1. Overview of the Ba Den Mountain Tet Festival
Every spring, Ba Den Mountain becomes a familiar pilgrimage and spring travel destination for visitors from all over the South. Not only does it boast a majestic natural landscape, but it is also a long-standing spiritual center deeply connected to the spiritual life of the people of Tay Ninh and neighboring provinces. During the beginning of the year, the festival atmosphere spreads across areas from the foot to the summit of the mountain, creating a spring travel journey that is both sacred and rich in cultural experience.
The Ba Den Mountain Tet Festival does not take place on a fixed date but is a series of events that follow each other throughout the first lunar month. Each festival carries its own meaning, from praying for peace and blessings at the start of the year to commemorating revolutionary history, allowing visitors to choose a suitable time for spiritual needs, sightseeing, or relaxation.
1.1. Ba Den Mountain – A Major Spiritual Center of the Southeast
Ba Den Mountain is considered the most sacred mountain in the Southeast region, associated with the worship of Linh Son Thanh Mau – a symbol of protection and blessings. For a long time, people have believed that making a pilgrimage to the mountain at the beginning of the year will bring peace, luck, and prosperity in work and life. This belief has made Ba Den Mountain a familiar spiritual destination every Tet holiday.
Ba Den Mountain is a prominent destination in Tay Ninh during the Tet (Lunar New Year) season (Source: Collected)
Besides its religious value, the summit area now hosts many large-scale Buddhist constructions, highlighted by its system of Buddha statues and modern spiritual architectural complex. The combination of traditional elements and a new spiritual space has elevated the status of Ba Den Mountain, transforming it into a large-scale pilgrimage center, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each festival season.
1.2. Why is Ba Den Mountain a prominent spring destination during Tet?
One of the reasons visitors choose Ba Den Mountain for their spring outing is the convenience of travel and sightseeing. The modern cable car system makes the journey to the summit effortless, suitable for families with elderly members or young children. This allows for a complete experience combining sightseeing, Buddhist worship, and enjoying the panoramic view of the Tay Ninh plains from above, all in one trip.
In addition to spiritual aspects, the Tet holiday at Ba Den Mountain also features many attractive cultural and entertainment activities such as spring miniature landscape decorations, traditional art performances, and large-scale festival rituals. The bustling yet solemn atmosphere makes it suitable for pilgrimage, as well as for spring outings, taking photos, and enjoying the early year's ambiance with loved ones.
1.3. Schedule of festivals during the first lunar month
The event series of the Ba Den Mountain Tet festival typically begins on the first day of the lunar year with the ceremony honoring Maitreya Buddha, symbolizing wishes for peace and happiness in the new year. Following this, festival activities continue for many days, allowing visitors to participate at different times while still experiencing the characteristic festival atmosphere.
The peak of the festival season falls around the 4th day to mid-January, coinciding with the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival and traditional ceremonies at Kim Quang Cave. This is when the number of visitors surges, especially on weekends and full moon days. Therefore, if you wish to experience a vibrant festival atmosphere, it is advisable to visit during this period; however, if you prefer a more relaxed visit, you can choose the early or late days of the month to avoid peak times.
2. Three major festivals during the Ba Den Mountain Tet festival
2.1. Ceremony honoring Maitreya Buddha – the start of a peaceful new year
The ceremony honoring Maitreya Buddha is held on the first day of the lunar calendar, kicking off the Ba Den Mountain Tet festival series with a joyful atmosphere and the meaning of wishing for a peaceful and fulfilling new year. In Buddhism and folk life, Maitreya Buddha is a symbol of happiness, compassion, and blessings, so many visitors choose the first day of the year to visit the mountain to pray for family peace and smooth work.
Image of the giant Maitreya Buddha statue at Sun World Ba Den Mountain tourist area (Source: Collected)
During the festival, visitors participate in incense offering rituals, mantra chanting, and worship at spiritual structures on the mountaintop. The festival space is also decorated with many spring miniatures, creating opportunities for lucky money picking, calligraphy requesting, and souvenir photography. The outstanding highlight is the giant Maitreya Buddha statue at Sun World Ba Den Mountain tourist area, attracting many visitors to pay homage and pray for blessings on the first day of the new year.
2.2. Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival – Tay Ninh’s largest traditional festival
The Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival takes place from the 4th to the 16th day of the first lunar month, being the largest traditional festival in the series of Ba Den Mountain Festivals for Tet and also a typical cultural-spiritual event of Tay Ninh province. The festival is associated with the legend of Linh Son Thanh Mau, expressing the people's reverence for the guardian goddess of the mountain and the community's life here.
