cultural and spiritual tourism
It is no coincidence that An Giang is called the "land of fairies" by many people. This place not only has the poetic scenery of Sam mountain, Vinh Te canal, Tra Su cajuput forest..., but is also a land that converges many famous religious works such as Ba Chua Xu Temple, Tay An Pagoda, Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum. Spiritual and cultural tourism has therefore become one of the strengths of the locality.
Every year, from the beginning of January to the end of April of the lunar calendar, millions of people from all over the country come to Sam Mountain for pilgrimage. The peak is the Via Ba Chua Xu of Sam Mountain festival taking place from April 22 to 27 of the lunar calendar - the largest traditional festival in the Mekong Delta region, and has also been listed by UNESCO on the list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to statistics from the An Giang Department of Tourism, by June 2026, Vinh Te ward alone had welcomed more than 3.9 million visitors. To serve a large number of tourists, the police force and functional units regularly deploy plans to ensure security and order, traffic diversion, prevent theft, robbery, fraud and handle the situation of touting and overcharging tourists.
Incense sticks still smoke in the main hall, prayers still silently echo in the middle of the night. For many people, it is not simply a trip, but also a journey to seek peace, faith and hope.
In December 2024, the Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam festival was listed by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This is an honor and pride but also sets a great responsibility for the Party Committee, government and people of An Giang in continuing to implement the commitment of the National Action Program to preserve and promote heritage values.
