Ba Den Mountain, Thien Lam Temple and the Holy See of Caodaism are three sacred places for pilgrims in Tay Ninh one of the leading spiritual destinations in Viet Nam.
Tay Ninh, one of the leading spiritual destinations in Vietnam, is home to Ba Den Mountain with the 300-year-old Ba Pagoda complex.
Legend has it that Nguyen Anh was pursued by the Tay Son army, and he hid in Ba Den Mountain and prayed for help to save his starving soldiers.
That night Ba Den appeared in his dream and showed him where to get mountain fruits.
In 1790 Nguyen Anh sent soldiers to the mountain to cast statues and build a pagoda.
Nguyen Anh or Gia Long was the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam’s last (1802-1945).
The place is considered one of the most sacred in the south and attracts pilgrims from all over the country and around the world.
The major deity on the mountain is Linh Son Thanh Mau, and millions come to seek her blessings every year.
It takes more than an hour from the base of the mountain to reach the pagoda, which stands at a height of over 200 meters.
Ba Den Mountain consists of three mountains, Ba, Phung and Heo. Ba Mountain, dubbed the roof of southern Vietnam, is the tallest among them.
The pagoda’s main place of worship is a small cave with the altar of Goddess Ba Den.