Ba Den Mountain – From sacred highlands to a paradise on earth

Rising to 986 meters, Ba Den Mountain is not only a legendary sacred peak but also a silent witness to the courage and resilience of generations past. Today, it stands tall as a new spiritual and cultural icon of Vietnam and the world.

Towering prominently—almost solitary—amid the vast plains of Tay Ninh, Ba Den is the highest mountain in southern Vietnam, defined by its raw and untouched beauty. Centuries ago, it became a place of spiritual retreat, where monks, Buddhists, and ascetics gathered to practice, building hermitages, shrines, and temples dedicated to the Buddha. Many revered mandarins, after defending the nation, also chose this sacred ground to establish pagodas and devote themselves to spiritual life.

In "Gia Định Thành Thông Chí"—a seminal historical record of southern Vietnam during the Nguyễn Dynasty, authored by Trịnh Hoài Đức in the early 19th century—Ba Den Mountain is described as follows: “Amid the vast plains rises Mount Ba Dinh (Ba Den). On clear days, from Saigon, the mountain appears faintly through the clouds. Legend has it that this is a sacred peak, where a golden bell shimmers beneath the lake, and on moonlit nights, dragon boats glide gracefully as melodies echo through the air…”

Accordingly, Ba Den Mountain has long been regarded as a sacred mountain—the principal guardian peak of Gia Định (present-day Saigon), much like Mount Tản Viên in Thăng Long or Mount Ngự Bình in the ancient capital of Huế.

Many scholars believe that Ba Den Mountain holds a unique geographical and spiritual position, lying along a powerful geomantic axis that stretches from the Himalayas through the Trường Sơn range from North to South. Within this “dragon vein,” Ba Den, together with Fansipan and Mount Nưa (Thanh Hóa), is considered one of the nation’s most sacred energy nodes. It is also seen as a land of “spiritual convergence,” rising as the highest peak across the fertile southern plains. In the collective consciousness, Ba Den Mountain is a sacred destination—a spiritual anchor that many feel compelled to visit at least once a year.

The history of Ba Den Mountain is not only defined by its untouched wilderness—it is also etched with the memory of fierce battles during both the wars against the French and the Americans. Rising to 986 meters, the mountain was once regarded as a “strategic eye” in wartime, enduring relentless bombardment. Every tree root, every crevice in the rock bears witness to the footprints, sacrifices, and blood of generations past.

From a once poetic landscape, Ba Den Mountain was left scarred by war—strewn with rubble, stripped of vegetation, and marked by devastation. Over time, through successive restorations of the Ba Temple complex, the mountain gradually welcomed people back, becoming once again a place of spiritual refuge and resilience.

It was not until 2020, when a modern cable car system was developed by Sun Group, along with the creation of a grand spiritual and cultural complex atop the mountain, that Ba Den truly rose to prominence as one of southern Vietnam’s leading spiritual destinations.

For centuries, Ba Den Mountain has been considered a sacred Buddhist land—a spiritual anchor for people across the southern region. Today, that identity is even more profoundly expressed. At the summit stands the tallest bronze statue of the Lady Buddha in Asia, gazing serenely over the vast plains below. Set amidst a dreamlike landscape of clouds and mountains, the statue embodies timeless wisdom, virtue, and boundless compassion—standing as both a source of pride and a powerful symbol of faith for the people of Tay Ninh.

At the foot of the Lady Buddha statue lies a vast Buddhist exhibition complex, which from afar resembles a giant lotus in full bloom, gently elevating the statue as it emerges through the clouds. Each level of this lotus structure unfolds a journey spanning thousands of years of Buddhist teachings, featuring numerous recreations of iconic Buddhist works from Vietnam and around the world. Here, visitors are invited to “travel through time,” entering the spiritual realm of Buddhism—from the very first spark of life to the moment when sentient beings are enlightened by the Buddha.

The summit of Ba Den Mountain is also home to one of the world’s largest statues of Maitreya Bodhisattva, assembled from 6,688 sandstone blocks. With compassionate eyes and a joyful smile, the statue has become a powerful symbol of benevolence, tolerance, and happiness atop this sacred peak.

During his visit to Ba Den Mountain in preparation for Vesak 2025, Venerable Prof. Dr. Phra Brahmapundit, President of the International Council for Day of Vesak (ICDV), described the mountain as a true “precious gem.”

“This is one of the rare places in the world where a complete harmony between the spiritual and the physical realms can be found. Ba Den Mountain is truly a meeting point between heaven and earth—a place where peace begins, where people find inner tranquility and reconnect with one another.”

More than just a renowned spiritual destination with ancient pagodas and monumental religious architecture, Ba Den Mountain has also emerged as a unique cultural crossroads in southern Vietnam, where a wide range of heritage traditions are vividly brought to life throughout the year.

Blessed with majestic natural scenery, Ba Den—revered as the “foremost sacred mountain”—is among the most prominent destinations in southern Vietnam, attracting over 90% of visitors to Tay Ninh. According to travel companies, Tay Ninh ranks among the few destinations most favored by Vietnamese travelers seeking journeys that combine cultural exploration with spiritual pilgrimage and a search for inner peace. Globally, such destinations include India, Tibet, and Italy, while in Vietnam, only Con Dao and Tay Ninh share this distinction.

With the introduction of a modern cable car system and the development of grand spiritual and cultural complexes, the Ba Den Mountain tourist area has drawn a rapidly growing number of visitors to Tay Ninh each year. Statistics show that in 2019—before the cable car system was in operation—Tay Ninh welcomed nearly 3 million visitors. By 2024, after five years of operation of the cable car system and Sun World Ba Den Mountain, the number had surged to 6.5 million visitors, with more than 90% traveling via cable car to the summit. This remarkable growth has positioned Ba Den Mountain as a new tourism growth pole in southern Vietnam.