POPULAR DESTINATION - The opening ceremony of the Bà Đen Mountain Spring Festival attracted more than 200,000 visitors. VNA/VNS Photo by Minh Phú

TÂY NINH – A series of festivities and art performances are being held during the Bà Đen Mountain Spring Festival, which is taking place at the Bà Đen Mountain Historical, Cultural and Tourism Relic Site in Tây Ninh Province.

Having the theme of Hương Sắc Tây Ninh (The Beauty of Tây Ninh), the festival drew more than 200,000 visitors from Tây Ninh, HCM City, and neighbouring provinces to join the opening ceremony held on Tuesday night (or the fourth day of Lunar New Year).

The ceremony offered music and dance performances by artists from famous troupes in Tây Ninh and HCM City to praise the country and springtime, along with Lion – Kylin – Dragon dance, and fireworks displays.

Performances highlighting the Khmer people’s culture and art have also been presented during the festival.

They include ngũ âm (five tones) or Pinpeat, the Khmer traditional musical ensemble, performing ceremonial music at temples, and the Khmer dance.

The chhay-dăm drum dance, a unique folk dance of the Khmer people, will be performed as well.

The chhay-dăm drum is made from the hollow tree trunk of an old areca tree. The performers can play the drums with their hands, elbows, or heels. The dance was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.

The festival remains open until March 9 (January 29 of the lunar calendar).

KHMER CULTURE - The Khmer people’s music and dance performances will be offered during the festival. VNA/VNS Photo by Thanh Tân

Bà Đen Mountain, located at an altitude of 986m, is known as the roof of the South.

It is famous for its majestic natural landscapes, magnificent caves, and sacred pagodas and temples.

On the top of the mountain, there is the tallest statue of Buddha in Asia standing on a lotus, a 36m-high statue of Maitreya Buddha assembled from 6,688 sandstone pieces, and a Buddhist exhibition centre.

In 2023, Tây Ninh welcomed 5.1 million visitors, while its tourism revenue reached more than VNĐ2 trillion (US$81.55 million). – VNS