Discover the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Week with a feast of experiences

For the first time in Tây Ninh Province, tourists will be immersed in a festival atmosphere, with strong Japanese cultural influences at Ba Den Mountain during the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Week in the first week of December. This marks the start of a series of unique cultural heritage events at Ba Den Mountain throughout December 2024.

The space of Vietnam-Japan Cultural Week on top of Ba Den Mountain. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

Opening the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Week will be an exciting arts programme on December 1, featuring vibrant Yosakoi dances from Japan, merging with graceful Khmer dances, infused with the cultural heritage of Tây Ninh. On this date, 200 Japanese cherry blossom trees will also be handed over to Sun World Ba Den Mountain by the Embassy of Japan, promising to transform the highest mountain in the region into a cherry blossom paradise.

During the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Week at Ba Den Mountain, tourists will also be captivated by the energetic festival atmosphere, with countless unique cultural experiences for the first time in Tây Ninh Province. One of the not-to-be-missed experiences is visiting the Japanese cultural souvenir stall and trying on a Japanese kimono.

Cosplaying in a kimono is an interesting experience. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

Running from December 1-8, the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Week offers an ideal opportunity for tourists to discover the beauty of Japanese culture, with experiences vividly recreated atop Ba Den Mountain.

Enjoying the art of lanterns

The lantern exhibition is a special artistic experience that tourists should not miss when visiting Ba Den Mountain. Hundreds of lanterns in different sizes and designs will be lit up, creating a unique photo opportunity in Tây Ninh Province.

Hand-painted lantern exhibition at Ba Den Mountain. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

All the lanterns are made from paintings on Do paper, with patterns drawn by artists and staff of Sun World Ba Den Mountain, conveying the beauty of traditional culture combined with Buddhist imagery. The paintings recreate Dong Ho folk paintings, a famous art form from the Kinh Bac region, as well as depictions of joyful monks beside lotus flowers, ancient Japanese paintings, and more. Each lantern is a unique work of art, displayed alongside hundreds of traditional Japanese Wagasa umbrellas and paper cranes, recreating the art of origami paper folding.

The exhibition offers a unique space for the exchange of Vietnamese folk culture and ancient Japanese art, becoming a highlight of the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Week at Ba Den Mountain.

Go to market with… leaves

The Leaf Market has long been a unique specialty of Tây Ninh Province, where people use leaves instead of money to buy food, drinks, and goods. Taking place every year on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, the Leaf Market attracts thousands of people nationwide to Tây Ninh Province to join the lively atmosphere of this unusual market.

The Leaf Market will take place in two days on November 30 and December 1 at the top of Ba Den Mountain. Photo: Sun World Ba Den Mountain

Between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on November 30–December 1, two Leaf Market sessions will be held at the top of Ba Den Mountain during the cultural heritage month, offering tourists a chance to experience something truly unique.

Upon passing through the cable car ticket gate to the summit, each visitor will receive a sacred Bodhi leaf, which can be used to buy food and drinks. A variety of tasty dishes will be available, including steamed rolled pancakes, pyramidal sticky rice cakes, husband-and-wife cakes, tapioca dumplings, steamed rice cakes, steamed layered tapioca cakes, cassava steamed with coconut, as well as sweet soup and sticky rice.

The market at the top of Ba Den Mountain will offer a fascinating experience to send off the last month of the old year and celebrate a New Year full of prosperity, luck, and fortune for tourists.

Musical night with Dan Truong and Cam Ly

On the evening of December 7, the music night Đêm Trăng Trên Đỉnh Vân Sơn (Moonlight Night on the Top of Van Son) will be held at the top of Ba Den Mountain. This event, featuring popular singers Dan Truong and Cam Ly, will create an unprecedented artistic atmosphere on the highest mountain in southern Vietnam.

The audience will be enchanted by a musical celebration of folk culture in the peaceful setting atop the mountain, with performances of songs that made Cam Ly famous, such as Khúc Hát An Tình, Nỗi Buồn Mẹ Mẹ, Hương Tình Làng Quê, Tuổi Mong Xu Đông, and Thím 2 Lúa. Dan Truong will also bring the rustic and poetic beauty of the countryside to life with familiar songs such as Mẹ Tôi, Con Thương Rau Đắng Mọc Sau Hè, Lục Tình Miền Tây, and Lời Xàng Xê Cửa Ngoài.

The artistic programme will also feature performances by singers in the folk and Buddhist music genres, including Dieu Dan, Bao Nam, and Thanh Vinh. Dieu Dan will perform her song Đêm Trăng Trên Đỉnh Vân Sơn, composed specifically for Ba Den Mountain. Additionally, the Khmer Ao Dai Show will feature celebrities such as Le Hoang Phuong, Le Phan Hanh Nguyen, Tran Tien, Trung Nguyen, and Miss Businesswoman Vuong Thi Hoa.

All of this will be accompanied by the sweet, romantic, and profound voices of folk singing queen Cam Ly and idol Dan Truong, making this the most anticipated show in Tây Ninh at the end of the year.