In the religious life of Vietnam, going to temples and pagodas, especially temples and pagodas on sacred mountains to pray for peace and luck during Tet has become a tradition of many Vietnamese people. In the South, Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh is not only considered a mountain that gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but is also associated with many legends about the sacredness and responsiveness of Ba Den, making the visit to worship her during Tet a traditional ritual of Tay Ninh people in particular and people in the South in general.
According to records, since New Year's Eve, thousands of people from Tay Ninh and neighboring provinces have come to Ba Den Mountain to receive spring blessings. The cable car to Ba Den Mountain is also open 24/7 to serve people who come to make pilgrimages overnight.
During the first days of the new year, crowds of tourists came to make pilgrimages to the system of 6 pagodas from the foot of the mountain to the middle of the mountain, where Linh Son Thanh Mau is worshiped.
On the top of the mountain, hundreds of thousands of people flock to worship the tallest Buddha statue in Asia and the system of magnificent spiritual structures.
The first days of the new year are also the season of the Maitreya Spring Festival on the sacred Ba Den Mountain. Lasting throughout January, this is a festival for people to send their wishes for a peaceful and joyful new year before the world's largest Maitreya Bodhisattva statue.
Many tourists choose to stay at Ba Den Mountain in the evening to watch the water music show using the most modern technology in Vietnam performed at the area of the statue of Bodhisattva Maitreya.
Tulips, a specialty of Ba Den Mountain during Tet, continue to create a special attraction. This year, 115,000 tulips were planted by Ba Den Mountain tourist area in many batches throughout January so that visitors can check-in at any time when reaching the sacred peak.
The exhibition space of 1,200 lanterns handcrafted from hand-painted paintings, Dong Ho paintings, and prints inspired by Vietnamese and Japanese folklore is also a popular attraction for visitors to check-in, take photos, and capture nostalgic Tet moments.
Artistic programs such as Chhay Dam drum dance, Khmer dance, pentatonic music… create completely different spring travel experiences for Ba Den Mountain. These shows are held throughout the Tet holidays, and performed by Tay Ninh artists, creating an extremely vibrant atmosphere on the roof of the South.
On the 4th day of Tet, the opening ceremony of the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival with a grand fireworks display will be held on a large scale at the square in the area of the Ba Den Mountain cable car station, with the appearance of famous singers such as Tung Duong, Phuc Bo, Rick, Tran Ngoc Anh (champion of The Voice 2018), Tieu Minh Phung, MTV band... performing hit songs on the current music market.
After the opening ceremony, the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival will take place on the top of Ba Den Mountain throughout January with many unique cultural and spiritual experiences, and promises to attract millions of tourists to Tay Ninh in the first days of the new year.
