Sun World Ba Den Mountain Travel News First impressions of the spiritual and cultural works on Ba Den Mountain

First impressions of the spiritual and cultural works on Ba Den Mountain

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First impressions of the spiritual and cultural works on Ba Den Mountain

11/08/2025

Since the 3 cable car lines were interconnected and smoothly operated to welcome guests at the beginning of Spring 2023, visiting Ba Den Mountain (*) in Tay Ninh is now very convenient. Especially on the route to the highest point of 986m, visitors can not only fully enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountains and forests, feel the cool air in the vast space on the mountaintop, which is considered the "Roof of the South", but also worship a magnificent Buddhist cultural work with the giant Tay Bo Da Son Lady Buddha statue newly erected here.

First impressions of the spiritual and cultural works on Ba Den Mountain

11/08/2025

Mountain peak high point and cable car system to the structure

As the focal point of the structure, the 72m tall bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy was created from studying nearly 40 statues at Bo Da Pagoda - Bac Giang to capture its unique appearance. The sacred beauty emanates from its posture, graceful attire, and kind, gentle, and radiant face, gazing towards Dau Tieng Lake and looking down upon the prosperous plains, as if the Buddha is blessing all beings…

Statue of the Goddess of Mercy on the Buddhist Art exhibition building complex

At this highest point, although construction is still being supplemented and completed, all that has been presented in the main structure at the center of the mountain peak is enough to reveal a modern architectural appearance designed in a novel form on the theme of Buddhist culture for tourism. It deserves to be a work of architectural and sculptural art that has been systematically studied and presented. The functional uses of the structure are operated synchronously with very modern technical equipment.

Observing the structure from a square courtyard as wide as a plaza, looking at the front of the Goddess of Mercy statue, we see the Buddha standing gently on a 4-story pedestal, in a symmetrical composition and a blend of architectural and sculptural elements. The architectural part consists of the components forming the base and the statue's platform (which contains functions for communication and tourism activities, worship, sightseeing, learning about Buddhism…). It is shaped as a combination of a series of 9 circles of varying sizes stacked from bottom to top and converging at the base of the statue, resembling 9 stylized layers of clouds, evoking the feeling of the Buddha residing on a lotus platform with the Goddesses of Mercy (Quan Am) floating amidst the mountain peak's clouds and sky… Accordingly, the image of water flowing down 5 tiered circular trays to the Bat Nha Scripture Pillar below, also suggests a connection to the water from the Ambrosia vase poured by the Buddha onto the world…

Flycam view towards Dau Tieng Lake, close-up on the right shows 2 cable car stations

The base and pedestal of the statue have a modern spatial structure, reasonably arranged between content and architectural form. The design effectively utilized the geometry of straight lines, right angles, and circles in the composition of forms, succeeding in the technique of contrast without conflict to highlight the solemnity and sculptural beauty of the statues placed above.

Within this architectural complex, there is also a cluster of 5 stone kinh pillars made of black kim sa granite, carved with the Prajnaparamita Sutra in Tibetan script, with the pillars' bases starting from the underground lecture hall. Among them, the largest kinh pillar has a diameter of 2m and a height of 19.8m, reaching towards the blue sky, becoming the connecting point between the meditation yard and the Goddess of Mercy statue, creating a cohesive composition for the spiritual spatial axis on the mountaintop.

Main pillar in the group of 5 Prajnaparamita sutra pillars, engraved with Tibetan script

Especially, in the evening, the architectural and sculptural complex appears like a magical painting under the world's leading modern artistic lighting system with over 3500 LED lights. Designed by architect Shin Takamatsu – a Japanese person, the "father" of the philosophy of "non-existence" – this architectural style maximally respects the function of the place. This system will not only fulfill the usual lighting function but above all, also satisfy the aesthetic and artistic elements for the spiritual space axis.

Mount Ba Den at night

Attracting visitors interested in Buddhism, the Buddhist exhibition area located in the 4-story building at the foot of the Goddess of Mercy statue is noteworthy. This place displays replicas of many classic Buddhist works, introducing many ancient pagodas and famous statues from Vietnam and the world.

Especially, in the vaulted hall area on the 1st floor, visitors have the opportunity to learn about and explore the universe in Buddhist cosmology through video mapping projection technology with modern projection and sound equipment of world-class quality. The overall floor plan is a square inscribed within a circle, and each floor opens up a unique journey, helping visitors to see and understand thousands of years of Buddhist teachings in an unprecedented way.

Cinema space with modern technology

The outer rim of the floors is adorned with water spaces and spacious surrounding corridors, creating a buffer zone inside and outside the building where visitors can stand to admire the scenery, catch the breeze, or easily shelter from rain and sun. The method of emphasizing horizontal divisions with concentric, similar circular lines has formed a characteristic architectural feature for the Buddhist art exhibition and display volume.

The modern architectural imagery and the vivid arrangement art of this structure are distinctly different from some spiritual tourism projects that build by imitating, enlarging the layout, and copying the forms of ancient pagodas. These projects not only stifle creativity but also confuse and deviate from religious rituals, eroding many traditional values.

Here, there are no ancient roof styles, incense smoke, altars, or donation boxes displayed excessively as in many other spiritual tourism areas. Visiting, admiring, worshipping, and learning about Buddhism at this Buddhist cultural structure serving tourism on the summit of Ba Den mountain, before the statue of Buddha Ba, one can fully feel purity and a light state of mind. One further realizes the true meaning of the cultural and religious values creatively expressed in contemporary life in this structure.

Tree carpets and flower gardens at the site always captivate visitors

Inside Van Son station

However, regarding the architecture of the 2 stations that have been built and are operating to welcome guests near the main structure, if the scale were smaller and the forms were more hidden, it would be even more compatible with the overall space. There should be solutions for planting trees and adding flowers to create the most optimal visual effect.

Note:

(*) At an altitude of 986m, Ba Den mountain is the highest mountain in the Southern region, with majestic scenery rising amidst the vast Southern plains. Not only is it the “roof of the South”, according to many feng shui experts, Ba Den mountain is also one of the most sacred mountains in Vietnam, located within the energy line running from the Himalaya range along the Truong Son range from North to South.

This is the mountain associated with the legend of Linh Son Thanh Mau (Ba Den), passed down through many generations of people in the Southern region. There are many legends surrounding the story of Ba Den, originating from various layers of beliefs including Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism. One legend tells that Ba Den was Nang Dênh, who intended to become a nun. Once, she secretly went up the mountain to escape an arranged marriage, was eaten by a tiger, and manifested as a deity. Another legend tells that Ba Den was Nang Ly Thi Thien Huong, who died tragically on the mountain and appeared as a black-faced maiden in a vision.

Originally a place of retreat for many ascetics from ancient times, Ba Den mountain – the place of worship for the principal goddess (Ba Den) – has become a spiritual gathering place for Tay Ninh province in particular and the Southern region in general. On the mountain, there are many pagodas, hermitages, caves, and shrines, forming a diverse system of worship.

(\*\*) Surrounding the Goddess statue on the peak are four majestic and solemn statues of the Four Heavenly Kings. On the water trays running along the bottom are 4 Avalokitesvara figures, specifically:1. Luu Ly Quan Am ( holding a pearl); 2.Tri Lien Quan Am ( holding a lotus flower); 3.Sai Thuy Quan Am( holding a jade bowl); 4.Pho Bi Quan Am ( holding a dharma robe).

Source: Architect Doan Duc (Vietnamese Architecture)