TAY NINH

   

Tay Ninh, 100 kilometers northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, shares a long border with Cambodia. To the north of the province is the mountainous region where lies the 980-meter high Ba Den Mountain (Black Lady Mountain), the highest peak in the South Vietnam. A prominent part of the province is occupied by forests of rubber trees. This area is well-known for its Caodaist Holy See, the headquarter of a newly-founded religion of Vietnam which combines various sources of religion such as Buddhism, Catholicism, Confucianism, Taoism and Hinduism; and for its Via Ba Festivals taking place at the mountain which attract thousands of pilgrims each year. A two-hour driving tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Tay Ninh is quite interesting and offers a chance to be close to the nature.

 

Caodai Holy See

Caodai Holy See, constructed in 1933, is 4 km from the centre of Tay Ninh, in the Long Hoa village. The complex includes the Great Temple, administrative offices, residences for officials and adepts, and a hospital of traditional Vietnamese herbal medicine to which people in the south travel for treatment.
The most interesting building in this  complex is the Great Temple, built according to architectural influences of the Caodai Sect. The construction is a harmonious fusion of Asian and European styles, with domes and embellishments showing the spirit of the religion. Above the front portico of the Great Temple is the "divine eye", the supreme symbol of Caodaism. The Great Temple is built on nine levels, which represent the nine steps to heaven. Prayers are conducted in the Great Temple every day at 6 am, noon, 6 pm and midnight. Shoes must be removed upon entering the building.

 

Ba Den Mountain :
Ba Den Mountain (Black Lady Mountain), 14 km northeast of Tay Ninh town, rises 986 meters above the rice paddies of the surrounding countryside. It is the highest elevation in the south and the last mountain on the south extremity of the Truong Son Mountain Range. The name Back Lady Mountain is derived from the legend of Huong, a Young woman who married her true love despite advances of a wealthy mandarin. While her husband was away doing military service, she would visit a magical statue of Buddha at the summit of the mountain. One day, Houng was attacked by kidnappers but, preferring death to dishonour, threw herself off a cliff.

Several shrines and pagodas were built on the mountain as well as in the caves. Ba (Lady) and Hang (Cave) pagodas attract many pilgrims during the lunar New Year and Vu Lan Festivals. The hike from the base of the mountain to the temple complex and back taking about one and a half hour is fascinating.