Ba Den Mountain (Vietnamese: núi Bà Đen, núi means mountain), also known as Black Virgin Mountain or Black Lady Mountain, is considered the roof of the Southeast and an attractive destination in the Mekong Delta river tours. This place not only attracts tourists with its wild and majestic scenery but also with its surrounding thrilling legends. The mountain is suitable for day exploration, or you can camp overnight for an exciting experience.
Table of Contents
General information about Ba Den Mountain
Ba Den is a majestic mountain located in the famous Ba Den Mountain cultural and historical relic complex, in Thanh Tan commune, approximately 10 km northeast of Tay Ninh city and 100 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City.
Ba Den Mountain scenic complex covers about 24 km² and includes three mountains: Heo, Phung, and Ba Den. With a height of 986m, Ba Den is the highest mountain in the Southeast. The road to Ba Den Mountain is divided into two parts: from the foot of the mountain to Ba Den Pagoda and from the pagoda to the top of the mountain.
Map of Ba Den Mountain tourist area
The only way to reach the peak from the top is by climbing up. But from the foot of the mountain to the pagoda, there are 3 ways:
- Cable car: with a length of 1,200m, it is the fastest way to reach the top.
- Trekking: a good way to experience the feeling of conquering the mountain with your own strength. However, the road to the mountain is steep, so you need to prepare carefully and climb slowly.
- The sliding system includes two lines that move up and down.
Entrance ticket fee
To visit Ba Den Mountain tourist area, you must buy an entrance ticket, specifically as follows:
- Adults: About 16,000 VND/ticket
- Children (from 1-1.4m), people over 60 years old, people with disabilities: About 8,000 VND/ticket
- Children under 1m: Free
cable car in Ba Den Mountain
Ba Den Mountain’s opening hours (cable car system operating time) are from 6:00 a.m. to 22:00 from Monday to Sunday, and on Saturdays it operates 24/7.
Cable car fees to go up at Ba Den mountain
For those who want to offer incense to Buddha or visit the spiritual tourist area at the top of the mountain, the Ba Den mountain cable car is the most popular means of transport, saving time while admiring the beautiful natural scenery. From above. And, below is the cable car ticket to go up the mountain:
What is the best time to visit Ba Den Mountain?
Tay Ninh tourists primarily visit from November to May next year. At this time, the weather is beautiful and sunny, with no rain, making it very suitable for climbing and camping trips.
However, if you want to admire and pray for spiritual works, regardless of the erratic weather and rain, you can visit Ba Den Mountain at any time of the year. In particular, the Ba Mountain Spring Festival (first half of January), Ba Linh Son Thanh Mau worshiping ceremony (the 4th, 5th, 6th of the 5th lunar month), Vu Lan – Mid-Autumn Festival (full moon day of July – August)… are the big holidays, it helps you gather with many Buddhists and pilgrims and participate in formal worship rituals.
Via Ba Festival in Ba Den Mountain
It should be noted that the new cable car system allows tourists to visit and explore the mountain during the rainy season.
Things to do in Ba Den Mountain
Ba Den Mountain features a network of spiritual sites and numerous traditional Southern cultural experiences that help attract tourists.
Visit pagodas and grottoes
Located halfway up the mountain at an altitude of 350 meters, the Ba Pagoda system (Linh Son Tien Thach Tu) was established in 1745 and built in 1763, covering an area of more than 6,000 m². This is the oldest pagoda, a vestige of the first inhabitants of Tay Ninh, and a clear indication of when Buddhism arrived in this region.
Not only Ba Pagoda, but also the Hang Pagoda, Trung Pagoda, and Quan Am Pagoda, are located near each other and have existed for nearly 300 years. This is a spiritual site associated with the local religious life, attracting millions of tourists to worship and pray for peace each year.
From the foot of the mountain to the top, there are many grottoes, including Kim Quang, Kim Son, Thanh Long, Dai Dong, and Thien Thai. This was the base of the Vietnam Liberation Army during the war. Furthermore, Ba Den Mountain is home to three preservation parks that serve as outdoor museums, displaying relics and photographs depicting the life and activities of the Vietnamese Liberation Forces during the American War.
Admire the great and unique Buddha statues
From the middle to the top of Ba Den Mountain, 03 famous Buddha statues attract millions of visitors to visit and admire.
Reclining Statue of Buddha Shakyamuni
On the dense forest path behind Linh Son Tien Thach Pagoda, visitors can admire the masterpiece statue depicting the reclining figure of Shakyamuni Buddha when returning to the pure Nirvana. The statue is pure white, placed on a pedestal carved with exquisite reliefs, surrounded by a watchtower facing the immense sky. Buddhists from around the world also come here to worship the reclining Buddha, also known as the Buddha entering Nirvana.
