The very first thing that immediately caught my attention when I first arrived in Tay Ninh was the weather. As far as I am concerned, there is a world of difference between the climate in the south and the north of Viet Nam. More specifically, in Tay Ninh, it is sunny all day long yet not as severely hot as in Ha Noi. Moreover, there are usually torrential rains in the evening, which cleared up all the dust and dirt giving the big place a refreshing new face. Due to this characteristic of the weather, the locals usually wear a coat when they go out as a sunlight protector even when it was summer time.

Wet cake

Another thing that one cannot miss when visiting this land was the renowned Ba Den Mountain located in Tay Ninh town of Tay Ninh province, 110km away from Ho Chi Minh City. To the best of my knowledge, this is an extremely importantly religious and sacred place to which thousands of people pay a visit annually. Individuals who worship Buddhism come here and pray for a happy, healthy and prosperous life and it is often said that if they are sincere enough, the superior power can hear their prayers and their wishing may come true.

From my own experience, this was a pretty high mountain as it took me approximately three hours to climb to the top but the scene was totally worth it! It was fantastic! It took my breath away! I was totally captivated by the dramatic landscape looking from above with all the tiny houses, paddle fields and long narrow rivers floating around the whole town beneath. So refreshing and comfortable was the view that I stood contemplating in silence for nearly 30 minutes before descending. One should indeed give a try to visit this mountain once and enjoy the scene as well as the precious awesome feeling as I did. I bet one would not regret it!

Last but not least, despite the pleasing weather and the uniquely beautiful landscape, I must say I was most impressed by the people in the town. Coming on a special occasion, I was allocated to a local family. In fact, it is a common knowledge that the southern people have fame for being friendly, hospitable and sincere. And it is true. In “my” family, there were officially four people but guests and cousins visited all the time. My “grandfather and grandmother” (they allowed me to call them by these names) considered me as a family member and took care of me in the nicest and kindest way. I was so touched by their kindness and I would miss them a lot when I left the town and came back to the Capital.

My Tay Ninh grandmother

My grandmother made us various special delicious food that I had never tasted in my life before. Thanks to her, I had the chance to get to know a large number of different cakes and cuisines that were distinctly native to the southern such as “Hu tieu”, ginseng or aloe drinks, wet cakes, floating water cakes and so on. It was such luck of mine that I could meet and live with them.

At the end of the day, these are some of the most memorable traits that I could conclude after my small trip to Tay Ninh. If you are taking a holiday and still not in know where to go and spend your vacation, I highly recommend this land to you. Not only is the atmosphere and the natural scene fantastic but the locals are lovely and caring. Give yourself a chance to get mesmerized by this miraculous town and you will never forget your wonderful time there!

Quỳnh Phương (B10-D40)