Youth excitedly check-in flags and flowers and visit the leaf market on Black Lady Mountain during the Giỗ Tổ holiday.

From early morning on April 25, the first day of the Ancestor Commemoration holiday, Ba Den Mountain , Tay Ninh recorded a large number of visitors from Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces. The cool climate and a series of attractive experiences are considered the reasons why the highest mountain in the Southern region has become the hottest destination in the southern area this holiday.

Along the path from the foot of the mountain to the area of Ba Pagoda and the summit, tens of thousands of red flags with yellow stars were hung at the tourist area Sun World Ba Den Mountain , creating a brilliant "avenue of flags and flowers". This special avenue has become a check-in spot attracting tourists during the days when the whole country turns towards the 51st anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification with national pride.

At the mountaintop, a series of "unique" experiences found only at Ba Den Mountain last throughout the 7-day holiday, becoming the reason many people flock to this tourist area to relax and entertain. Ms. Tran Thi Tham (HCM City) said: "This year, Ancestor's Commemoration Day holiday is 3 days off, so my family chose Ba Den Mountain as a destination close to the city. We could drive ourselves and cool off in the hot season. Moreover, there are too many interesting experiences like the leaf market, or historical exhibitions, so my family has planned to stay in Tay Ninh for two days to have fun and relax".

The Leaf Market is the most attractive experience in this tourist area, attracting thousands of locals and tourists to attend right from the first market session, which took place on the afternoon of April 25th. Here, each tourist taking the cable car up to Ba Den Mountain is given Bodhi leaves, used to buy food and drinks at stalls offering a variety of local specialties. “The most enjoyable part of the leaf market is using leaves to buy goods instead of money. Although the dishes are very rustic and simple, the bustling atmosphere of the rural market creates a very warm and interesting feeling” – Ms. Pham Hang (Dong Nai) shared.

Not only impressing with rustic dishes, Chợ Lá (thatched market) is also a unique check-in space for tourists, especially young people. Each stall is uniquely decorated with thatched roofs, rustic items reminiscent of wartime, along with vibrant red flags and flowers celebrating the Liberation Day of the South and National Reunification. Lively folk dances right within the market session further make the Chợ Lá space more vibrant. Right after the first market session, Chợ Lá Bà Đen will continue to be organized on April 26, April 30, and May 1 to serve a large number of tourists during the extended holiday.

Also on the first day of the holiday, the "Proud Memories" Exhibition area attracted a large number of visitors for sightseeing and check-ins. Here, the history of Ba Den Mountain is retold through archival photos and wartime artifacts, evoking a heroic and proud period of the mountain that was once an important revolutionary base. The exhibition will continue to be open until the end of May and is a suitable destination for history enthusiasts.

With temperatures 8-10 degrees Celsius lower than the plains, Ba Den Mountain is an ideal "heat escape" spot for city dwellers. Many young people are also spending this holiday break visiting Ba Den Mountain to hunt for fascinating cloud phenomena such as lenticular clouds (cloud caps), dragon scale clouds, and seas of clouds. Mr. Tran Khanh, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, shared: "Our group chose to spend the holiday at Ba Den Mountain because there are few tourist spots near Ho Chi Minh City that offer a complete combo of experiences like here, it's as cool as Da Lat, you can admire the sea of clouds, and there are many unique local cultural experiences.".

 

Famous as a leading Body-Mind-Spirit balancing tourist destination in the South, Ba Den Mountain is known for countless experiences imbued with local cultural colors that are continuously invested in and innovated, especially during Tet holidays. Right after the Giỗ Tổ ceremony, a series of attractive activities will also be organized by Sun World Ba Den Mountain tourist area to welcome the April 30th holiday, such as the flag-raising ceremony on the morning of April 30th, the leaf market, and intangible cultural heritage performance programs on all mornings during the holiday.

Especially, the sky-filled space with red and yellow star flags along with magnificent spiritual cultural works such as the Avalokitesvara Buddha statue of Tay Bo Da Son, the tallest in Asia, the Maitreya Bodhisattva statue, one of the largest in the world, the unique golden Kasyapa Buddha statue, or meditation-infused gardens make this place a top destination in the South for this year's holiday.