Along with Con Dao, Tay Ninh is a favorite destination for Vietnamese tourists for pilgrimages combined with cultural experiences. With 21 ethnic minorities, mainly Khmer, Hoa, Cham, and Ta Mun, Tay Ninh is a land where many cultural colors intertwine. In addition to historical sites, the province also owns 9 intangible cultural heritages recognized nationally.

Many cultural heritages are performed at Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

Ba Den Mountain – Tay Ninh’s iconic destination. 

Historical and cultural relics in Tay Ninh are always preserved and promoted in conjunction with tourism development, becoming a "specialty" of this land. At Ba Den Mountain, cultural heritages are nurtured through exchange programs, art performances, and heritage-honoring events. 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Van Bai - Vice Chairman of the National Cultural Heritage Council, believes that heritage must have a life in the community and a space for practice to disseminate values and preserve them in reality. “At the Ba Den Mountain Tourist Area, the practice space for heritage will contribute to disseminating heritage values to the public, and also become a motivation to preserve heritage in real life,” he said.

Chhay Dam Drum Dance - Khmer cultural heritage in Tay Ninh. 

Chhay dam drumming - a Khmer cultural heritage performed on Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

A typical intangible cultural heritage at Ba Den Mountain is Chhay dam drumming, an important art of the Khmer people, requiring harmony between graceful movements and the powerful sound of the drums. Drum dancing is often performed during festivals, Tet, and harvest seasons.

Tourists visiting Ba Den Mountain on holidays, Tet, or weekends can watch this dance performed by Khmer artists. In addition, Khmer pentatonic music is also frequently performed here, bringing good luck and good wishes to festivals. Anh Lam Tipo - a pentatonic music musician said: “Since pentatonic music has been performed on Ba Den Mountain, this art has become more widely known, loved by more people, and many want to learn more about traditional musical instruments.”

The tenacious and strong life of Don Ca Tai Tu in Tay Ninh.

Khmer musicians performing pentatonic music on Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

Don Ca Tai Tu, with a history of hundreds of years, is also a characteristic folk performing art of the people of the Southern region, and has a tenacious life in Tay Ninh. This intangible cultural heritage is also performed on Ba Den Mountain by outstanding Tay Ninh artists in Don Ca Tai Tu art festivals and exhibitions, creating a unique cultural color for the highest mountain in the Southern region.
 

Tay Ninh with the characteristic culture of vegetarian cuisine.

Another cultural heritage that is unique to Tay Ninh is vegetarian cuisine. Formed a long time ago, where people following the Cao Dai religion have a habit of eating vegetarian food (10 days a month), vegetarian cuisine has become an indispensable part of the life of the pilgrimage land of Tay Ninh. At Ba Den Mountain, vegetarian cuisine is preserved and created, offering visitors a special cultural experience on the sacred mountain top.

Ba Den Mountain brings Quan Ho folk songs of Bac Ninh to the people of Tay Ninh, Southern Vietnam.

Ba Den Mountain brings Quan Ho folk songs of Bac Ninh to the people of Southern Vietnam. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

Ba Den Mountain not only preserves the cultural heritage of Tay Ninh but also recreates many cultural heritages from within the country and internationally. Recently, a program promoting Quan Ho folk songs of Bac Ninh and Dong Ho folk painting was organized here, allowing visitors to experience the rustic melodies of Kinh Bac and learn how to make Dong Ho paintings, a heritage reflecting rural life.

In December, Ba Den Mountain will organize a heritage month, introducing many unique cultural heritages. At the end of November, visitors will participate in a Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange space with special activities and experiences. A hand-painted lantern exhibition, with thousands of lanterns of various styles and colors, will create a magical atmosphere throughout December.

With unique cultural experiences, Ba Den Mountain Tourist Area, Tay Ninh is becoming a highly attractive cultural tourism destination. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Van Bai, developing tourism based on preserving and promoting cultural heritage is a trend that UNESCO strongly encourages to integrate development with preservation. “Ba Den Mountain is built and enriched by cultural heritage values, so it has surpassed the framework of a national tourist area, moving towards becoming a tourist area of international stature,” he said.