From the lookout atop the statue, visitors can see the bustling pagoda complex and distant clouds. The pink-and-white bougainvillea bushes, woven along the stairs to this location, bloom year-round, providing unique framing and helping you preserve beautiful memories with family and friends.
The Lady Buddha statue
The Lady Buddha statue is located atop Ba Den Mountain, standing 72m tall and cast from 170 tons of copper. Inspired by the Buddha statues of the Le Dynasty, artisans added numerous meaningful motifs and patterns to the project, creating a distinct look compared to Buddha statues in other countries. Standing before the masterpiece with cultural and spiritual value, visitors will feel a positive energy that erases life’s stress and pressure.
Looking up from the square, visitors are struck by the majestic appearance of the Buddha statue standing on a 4-storey concentric base. In particular, when walking up the stairs on both sides of the Buddha statue, you can observe the lush green forests, the leisurely clouds, and the beautiful plains far away.
On major holidays, the square at the foot of the Buddha statue is also a place where tourists joyfully assemble lanterns, write wishes, and offer them to the gods. The magical light of more than 3,500 LED lights, combined with colorful lanterns, makes the space here cozy, offering a unique experience for visitors to this sacred land.
The statue of Maitreya Buddha
Located at an altitude of 900m on the top of Ba Den Mountain, the giant Maitreya Buddha statue is in a sitting position on a flowing waterfall, eyes facing the East, where the sun rises, as if looking towards the future, covering the entire landscape of the Southern Delta with the vast Dau Tieng reservoir.
The statue stands 36 meters tall, with a maximum width of 45 meters, a surface area of more than 4,600 square meters, a weight of 5,100 tons, and a necklace of 54 beads. The Maitreya Buddha Statue was crafted using an unprecedented method in Vietnam: assembled from 6,688 natural stone pieces inspired by terraced fields. Each stone is carefully selected, checked for color, grain, and exact size, and then sculpted according to the design.
Compared with the world’s tallest and heaviest stone Buddha statues, the Maitreya Buddha Statue at Ba Den Mountain is the largest.
Climbing Ba Den Mountain – an interesting trekking route for backpackers
In addition to the cable car route to the top of the mountain, you can also conquer the roof of the Southern region by climbing. This is an ideal trekking route for young people who enjoy exploring. Accordingly, there will be five routes of increasing difficulty level.
- Pagoda Road: The easiest route to Ba Den Peak. From the welcome gate, follow the directions to get there. Along the way, there are many bars where you can have a snack, rest, and drink water to fuel your journey.
- Electric pole trail: The Electric pole path is well-suited for beginners. This route has steps and clear markings.
- Water-pipe trail: Visitors will need to crawl through potentially hazardous water pipes. However, in return, you will be able to admire the majestic and poetic natural scenery.
- Ma Thien Lanh Trail: If you are a professional trekker, this trail will be a rewarding discovery. This terrain has no trails or stone steps. Visitors will need to research carefully and have a companion guide them.
- Phung Mountain trail: This is the final route and the most challenging, testing every climber. You will need to spend 2 days climbing to the top of Phung Mountain, then continue to Ba Den Peak.
Just so you know, those who are not healthy enough, do not have enough endurance, or do not have a local guide should not follow this route.
Camp on Ba Den Mountain
After completing the tiring trek, camping at the top of Ba Den Mountain is one of the best experiences. Waiting for dawn or watching the floating clouds in the sky brings a sense of reward after a long trip. Many visitors choose to stay overnight to welcome the new day and watch the sunrise.
What to eat when coming to Ba Den Mountain?
One important consideration when traveling to Ba Den Mountain is what to reward your belly with. Here are some suggestions that you can add to your menu to make your trip more complete:
- Tay Ninh beef
- Dew-dried rice paper rolled with pork
- Tay Ninh grapefruit spring rolls
- Ba Den mountain lizard
- Trang Bang noodle soup
- Durian sugarcane juice
Some notes before taking your trip:
If you travel to Ba Den Mountain by cable car, you may not care about this issue. However, if you want to conquer the roof of the Southeast by yourself with your own strength, you must pay attention to the following:
- Before conquering Ba Den mountain for about 1 to 2 weeks, you need to exercise regularly so that your body can work at the high intensity of movement, avoid muscle tension, and cramps when climbing.
- Prepare a good climbing shoes or sports shoes.
- There are no shops on the way up the mountain, so you need to bring your drinking water and some snacks.
- Wear comfortable, absorbent sweat clothes.
- Do not forget to bring essential items such as raincoats, flashlights, sleeping bags, tents, … and some necessary medicines.
Vietdreamtravel is a tour agency offering private tours and car/bus rental services for visiting Ba Den Mountain. If you require any further information, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Source: collected by An