The Black Lady Mountain Spring Festival is one of the biggest festivals of the year in Tay Ninh (Source: Collected)
The ritual part includes solemn ceremonies such as "Trinh Thap Cung", offering incense for wealth, health, and peace. The festival part is vibrant with many unique folk art activities such as Chhay Dam drums, traditional dances, and performances with a strong local identity. Especially, the opening night often features a large-scale art program combined with fireworks, attracting a large number of people and tourists, creating a bustling festival atmosphere for many consecutive days.
2.3. Kim Quang Cave Traditional Festival – A Mark of Revolutionary History
The festival at Kim Quang Cave is held on the 14th day of the first lunar month, with the meaning of commemorating and honoring generations of heroes who sacrificed during the resistance period. Kim Quang Cave was once an important revolutionary base, associated with many historical events of Tay Ninh, so the festival not only has spiritual value but also profound traditional educational significance in the chain of Black Lady Mountain Tet festivals.
The traditional Kim Quang Cave Festival is an occasion for people to commemorate the ancestors who sacrificed for the nation's peace (Source: Collected)
The ceremony includes a traditional speech, a parade, and a solemn commemoration of heroes and martyrs. The festival part is lively with cultural and artistic activities, dragon dances, and community gatherings, creating a harmonious blend of historical remembrance and spring joy. Experiencing the festival amidst the mountain and forest scenery allows visitors to feel the historical depth while enjoying a close, local festival atmosphere.
3. Unmissable Experiences When Participating in the Ba Den Mountain Tet Festival
More than just a spring outing, a trip to Ba Den Mountain during Tet offers visitors a series of experiences combining spirituality, nature, and traditional culture. Thanks to modern infrastructure and well-organized festival spaces, visitors can easily participate in many activities in a single day while ensuring comfort and convenience.
3.1. Pilgrimage, Praying for Peace and Prosperity at the Beginning of the Year
New Year's pilgrimage is an indispensable activity for many visitors participating in the Ba Den Mountain Tet Festival. The sacred sites on the mountain, such as the Cau Na Ham Mau Ni statue, the Tay Bo Da Son Buddha statue, and the cluster of sacred pagodas like Ba Pagoda, Ha Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda, are always crowded with people offering incense, praying for family peace, and wishing for success in work and business.
Tourists pray for peace and happiness before the statue of Bodhisattva Maitreya (Source: Collected)
The solemn atmosphere mixed with the joy of early spring creates a unique sense of peace. Many people choose to visit pagodas in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds, while fully enjoying the tranquil space amidst the mountains and forests before continuing to participate in vibrant spring festival activities.
3.2. Cable car experience, admire the panoramic view of Tay Ninh
The modern cable car system makes the journey to the top of Ba Den Mountain faster and smoother, especially suitable for families with elderly people or young children during the Ba Den Mountain Festival Tet. In just a few minutes of travel, visitors can admire the panoramic view of the plains, rice fields, and Dau Tieng Lake spread out below.
The moment of admiring Tay Ninh from above, especially in the morning when mist is still light or in the late afternoon as the sun sets, brings a very relaxing and memorable feeling. This is also an experience highly rated by many tourists, a perfect combination of sightseeing and a New Year's spring trip.
3.3. Check-in at spiritual structures and spring miniatures
The mountaintop space has been invested in many large-scale spiritual structures and Tet-themed decorative miniatures, creating attractive check-in spots during the Ba Den Mountain Festival Tet season. Visitors can capture souvenir photos next to Buddha statues, squares, flower gardens, and decorative areas bursting with the vibrant colors of spring.
Visitors enjoy checking in at the giant tulip garden during the Nui Ba Den Spring Festival (Source: Collected)
Besides aesthetic value, these structures also carry spiritual significance, helping the visit not just stop at taking photos but also become a pilgrimage, seeking peace in the early days of the year. This is also why many groups of friends and families choose Nui Ba Den as a spring destination combining spiritual experience and tourism.
3.4. Immerse yourself in the traditional festival atmosphere
Participating in the Nui Ba Den Tet festival , visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in traditional festival activities taking place throughout the first lunar month, such as folk art performances, spiritual rituals, and community activities. The bustling atmosphere of drums, dances, and crowds celebrating creates a vibrant spring scene, rich in the culture of the Southeast region.
