1. Overview of Ba Den Mountain Festival
Ba Den Mountain, located in Binh Minh ward, Tay Ninh, is the highest mountain in Southern Vietnam and a prominent tourist and spiritual symbol of the holy land. Associated with the legend of Linh Son Thanh Mau, it has long been a familiar pilgrimage site for visitors from all directions, boasting a unique mountainous landscape and deeply embodying local culture. Not only attractive for its majestic nature, Ba Den Mountain also preserves many pagodas, temples, and important spiritual structures, creating a sacred complex amidst the vast open sky and clouds.
Festivals of Nui Ba Den take place year-round, attracting millions of Buddhist followers. (Source: Collected)
The festivals of Nui Ba Den take place throughout the four seasons, with the busiest being Buddhist holidays and pilgrimage seasons. From the pilgrimage festival of Linh Son Thanh Mau, the pilgrimage festival of Quan The Am to the bustling Spring Festival at the beginning of the year, each festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors to worship, pray for peace, pray for wealth, and immerse themselves in the unique culture of the Nam Bo region. The solemn rituals, sacred space, and vibrant festival atmosphere bring visitors a feeling of peace and fulfillment on their journey to explore the "roof of Nam Bo".
2. Top 9 Nui Ba Den festivals worth experiencing
2.1. Pilgrimage festival of Duc Phat Di Lac
In Buddhist belief, Duc Phat Di Lac is considered the Buddha of the future, who will appear when the world enters a new era of peace and wisdom. His image is often associated with a gentle smile, a relaxed demeanor, a large belly symbolizing generosity and prosperity. Alongside him are innocent children playing, representing the abundant joy and blessings He brings to sentient beings.
The pilgrimage festival of Duc Phat Di Lac takes place on the 1st day of the first lunar month, the beginning of the new year and also a time when people place their greatest hopes. At Nui Ba Den, visitors and Buddhist followers often come to offer incense, praying for a year full of peace, health, and prosperity. The clear spring atmosphere, blends with the solemnity at the Buddha's gate, making the ceremony a sacred mark opening the spiritual journey at the start of the year in the sacred mountain region of Tay Ninh.
2.2. Nui Ba Den Spring Festival
The Nui Ba Den Spring Festival is the largest event in the series of Nui Ba Den festivals, taking place annually from the 4th to the 16th day of the first lunar month. At this time, the tourist area and spiritual complex on the mountain become bustling with streams of pilgrims coming to offer incense at the beginning of the year, pray for peace, wealth, and prosperity. The sacred atmosphere blends with the fresh spring scenery, making this one of the most bustling spring travel destinations in Nam Bo. Traditional ceremonies such as the opening ceremony, offering incense to Linh Son Thanh Mau, bringing good fortune at the start of the year… are solemnly organized, preserving the full cultural identity of the Tay Ninh region.
The Hoi Xuan Nui Ba Den is a major and important festival of the year in Tay Ninh. (Source: Collected)
Besides the ceremonial part, visitors can also enjoy a rich festival part with many unique cultural and artistic activities such as drum performances and Southern folk dances. Spring celebration performances and vibrant flower-filled check-in spaces are organized on the mountaintop. The combination of early year pilgrimage with cable car experience, admiring the panoramic view of Tay Ninh in the spring weather, makes the Hoi Xuan Nui Ba Den a spiritually inspiring and relaxing travel journey for visitors from all directions.
2.3. Traditional Festival of Kim Quang Cave
The Traditional Festival of Kim Quang Cave is a special occasion within the system of Ba Den Mountain festivals, held annually around the 14th day of the first lunar month at the historical site of Kim Quang Cave, on the northern slope of Ba Den Mountain. Kim Quang Cave was once an important revolutionary base during the resistance period, so the festival space carries both historical imprints and the sacredness of a pilgrimage land.
This festival is when people and visitors return to commemorate the merits of heroes and martyrs, while immersing themselves in a festival atmosphere that is both solemn and vibrant. With the combination of the ceremonial part featuring incense offering rituals, reading of traditional speeches, and the festival part with lion dances, cultural performances, and festival experience activities, Kim Quang Cave is not only a spiritual tourism destination but also a vivid historical exploration point of Ba Den Mountain.
