The mass pilgrimage flocking to Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh at the beginning of the Lunar New Year
- Written by Telegraph Magazine
These photos, shared hundreds of thousands of times by Vietnamese social media platforms, have sparked widespread interest from across the world. 
Ba Den Mountain, located in the centre of Tay Ninh province in Vietnam, is the highest mountain in southern Vietnam, with an altitude of 986 metres. As a unique cultural heritage, Ba Den Mountain is not only a naturally scenic spot, but also a significant spiritual centre, visited by tourists with hopes of peace and good health for the year ahead.
The Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival Held annually from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year to the 16th day of the first lunar month, is a unique cultural event and one of the largest festivals in Tay Ninh province.
During this time, massive crowds resembling a "festival camping ground" often appear at the foot of the mountain.
Many pilgrims choose not to stay in hotels or guesthouses but instead spread out mats and blankets to sleep within the Ba Den National Tourist Area, embracing the sacred energy of this revered land. This also allows them to ascend the mountain early the next morning to visit the Ba Pagoda at the summit. Over the years, spending the night at the foot of Ba Den Mountain during the Tet holiday has become a tradition, a spiritual journey, shaping an extraordinary New Year festival unlike any other.
The first month of the lunar calendar, according to Vietnamese beliefs, marks the beginning of a New Year but also a new opportunity and is considered a time to open up the spiritual realm. People believe that offering incense at Ba Den Mountain during this time will bring blessings from Linh Son Thanh Mau (Linh Son Holy Mother) Bodhisattva, a revered deity in southern Vietnamese folklore, known for her miraculous manifestations and compassion, and that they will receive good luck and protection throughout the year. The combination of traditional and spiritual elements has created a huge attraction, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors, including international tourists eager to explore Vietnam's unique cultural heritage. 
At Dien Ba and Ba Pagoda — centuries-old temples on the mountainside — thousands of devotees make their first offerings of the year, offering prayers and asking for blessings. At the summit, visitors eagerly pay homage to the towering Tay Bo Da Son Buddha statue, the tallest of its kind in Asia, as well as one of the world's largest Maitreya Bodhisattva statues. Below the statues lies a vast exhibition space where visitors can immerse themselves in Buddhist culture and seek tranquility and joy in the early days of the New Year.
Ba Den Mountain is now gaining international recognition. In 2024, photographer Tran Tuan Viet's work, The Highest Mountain in Southern Vietnam, a sensational photograph featuring the Tay Bo Da Son Buddha statue amid clouds atop Ba Den Mountain, was selected from over 415,000 images, created by 74,000 photographers from 206 countries and territories worldwide, to represent Vietnam in the Sony World Photography Awards. The image captivated visitors when it went on show at an exhibition at the prestigious Somerset House, London, in April 2024.
At that time, the breath-taking beauty of Ba Den Mountain caught the attention of international media, with leading global publications such as The Times of London, the Daily Record from Scotland and Euronews broadcasting from Lyon in France, along with many others, praising the image, ranking it number one in their lists of award-winning photographs.
Ba Den Mountain's natural beauty is stunning. From its summit, travellers can take in sweeping views of the vast Tay Ninh plains, where lush green rice fields stretch endlessly out to the horizon, the immense Dau Tieng Lake shimmers and winding roads create picturesque landscapes.
From now until the end of spring, Ba Den Mountain will remain a destination for pilgrims, with vibrant festivals. The Ba Mountain Spring Festival continues throughout the first lunar month, with events such as the joyful Maitreya Festival, the God of Wealth Festival and the Full Moon Festival.
Then on May 9, Ba Den Mountain will serve as the main venue for the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration 2025, one of the largest Buddhist events globally. The grand festival will include numerous remarkable moments, with the highlight being an extensive lantern-offering ceremony, attended by revered monks, esteemed Buddhist leaders and delegates from 80 countries, alongside tens of thousands of Buddhist followers from Vietnam and abroad.
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