First time seeing Ba Den Mountain clearly from the center of Ho Chi Minh City: Extremely rare moment in clear sky

Accordingly, the beautiful, rare moment above was shared by photographer Minh Hoa on social media with the following lines: "Right in the center of Saigon, have you ever seen Ba Den Mountain?".

Attached is a photo capturing the moment when Ba Den Mountain was clearly visible from the center of Ho Chi Minh City at dusk on June 29. The moment became more interesting and impressive when a plane flew across the frame.

The moment Ba Den Mountain ( Tay Ninh ) was seen from the center of Ho Chi Minh City at dusk on June 29 is being shared on social networks.

PHOTO: MINH HOA

Photographer Minh Hoa added about the time the photo was taken: "Yesterday afternoon, Ho Chi Minh City was crystal clear, surprisingly rare, something I have never seen since the Covid-19 pandemic - when everyone followed the social distancing order to stay at home, there was little traffic, industrial parks and factories all stopped operating and did not emit smoke or pollution.

Yesterday, while I was editing photos, I looked out the window and saw the afternoon sunlight was strangely clear, especially during the peak rainy season. As if by reflex, my intuition told me there was something very special, so I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few quick shots in time.

While taking the photo, the photographer checked the AirVisual app to see the air pollution level. He expressed surprise when he saw the low pollution index of only 33, as clean as the cities of Paris (France), London (UK), Zurich (Switzerland), Washington DC (USA) that he visited at the same time.

Does history say anything about this?

Ba Den Mountain, also known as the "roof of the South", is an ideal check-in location for those who love adventure and majestic natural scenery. With an altitude of over 986 m, from the top of the mountain, you can admire the vast panorama of Tay Ninh.

In Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi, an important historical document about the South during the Nguyen Dynasty written by Trinh Hoai Duc in the early 19th century, Ba Den Mountain is described as follows: "In the middle of the plain rises Ba Dinh (Ba Den) Mountain. On a beautiful day, from Saigon, one can see this mountain faintly appearing in the clouds. Legend has it that this is a sacred mountain, with a golden bell hidden in the lake. On moonlit nights, dragon boats swim, dance and sing melodiously...".

Accordingly, Ba Den Mountain is considered a sacred mountain, the main mountain of Gia Dinh citadel (ie Saigon), like Tan Vien Mountain in Thang Long or Ngu Binh Mountain in the ancient capital of Hue .

First time seeing special moment

Sharing with Thanh Nien , photographer Minh Hoa confirmed that the photo was taken on the 30th floor, the rooftop of his apartment building in the center of Ho Chi Minh City. He has taken this angle many times, but this is the first time he can clearly see Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh) in the distance.

Many people in Ho Chi Minh City commented that yesterday, they also felt the fresh air and beautiful sky.

PHOTO: MINH HOA

The plane glided across the twilight sky making the moment dramatic.

PHOTO: MINH HOA

"Normally, clouds and layers of polluted dust will obscure the mountain, making it impossible to see. At first, I was not sure it was Ba Den Mountain, but after checking the photo again and seeing the statue of Buddha on the top, I was sure. I set the camera to use the 500mm max telephoto lens, opened the app to watch the plane preparing to land at Tan Son Nhat airport. For me, this was a very special moment!", Minh Hoa expressed.

The photographer said that what impressed him most during the photo shoot was the level of freshness of the air. Not only in Ho Chi Minh City but also in Tay Ninh, normally the top of Ba Den Mountain is covered in clouds, but when the photo was taken, the sky was very clear, according to Minh Hoa.

It is known that photographer Minh Hoa has 36 years of experience in the profession. According to him, a photographer's intuition is very important, this is not taught in any books or schools. Yesterday afternoon, thanks to the intuition that "the sunlight is clear, there will be something very special", he had to take his camera to the rooftop to take a photo and the result was a rare moment. "Sensitive intuition is the factor that creates unique moments, makes a photographer's name", Minh Hoa added.

This direction the photographer has taken many times...

...but this was the first time he could clearly see Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh)

PHOTO: MINH HOA

The image was quickly shared on many social networking sites. Netizens expressed surprise at the moment they saw Ba Den Mountain from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, and some people left comments saying they also felt the fresh air in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.

Account Le Thi Thu Phuong commented: "The sky this afternoon is clear, the sun is beautiful when looking up at the sky at 5 pm. Very similar to Da Lat sky. I am also surprised why the sky is so clear."

"Taking a photo of Ba Den Mountain from Saigon is amazing because it's very difficult to see the mountain," Vinh Nam shared. "Wow! I can see the Buddha statue on Ba Den Mountain. The sky is so clear, it's rare!", Nguyen Thanh Thuy shared.