At the beginning of the new year, people in all provinces and cities of Vietnam always keep the habit of going on spring trips to famous religious tourist destinations with family and friends. Tourists go to temples and pagodas with the wish to pray for peace and health.
At the foot of Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh), many tourists, including pilgrims and Buddhists from the South, flocked to all roads to participate in the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival - a unique cultural event of Tay Ninh and also the biggest festival of Tay Ninh province. Every year, this festival lasts from the 4th day of Tet to the 16th day of the first lunar month.
Photos of the crowded scene at Ba Den Mountain from the afternoon of the 4th day of Tet by Nguyen Minh Tu (46 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) have received great attention from the online community. The male photographer "hunted" the spectacular scene, seen from above, depicting the bustling atmosphere of tourists "camping" overnight at the foot of the mountain.
"I took photos of the afternoon and evening of the 4th day of Tet during the opening ceremony of the Maitreya Spring Festival at Ba Den Mountain. From 5pm onwards, thousands of pilgrims began to gather at the square of Ba Den cable car station to find the best position to watch the art program and fireworks on the opening day of the festival. In addition, this year's festival has many activities, especially high-altitude fireworks, gathering many famous singers, so it attracts quite a lot of tourists," he said.
Many pilgrims do not look for motels or hotels to stay overnight, but instead choose to spread out tarps and mats to sleep right on the premises so they can spend time outdoors to calm their minds, meditate and pray. The next morning, they can visit the Lady Temple on the top of the mountain as early as possible to pray for good luck for the whole year.
For Mr. Tu, "this is a very eye-catching and impressive scene when viewed from above, like a colorful painting".
According to the male tourist's observation, this crowded scene often appears at the foot of Ba Den Mountain on the opening days of the spring festival on the 4th day of Tet or the 15th day of the first lunar month. These days, the long convoys of cars from Trang Bang to the foot of the mountain all have the same journey: to visit the spring festival and pray for peace.
Every year, during the Lunar New Year, Mr. Tu goes on a spring outing and worships at Ba Den Mountain. Last year, he and three friends experienced sleeping overnight outdoors like other tourists after an art program.
He recalled: "Many multi-generational families join the festival together and spend the night at the foot of the mountain. In the evening, they often eat, drink, read sutras or meditate. People will share food and drinks, sometimes playing music and singing. Visitors are not allowed to bring tents, but only spread mats or plastic bags.
At 4am the next morning, they will go to the temple early. I see everyone is happy, conscious of maintaining public hygiene and there is no theft because of tight security. This is a beautiful cultural and religious feature of Buddhists in the South."
From January 25 to 31, 2025, the number of visitors to Ba Den Mountain Historical Relic and Scenic Area is estimated to reach over 300,000, an increase of over 12% over the same period in 2024. Tourism revenue is estimated to reach over 226 billion VND, an increase of over 27% over the same period.
