Hundreds of thousands of tourists come to Ba Den Mountain at the beginning of the year to experience the lantern offering ceremony, see the "sea" of tulips and make pilgrimages to worship spiritual works.
About 100 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Mountain is 986 m high and is known as the "roof of the South". The structure appears and disappears in the clouds, creating a majestic scene. With a system of electricity, pagodas, temples, and caves imbued with Buddhist culture and folk beliefs, this mountain attracts millions of tourists and pilgrims every year.
Below are three experiences that attract tourists to Ba Mountain at the beginning of the year:
Lantern Offering Ceremony
Offering lanterns is a unique and sparkling ritual on Ba Den peak. At the foot of the Buddha statue of Tay Bo Da Son, the tallest in Asia, lanterns with visitors' wishes are lit.
Ms. Hong Lien (HCMC) - a tourist who has returned to Ba Mountain many times - described: "Groups of people take turns offering prayers to the Buddhas, walking around the Prajna Sutra pillar and releasing lanterns into the large water dish in the square."
Having attended lantern offering ceremonies in many places, Ms. Tran Thi Thuy (HCMC) said that releasing lanterns on the top of the mountain, amidst the mist and smoke, was a strange feeling. "I felt relaxed, at peace, and felt like all my wishes were heard," she said.
The lantern offering ceremony takes place every Saturday evening. Visitors receive free lanterns, handmade by Sun World Ba Den Mountain staff. After the ceremony, the lanterns are burned with the hope that everyone's wishes will come true. The evening of February 22 is the last lantern offering ceremony of January.
Watch the tulip "paradise" bloom
From Tet to the end of March, Ba Den Mountain becomes a "paradise" of tulips with 8 colors from gentle to brilliant. Anywhere on the top, from flower gardens, squares, exhibition spaces to buffet restaurants, visitors can check-in with the typical flower of the Netherlands.
This spring, more than 115,000 tulips were planted in 10 batches. Each batch, the tourist area mobilized more than 40 landscape staff to plant about 11,500 flowers, helping to keep the appearance of Ba Den Mountain fresh, creating surprises for visitors every time they return.
On this occasion, hundreds of other flower species bloom on the mountain top such as roses, lotus, chrysanthemums, daisies, orchids, hydrangeas, begonias, red marigolds, camellias...
In addition, the meditation gardens with gravel paths, joyful statues, archways with lanterns lit up every night... help the space become more colorful in spring.
Pilgrims all night long
According to historical records from the 19th century, Ba Den Mountain was considered a sacred mountain guarding Gia Dinh citadel (formerly Saigon), with "a golden bell hidden in the lake, and dragon boats sailing on moonlit nights". Linh Son Thanh Mau was revered by the people as the "goddess" of Ba Mountain.
Because of the above meaning, hundreds of thousands of tourists make pilgrimages to Ba Mountain in January. Many families and groups of young people camp and sleep at the foot of the mountain or spread mats and tarps overnight at Ba Temple to pray for peace and luck.
This ritual usually lasts throughout January - the beginning of the year, when everyone hopes to receive good things. Therefore, January at Ba Den Mountain is a month of festivals and spring entertainment, attracting many people from the South. Many tourists from the North, Central and international regions also come to Tay Ninh to experience the pilgrimage culture.
According to vnexpress.net
Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/du-lich/ba-trai-nghiem-du-xuan-dam-ban-sac-tren-nui-ba-den-149037.html
![[Photo] Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs Government Conference with localities on economic growth](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/2/21/f34583484f2643a2a2b72168a0d64baa)
Comment (0)