2.4. Veneration Ceremony for the Birth Anniversary of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
The Veneration Ceremony for the Birth Anniversary of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at Ba Den Mountain is usually held on the 19th day of the second lunar month annually. This is an occasion to honor the merits of the great compassionate Bodhisattva, who listens to the suffering of sentient beings. At the spiritual complex, from the ancient pagoda to the mountaintop, Buddhists and visitors participate in incense offering rituals, processions, and lantern releases in the serene mountain landscape, creating a sacred and meaningful moment.
Not only a spiritual journey, the veneration ceremony also offers an experiential tourism aspect: visitors can pay homage amidst the misty mountain scenery, while participating in artistic activities and meditation on the summit of the "roof of the South". The combination of spirituality and beautiful nature makes the Ba Den Mountain festival a popular choice for the beginning of the year to start the new year with a peaceful and prosperous mindset.
2.5. Buddha's Birthday Festival
The Buddha's Birthday Festival at Ba Den Mountain takes place in the middle of the lunar month (usually falling on the 16th and 17th of the 4th lunar month), is an occasion to celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and attracts a large number of Buddhists and pilgrims. At the pagoda and temple complex on the mountain, rituals such as bathing the Buddha, offering lanterns, and praying for peace are solemnly held, creating a sacred atmosphere amidst the clouds and mountains.
For pilgrims and visitors, the Ba Den Mountain festival during Buddha's Birthday is not only a spiritual journey but also a unique cultural tourism experience: taking the cable car to the summit, paying homage to Buddha's relics, enjoying the natural scenery, and participating in local art activities. These moments make the Buddha's Birthday Festival at Ba Den Mountain a memorable spiritual and tourist destination at the beginning of the year.
2.6. Veneration Ceremony for Bà Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu
The Veneration Ceremony for Bà Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu is one of the most important events in the Ba Den Mountain festival series, held on the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of the fifth lunar month annually. This is an occasion for people to remember and honor Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu, the deity considered the female guardian of the mountain region, associated with the sacred legend of Bà Đen. At the Bà Temple area and the shrines at the foot of the mountain, Buddhists and visitors offer incense, perform rituals, and send wishes for peace, health, and luck in the solemn atmosphere amidst the mountains.
The Veneration Ceremony of Lady Linh Son Thanh Mau is one of the most important events in the Ba Den Mountain festival series. (Source: Collected)
During the veneration ceremony days, Ba Den Mountain welcomes a large number of visitors from all directions who come to worship and participate in traditional rituals such as offering sacrifices, praying, and receiving blessings. Besides the solemn ceremony part, the festival atmosphere is also adorned with folk cultural activities, spiritual check-in spaces, and journeys to explore the beautiful scenery of Ba Mountain.
2.7. Veneration Ceremony of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's Enlightenment
The Veneration Ceremony of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's Enlightenment is held on the 19th day of the 6th lunar month, an important occasion for Buddhists to commemorate the Bodhisattva's achievement of wisdom and boundless compassion. At Ba Den Mountain, visitors and pilgrims come to pagodas and temples, especially the Dien Ba area and the complex dedicated to Avalokiteśvara, to offer incense, chant, and pray for peace. The solemn and pure atmosphere amidst clouds and mountains makes the ceremony more meaningful, bringing participants closer to His compassionate energy.
During the Ba Den Mountain festival season, this place welcomes a large number of visitors from all directions who come both to worship and to sightsee, creating a blend of faith and tourism. Rituals of chanting, lighting candles, and praying are conducted devoutly, while the festival part offers a gentle experience with natural landscapes and meditation practice spaces. Thanks to this harmonious combination, the Veneration Ceremony of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's Enlightenment becomes one of the most anticipated spiritual festivals of the year at the 'roof of the South'.
2.8. Vu Lan Festival of Filial Piety
The Vu Lan Festival of Filial Piety at Ba Den Mountain, usually held on the full moon of the 7th lunar month, lasts for several days from about the 11th to the 15th of the 7th lunar month (equivalent to around late August Gregorian calendar). At the spiritual area at the foot of the statue and the complex of temples and shrines on the mountaintop, rituals of pinning roses, reciting Vu Lan sutras, and offering flower lanterns are solemnly held to commemorate parents, grandparents, and pray for the deceased.
The festival is not only a spiritual journey but also offers an experiential tourism aspect: visitors can participate in offering sacrifices in the mystical mountain scenery, release lanterns by the lake around the Bat Nha stupa, and join the art program 'Offering Thousands of Reverences - Fulfilling Filial Duty'.
