In May, head to Ba Den Mountain to celebrate Buddha's birthday.

Việt Nam•08/05/2024

In May, Mount Ba Den in Tay Ninh becomes a pilgrimage destination for many Buddhists and tourists in Southern Vietnam, seeking sacred experiences during the Buddha's birthday season.

A panoramic view of Mount Ba Den illuminated at night.

Climbing Mount Ba Den to commemorate the Buddha during his birthday season.

From the beginning of April in the lunar calendar, Buddhists across the country flock to Ba Den Mountain to commemorate Buddha's birthday - the most important Buddhist holiday of the year, turning the highest mountain in Southern Vietnam into a pilgrimage destination during the Buddha's birthday season.

Taking place annually in the fourth lunar month, the Buddha's Birthday celebration is the most important event for Buddhists worldwide , commemorating the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in the 7th century BC.

In 2024, Buddhist calendar 2568, the Buddha's Birthday celebration was held from May 8th to 22nd (corresponding to the 1st to 15th day of the 4th lunar month of the Year of the Dragon) at temples and monastic institutions nationwide. At Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh, the grand celebration took place on May 18th (corresponding to the 11th day of the 4th lunar month) with solemn and sacred rituals. This was an opportunity for Buddhists to visit this symbolic mountain in the spiritual life of Southern Vietnam to remember and express gratitude to the Buddha.

The grand lantern offering ceremony to celebrate Buddha's birthday will be held on May 18th on Ba Den Mountain.

In particular, on the summit of Ba Den Mountain, a grand lantern offering ceremony to celebrate the Buddha's birthday was held on Saturday evening, May 18th, with thousands of lanterns lit in the large square at the foot of the statue of the Goddess of Mercy and the large statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva. These special wooden lanterns were specially made by Sun World Ba Den Mountain, allowing Buddhists and visitors to assemble them themselves and write their prayers to offer to the Buddha.

In addition to the lantern offering ceremony, a spectacular artistic program will also be held on the mountaintop, featuring a captivating blend of traditional dances and melodious tunes reminiscent of the Buddha's birth and his merits.

Discover the world of Buddhism amidst a fairyland.

The Buddha's Birthday season is also a time for many Buddhists and tourists to come to Ba Den Mountain to explore the unique Buddhist world found only on the highest peak in Southern Vietnam.

Watch 3D mapping films at the Buddhist exhibition area on top of Ba Den Mountain.

At the foot of the tallest Buddha statue in Asia, located on the summit of Mount Tây Bổ Đà, lies a Buddhist exhibition space spanning 4,410 square meters. The exhibition will guide visitors along the footsteps of the Buddha to the mystical world of Buddhism and help them discover their own true selves. Here, visitors can view ancient artifacts of Buddhist architecture made of wood and stone dating from the 11th to 13th centuries, as well as 38 replicas of classic Buddhist artworks, including many famous Buddha statues from Vietnam and around the world. Visitors also have the opportunity to learn about and explore the universe in Buddhist philosophy through 3D mapping technology with state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment.

During this period, visitors climbing to the summit of Ba Den Mountain will have the opportunity to admire a giant Bodhi tree, 3.6 meters tall and plated with 24k gold, at the Auspicious Bodhi Tree Exhibition organized by Mai Vang Rong Viet Joint Stock Company in collaboration with Sun World Ba Den Mountain Resort from April 30th to September 2nd, 2024.

The golden Bodhi tree is placed prominently in the square of West Bodhi Mountain.

According to Associate Professor Pham Trung Luong, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Tourism Research (Vietnam National Administration of Tourism): "With its exhibition system and unique experiences of Buddhist culture, Ba Den Mountain can be considered the first place in Vietnam where people can come and gain very basic and essential understanding of Buddhist values."

In particular, a meaningful experience when visiting Ba Den Mountain during the Buddha's birthday season is paying homage and venerating before the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha, which were gifted to Vietnam in 2014 by the World Buddhist Federation at Bodh Gaya, India. For Buddhists, venerating the relics of the Buddha is a miracle, as if seeing the Buddha still present in this world, with his compassion and generosity, saving all sentient beings.

The system of temples dedicated to Lady Ba is closely associated with the legend of Linh Son Holy Mother.

As one of Vietnam's most sacred peaks, Mount Ba Den, with its 300-year-old Ba Pagoda complex and other magnificent Buddhist structures on its summit, is known as a pilgrimage site, a place where auspicious connections with Buddhism are fostered, offering opportunities for Buddhists and visitors from all over to seek peace and complete happiness.

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