Directly participating in the rituals and performance programs helps visitors understand more about the beliefs, history, and spiritual life of the people of Tay Ninh. This is also the experience that creates a difference for the trip, making the spring outing to Nui Ba Den more meaningful than ordinary visits.
4. Ideal time to attend the Nui Ba Den Tet festival
4.1. Which days in the first lunar month should you go?
If you want to immerse yourself in the most vibrant festival atmosphere, visitors can choose the days from the 4th to around the 15th of the first lunar month, coinciding with the Spring Festival and many important traditional rituals. This is the period when spiritual activities, art performances, and folk rituals are organized continuously, creating a very characteristic atmosphere of the Nui Ba Den Tet festival .
Conversely, if you prioritize tranquility for pilgrimage and sightseeing, the days after the 15th of the first lunar month will be a more suitable choice. The decreasing number of visitors makes it more convenient to travel by cable car, offer incense, and take photos, while you can still feel the early spring atmosphere lingering on the mountaintop.
4.2. Best times of the day for sightseeing and worship
Early morning, from about 6 AM to 9 AM, is considered the ideal time to start the journey of sightseeing and worship at the Nui Ba Den Tet festival . At this time, the weather is cool, the air is fresh, and the number of visitors is not too crowded, which is very suitable for offering incense, paying homage, and spiritual sightseeing.
Morning is the most beautiful time to start the journey to visit Nui Ba Den (Source: Collected)
The afternoon, especially the period from 3:30 PM until before sunset, is also a time chosen by many tourists to combine sightseeing and watching the sunset from the mountaintop. Gentle sunlight along with the open natural scenery makes the trip more relaxing, while also being convenient for taking photos and participating in festival activities held at the end of the day.
5. Experience for visiting the Nui Ba Den Tet festival should be consulted
5.1. Appropriate attire for worship and mountain climbing
When participating in the Nui Ba Den Tet festival, tourists should prioritize polite and modest attire, avoiding short pants, very short skirts, or off-the-shoulder tops when entering the altar area and spiritual structures. Lightweight, sweat-absorbent clothing will make it more convenient to move, offer incense, and sightsee, especially on sunny days.
If you plan to walk in certain areas or visit spots near the foot of the mountain, you should choose sports shoes or soft-soled shoes to avoid foot pain and slipping. Bringing a hat and a light jacket will also help you adapt better to the changing weather between early morning and hot noon.
5.2. Preparing offerings and behavior in sacred places
Offerings when visiting pagodas during Tet should be simple, mainly fresh flowers, fruits, incense, candles, and sweets; elaborate feasts are not necessary. The most important thing when participating in the Nui Ba Den Tet festival is sincerity, maintaining a peaceful state of mind, and praying for good things for yourself and your family.
Visitors participate in the lantern offering ceremony at the summit of Ba Den Mountain (Source: Collected)
During the ceremony and visit, visitors should maintain order, avoid crowding, pushing, and limit loud conversations in the worship areas. Queuing according to the organizer's instructions not only ensures safety but also shows respect for the common spiritual space.
5.3. How to avoid crowds and save time queuing for the cable car
The cable car is the main means of transport to the mountain summit, so on peak days, waiting times can be long. To limit long queues when participating in the Ba Den Mountain Tet Festival, you should arrive early in the morning or choose the time after 3 PM when the number of visitors starts to decrease.
In addition, purchasing tickets in advance or using online booking methods (if available) can also save significant time. If traveling in a group or with family, you should agree on the itinerary beforehand to avoid splitting up while queuing, and proactively arrange the order of visiting attractions on the mountain summit reasonably.
5.4. Safety and personal belongings precautions
During crowded festival days, visitors should limit bringing too many valuables and always keep bags and backpacks in a visible position. When participating in the Ba Den Mountain Tet Festival, you should prioritize using a crossbody bag to avoid loss or pickpocketing in crowded areas.
Besides, families with young children or the elderly should pay attention to staying in contact and avoiding getting lost in the crowd. Preparing drinking water, personal medication, and resting adequately during the visit will also help ensure health throughout the early year spring trip.
With a series of spiritual – cultural activities lasting throughout the first lunar month, the sacred space amidst the majestic mountains and forests, and increasingly complete tourism services, the Ba Den Mountain Tet Festival is not only an occasion for pilgrimage to pray for peace and prosperity but also a complete spring travel journey for all ages. Whether you wish to seek peace at the beginning of the year, experience the beauty of traditional beliefs, or simply enjoy the bustling festival atmosphere, Ba Den Mountain always remains a destination that fully converges both spiritual values and travel experiences.