2.9. Veneration Ceremony of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's Renunciation
The Veneration Ceremony of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's Renunciation takes place on the 19th day of the 9th lunar month annually at the spiritual complex of Ba Den Mountain, which hosts many important worship structures such as Chua Ba (Linh Son Tien Thach) and the Tay Bo Da Son Buddha Statue on the mountaintop. During this occasion, rituals of offering incense, lighting flower lanterns, chanting, and artistic performances at the square at the foot of the statue create a solemn atmosphere and a memorable experience for both Buddhists and visitors.
Not only an occasion for pilgrimage, the Ba Den Mountain festival on this day also carries cultural and tourism imprints as visitors can participate in releasing flower lanterns amidst clouds and mountains, admire an exhibition of over 50 ancient statues of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, and enjoy an art program themed 'Immeasurable Merit - Blessings of Avalokiteśvara'.
3. Suggested 1-day Itinerary for Experiencing the Ba Den Mountain Festival
The Spring Festival is the biggest event in the Ba Den Mountain festival, always attracting numerous visitors for pilgrimage, praying for peace, and welcoming the new year's fortune. To fully experience this sacred and bustling atmosphere in one day, you need a reasonable itinerary combining participation in rituals, sightseeing, and enjoying the mountain scenery.
3.1. Morning: Travel, Offering New Year Incense, and Exploring the Mountaintop
Departing from Ho Chi Minh City around 5 AM helps visitors avoid traffic jams and arrive at Ba Den Mountain just in time for the festival's early morning activities. Arriving around 7 AM, you can head straight to the Dien Ba area to offer incense, pray for peace, and pray for wealth in the still open and peaceful morning space.
As the sun rises, the cable car journey takes visitors to the mountaintop to worship the Tay Bo Da Son Buddha Statue, explore the pagodas, and admire the vibrant spring flower decorations on the summit of the 'roof of the South'. This is also an ideal time to immerse yourself in early year cultural activities such as folk performances, spring flower exhibitions, or Tet-themed art spaces.
Visitors can choose a combined itinerary or take the cable car directly to the mountain peak. (Source: Collected)
3.2. Noon: Lunch and rest during the journey
Around 11 AM, visitors can stop at Van Son Buffet or Sol Kitchen to enjoy lunch in a cool and comfortable atmosphere. After lunch, spend about an hour resting, sipping coffee, or taking a light stroll around the mountain peak area before continuing down the mountain. This time helps you recover and prepare for the afternoon ceremony, which is also the most crowded and lively period of the Spring Festival.
4.3. Afternoon: Participate in ceremonies and experience the bustling festival atmosphere
From 2 PM onwards, the Dien Ba area and the foot of the mountain square become vibrant with traditional rituals such as carrying lucky branches for the new year, offering sacrifices, praying for blessings, and unique cultural performances of the Southern region. This is the right time for you to immerse yourself in the stream of pilgrims, feeling the most vibrant festival rhythm of spring. After the ceremony, visitors can stroll around the spring market, buy lucky charms for the new year, or visit nearby ceremonial sites to take photos and explore the cultural aspects of the Tay Ninh people.
3.4. Evening: Watch performances and depart for Ho Chi Minh City
If it's the opening day of the festival or a special event, you can stay until around 6 PM to enjoy art performances, light shows, or fireworks, which are highlights that make the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival more captivating than ever. Afterward, leaving Ba Den Mountain around 7–8 PM is a reasonable time for visitors to return to Ho Chi Minh City, concluding a fulfilling, complete, and meaningful day of spring travel and pilgrimage.
4. Notes for participating in the Ba Den Mountain Festival
When participating in the Ba Den Mountain Festival, visitors should choose an appropriate time to avoid overcrowding, especially on the early days of the New Year, which attract thousands of Buddhist pilgrims from all directions. Attire should be polite, modest, and convenient for moving around the spiritual space. At the same time, pay attention to safety when using the cable car, queuing, or attending crowded ceremonies. The weather on the mountain can change quickly, so you should bring a light jacket, drinking water, and necessary personal items to ensure your journey is always comfortable and complete.
Note to travel early and check the weather when participating in the Ba Den Mountain Festival. (Source: Collected)
The festivals at Ba Den Mountain are not just a pilgrimage journey imbued with spiritual significance, but also an emotionally rich cultural and tourist experience amidst the majestic nature of Tay Ninh. Whether visitors come to pray for peace, pray for wealth, immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Spring Festival, or explore the scenery on the "roof of the Southern region", every moment here brings peace and fulfillment.
