The Tay Ninh Province People’s Committee on Feb 19 opened the Bà Đen (Black Lady) Mountain Spring Festival.

Visitors at the Bà Đen Mountain Historical, Cultural and Tourism Relic Site.

The annual event at the Bà Đen Mountain Historical, Cultural and Tourism Relic Site features festivities, cultural and sports activities like unicorn dancing, art fireworks, film screening, traditional games and sports contests.

The Tây Ninh Tourism and Trade Joint Stock Company and the Tây Ninh Cable Car Tour Company have given the relic a facelift and installed a new sliding system to attract pilgrims and others during Tết (Lunar New Year).

The People’s Committee ordered related agencies to ensure security and environmental and food safety during the festival, which will go on until March 3.

Bà Đen Mountain, which is famous for its majestic landscapes and magnificent caves and pagodas, is part of the Núi Bà Relic Complex in the southern province of Tây Ninh.

The complex spreads over an area of 24 square kilometres and comprises three mountains - Núi Heo (Pig Mountain), Núi Phụng (Phoenix Mountain), and Núi Bà Đen (Black Lady Mountain).

Bà Đen is the highest mountain in the south-east, rising to a height of 986 metres.

It received nearly 400,000 pilgrims and tourists on the first four days of the Lunar New Year, according to the province People’s Committee. —VNS