The secret to making Tay Ninh, the 'hidden gem,' shine.

Traveling nearly 2,000 kilometers to pay homage to the sacred mountain peak.

Early in the morning of March 10th, Ms. Pham Anh Hoa ( from Quang Ninh ) and her family took a flight from Van Don Airport to Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh City, her family traveled by car to Tay Ninh city, nearly 100km away. To reach Ba Den Mountain, she spent almost 6 hours traveling a distance of approximately 1,800km, but she remained very excited.

The statue of the Buddha of Tây Bổ Đà Sơn on the summit of Bà Đen mountain.

Visiting Ba Den Mountain during the celebration of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara's birthday, Ms. Hoa said: "Earlier this year I missed the opportunity to visit the temple, so I decided to arrange my work schedule to come to Ba Den Mountain during the celebration of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara's birthday. I was truly surprised to witness the solemn ceremony at Ba Den Temple and to join the crowds to listen to Dharma talks and release lanterns on the mountaintop under the magical lights at night. It felt like I had wandered into a Buddhist land, incredibly peaceful and relaxing."

Like Ms. Hoa, many tourists choose Mount Ba Den ( Tay Ninh ) as a spiritual destination they must visit every year to worship, make pilgrimages, and admire the scenery of this sacred land on the "roof of Southern Vietnam".

Known as the most sacred mountain in Southern Vietnam, Mount Ba Den is associated with the legend of Linh Son Thanh Mau, revered as a Bodhisattva by the people of the South. Furthermore, it boasts a diverse system of temples, hermitages, caves, and shrines, further enhancing the mountain's sacredness.

The artistic performances showcase the unique characteristics of the Southwestern region of Vietnam.

Therefore, if we need to decipher the appeal of Tay Ninh tourism , its sacredness is the first key that has made this holy land a focal point of Southern Vietnam tourism. However, if we relied solely on natural landscapes and mysterious history, the number of visitors to Ba Den Mountain would probably not have exploded as it has in recent times.

"The key" is a unique tourism product.

The key to attracting tourists to Ba Den Mountain lies in the Sun World Ba Den Mountain spiritual tourism complex, along with a range of tourism products, offering a new and attractive appearance. At the summit, the majestic bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy stands tall amidst the clouds – a symbol of Buddhist compassion, benevolence, and wisdom. In the center of the complex of spiritual architectural structures on the summit of Ba Den Mountain is the cluster of Prajnaparamita Sutra pillars, consisting of five pillars made of black granite with gold flecks, each carved with 12,000 gilded Tibetan Buddhist characters.

The Buddhist exhibition at the foot of the giant Buddha statue is a must-see destination for devotees on pilgrimage to Ba Mountain.

Right at the foot of the giant Buddha statue is the first Buddhist exhibition in Vietnam, featuring hundreds of statues, paintings, and reliefs in various distinctive materials reflecting the style of Vietnamese Buddhism throughout different periods, along with modern video mapping technology showcasing the movement of the universe in Buddhist philosophy.

In particular, visitors can see replicas of classic Buddhist artworks, including many famous Buddha statues from Vietnam and around the world. These artworks are inspired by ancient artifacts from Buddhist architecture, made of wood and stone, dating from the 11th to the 13th centuries, and visitors can venerate the Buddha's relics, which shine brightly amidst the solemn atmosphere.

"The psychology of tourists is to seek out differences: differences from where they live and differences between the places they visit, between different countries and ethnic groups, different landscapes, and different tourism products," historian Duong Trung Quoc observed.

At Sun World Baden Mountain, the cultural identity and local characteristics of Tay Ninh province have been carefully preserved and promoted, resulting in a clear attraction for tourists.

Rich in experiences, diverse in culture.

Mr. Le Thanh Son (Hanoi), who chose Ba Den Mountain as his destination for this year's April 30th holiday, shared: "Previously, Tay Ninh wasn't on my list of tourist destinations, but when I learned about the Traditional Music and Singing Festival, my friends and I decided to book tickets to Tay Ninh. Coming here, I realized how much this region has changed. Not only is it a spiritual destination, Tay Ninh is becoming a unique cultural tourism destination with many attractive experiences."

Mount Ba is shimmering and mystical when night falls.

Spiritual tourism is not the only reason many tourists choose to visit Tay Ninh. Besides famous spiritual destinations like Ba Den Mountain, the Cao Dai Holy See, or Go Ken Pagoda, Tay Ninh is also investing in developing cultural tourism with a series of attractive festivals and events such as the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival, the vegetarian food festival, the Quan The Am Bodhisattva festival, and the upcoming Ba Den Festival, which is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Possessing eight intangible cultural heritage sites, Tay Ninh is one of the few localities in the Southern region with a distinctive cultural and spiritual life. The most well-known cultural heritage sites in Tay Ninh include the art of Cai Luong (traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music) and the Chhay Dam drum dance, characteristic of Khmer culture. All of these are being nurtured and uniquely recreated in festivals at Ba Den Mountain. If properly exploited, these will become distinctive and unique tourism products of Tay Ninh that visitors will want to experience.

Many large-scale entertainment, ecotourism, and resort projects will continue to be added in Tay Ninh, making it even more attractive. Mr. Tran Anh Minh, Director of the Tay Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: "We will continue to call for investment in projects such as themed parks and resorts to gradually develop key tourism products that will attract more and more visitors to Tay Ninh."

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-trien-du-lich-viet-nam-bi-quyet-de-vien-ngoc-an-tay-ninh-toa-hao-quang-185230602071923691.htm