235,000 people is the number of visitors who took the Sun World Ba Den Mountain cable car in just two weekends of 11-12/2/2023. It is estimated that Ba Den Mountain will welcome nearly 2 million pilgrims in January this year.
Being a sacred mountain and carrying many legends, that is the reason why Ba Den Mountain has become a spiritual destination attracting a record number of visitors in the first month of the new year.
One of the three most sacred acupuncture points in the South
In Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi – an important historical document regarding the South during the Nguyen Dynasty by Trinh Hoai Duc written in the early 19th century, Ba Den mountain is described as follows: “Amid the plains, Ba Dinh mountain emerged (Ba Dinh mountain) Madame Den), on a beautiful day, from Saigon, this mountain can be seen faintly appearing in the clouds. Legend has it that this is a sacred mountain, with golden bells hidden in the lake, moonlit night, dragon boats swimming, dancing and singing melodious…”. Accordingly, Ba Den mountain is considered a sacred mountain, the main mountain of Gia Dinh citadel (ie Saigon), like Tan Vien mountain in Thang Long or Ngu Binh mountain in Hue ancient capital.
Because of the legends associated with Ba Den Mountain, every year, millions of people from all over the provinces and cities, especially the Southern region, come here for pilgrimage and worship. Right at the foot of the mountain on New Year’s Day or the Full Moon of January, many people choose to sleep over so that the next morning can go to the top of the mountain very early, part to pray for good luck for the whole year. On weekends in January, convoys stretching from Trang Bang to the foot of the mountain are common. They all have the same journey to go to spring to worship and pray for peace in Ba Mountain.
According to Ms. Pham Thi Nga (Vung Tau): “Ba Den Mountain is a sacred mountain, our family comes here at least once a year. My family doesn’t mind being too crowded or traffic jams when approaching Ba Mountain, because it’s sacred that this place is so crowded. We believe that she will bear witness to her hard journey and will bless the new year with favorable weather, rain, and prosperity.”
It is estimated that nearly 2 million tourists take the cable car to the top of Ba Den mountain in January
The fact that people in the South sleep at the foot of the sacred Ba Den mountain and wait in long lines to take the cable car to the top of the mountain is not too surprising in the religious life of Vietnamese people. In the North, on the opening ceremony of the heaven gate at Nua Temple (Thanh Hoa), thousands of tourists flock here to offer incense, go around the grave many times and absorb the sacred air of heaven and earth to pray for good luck. According to many studies, Nua mountain (Thanh Hoa), Da Chong mountain (Ba Vi district, Hanoi) and Ba Den mountain (Tay Ninh) are the three most sacred acupuncture points in the South, the place where the spirits of heaven and earth converge. Therefore, most tourists consider arriving at Ba Den sacred mountain a must-do every year to pray for peace and luck.
For many people, a handful of soil or a little water from a stream on the top of the mountain contain the sacred gas of this acupuncture point. According to Venerable Thich Niem Thoi (the Dharma owner of Ba Pagoda at Ba Den Mountain), the stream on Ba Den Mountain is said to contain gold (young gold), and many people go to the mountain to draw spring water to drink or bring back.. “Many people believe that bringing water from the stream at Ba Den mountain home is bringing fortune, luck and health.” – he said.
The legends on Ba Den mountain that few people know
There are many legends regarding Ba Den Mountain that have been told through generations, of which the most mentioned is the legend of Ly Thi Thien Huong, who died on the mountain with 3 times of apparitions, and was honored as Linh Son. The Holy Mother has become a symbol of Southern beliefs for many centuries.
Temple of Linh Son Thanh Mau at Ba Den Mountain
Not only the legend of Linh Son Thanh Mau, in the spiritual community on Ba Den Mountain, there are also many sacred shrines, caves and pagodas such as Ba Co Cave, Son Than Temple, Hang Pagoda, Kim Quang Cave… A very sacred place on Ba Mountain that few people know is Ba Co Cave (located at the highest point in Ba Pagoda area). According to legend, at the beginning of the 20th century, three virgin sisters living in the West went to Ba Den mountain to practice since Ba Mountain was still a sacred forest and poisonous water. Every day, her father often went down the mountain to help the poor to heal, and at night went up to the mountain to meditate and sleep for decades. According to legend, by absorbing the spirit of Ba Den Mountain and having abandoned all greed, hatred and delusion, her father revealed the date and time of his rebirth. After her father passed away, people built a shrine right at the cave where her father practiced. Today, Ba Co cave is a fanciful cave, especially the entrance to the cave is getting narrower day by day as the fig tree at the mouth of the cave is getting bigger and bigger. For many people, going to Ba Co cave to pray for love and health will be very effective.
The majestic statue of Ba Tay Bo Da Son on the top of Ba Den mountain
Not only hiding sacred legends, on the top of Ba Den mountain today there is also a magnificent spiritual complex connecting the source of spiritual energy with Ba pagoda halfway up the mountain. The bronze Buddha statue of Tay Bo Da Son on the highest mountain in Asia is now considered a sacred symbol of Ba Den Mountain. The left hand of the statue of Buddha holding a vase of orange sloping down, symbolizing the bestowing of blessings and saving sentient beings from suffering. The Buddha’s right hand raised to capture the teaching of the Karana Mudr seal, meaning to leave evil karma. Patterns and motifs of the lotus are modeled following the double lotus petals in the Buddha statue of the Le Dynasty, with the shape of a cloud and three drops of water, symbolizing the prayer of favorable rain and wind.
Ba Den Mountain shimmers magically in the night
Thanh Hang (Hanoi) recounted: “I have the opportunity to stand at the highest place at the foot of the Buddha statue overlooking the whole rich plain of the Southeast. I might clearly see the vast and magical pink horizon and see the mirage of the Buddha floating on the horizon and feel an abundance of vitality and an extremely peaceful state of mind. Not everyone has the opportunity to see that magical illusion.”
It can be seen that following many centuries, Ba Den mountain is no longer only the most sacred acupuncture point in the South but also becomes a symbol of beliefs and beliefs in the sacred things that are difficult to understand by the Southern people. Today, people from all over the world not only make pilgrimages to Ba Mountain at the beginning of the new year, but all year round, they come to Ba Den Mountain as a way to find peace, with a strong belief and happiness. authentic from the heart.
