Tay Ninh – a small province located in the southwest of the Southeastern region, plays an important role as an important gateway for exchange between Vietnam and Cambodia, which is known as a land of culture and religion. with many special religious highlights. Built on the long-standing historical foundation, Tay Ninh has a wealth of monuments, beautiful landscapes and little autumn.

Located at the connection between the South Central Highlands and the Mekong River Delta, Tay Ninh terrain has a harmonious combination of two forms: both a desolate plateau, and delta area characteristics. Not only that, Tay Ninh is also a border province with two important border gates, Moc Bai and Xa Mat, which are of great significance to promoting trade and tourism for economic development.

Tay Ninh is only less than 100 km from Ho Chi Minh City, so it is very convenient if you want to go and go back in the same day. Ticket prices are only from 60,000-80,000 VND per person and there are many 2-way bus routes in the city. HCM – Tay Ninh. Moreover, because the terrain here is quite flat, in addition to the means of passenger cars, visitors in neighboring provinces can also choose to travel by motorbike.

Top places that should not be missed if you visit Tay Ninh
Tay Ninh Holy See
Also known as the Holy Temple, located only 4 km southeast of Tay Ninh city. This area is the Mecca of Cao Dai religion and Tay Ninh sanctuary is a cluster of works of many religious architectures of this religion. On the basis of an area of ​​1 square km, this architectural building is designed in the style of Cao Dai belief with many hidden meanings of thought, philosophy and mysticism.

In terms of overall architecture, the Holy Temple bears the image of a dragon horse worshiping with a west facing facade. Between the two bell floors and the empty floor is the ground floor of the building named Tinh Tam Dai and the second floor with the name Phi Tuong Dai. One thing quite special is that this sanctuary was built with bamboo-reinforced concrete but still remains firm and majestic. Visiting this place, visitors will have the opportunity to admire many other eye-catching architectural styles.

Ma Thien Lanh tourist area
A very attractive little wonder with many shapes, from valleys, caves, cliffs to even sparkling streams under the sun … All together create a charming landscape picture, both wild wild but also very dreamy. In the midst of a landscape of clouds and sky, looking down from above is mountains and hills, the stream sparkles with silver light, in addition to the chirping of birds, there is nothing better than being immersed in nature. Yet to conquer this beautiful valley is not an easy thing because the steep slopes, the mountain pass are steep, but it urges the footsteps of the adventurers for them to overcome this challenge.

Mrs. Black Mountain
Ba Den mountain, or Van Son mountain, has an altitude of 936 m, belongs to the famous cultural and historical relic complex of Tay Ninh province. The reason is called by the name Van Son because this mountain is cloud covered all year round. For a long time, this mountain has been a conquest of many explorers. Because the view from the top of the mountain is very beautiful, visitors coming here, besides climbing, also want to see the sunset dyed red in the sky. Therefore, the ideal time to climb the mountain is during the day, starting in the morning. Today, to serve tourism, Ba Den mountain has a cable car system.The cable car takes you to the top of the mountain

Lo Go – Xa Mat National Park
Lo Go – Xa Mat National Park belongs to the Southeast agro-ecological region, stretching over the territory of 3 communes of Tan Lap, Tan Binh and Hoa Hiep of Tan Bien district. This place was once used as a revolutionary base during the war against the US. By 2002, from a special-use forest, Lo Go – Xa Mat was recognized as a national forest with a total area of ​​18 765 ha. This is the largest forest cover area in Tay Ninh and becomes the common roof of many animal species with the main task of preserving biological values.

Dau Tieng Lake
As one of the largest artificial lakes in Vietnam, Dau Tieng Lake has a very fresh and spacious space. The lake surface is calm and blue, with the color of the sky. In the middle of the lake are small oases as a highlight for a charming painting. This is a suitable destination for those who love simplicity and tranquility.

Religion of Caodaism
Tay Ninh is where the headquarters of Vietnam’s indigenous religions - Caodaism is located. The Cao Dai Great Temple at the sect’s Holy See is as extraordinary as the sect’s philosophy.

History and Philosophy
Caodaism was founded in 1920 on Phu Quoc Island at a pagoda called Quan Am Tu. It is said that God often revealed himself as a spiritual master called “Cao Dai Tien Ong” and delivered his teachings to a group of people who were interested in spiritualism. In the group there was Ngo Van Chieu or usually known as Ngo Minh Chieu who also was the chief of Phu Quoc Island that time.

At a ceremony on 8-Feb-1921, “Cao Dai Tien Ong” informed that Nguyen Minh Chieu was his first follower. From then on, Ngo Minh Chieu practised day and night the teachings of “Cao Dai Tien Ong” in his own place.

“Cao Dai Tien Ong” also authorized Ngo Minh Chieu to find a symbol for the new religion. Ngo Minh Chieu spent a week, but couldn’t think of anything suitable. One morning Ngo Minh Chieu suddenly saw an eye in front of him. Ngo Minh Chieu was so scared by the glary eye that he prayed. Each time he prayed the eye would fade away. The eye would appear in the next few days until Ngo Minh Chieu decided to choose the eye as the symbol of the new religion. Nowadays the eye as the symbol of Caodaism is described as seen by Ngo Minh Chieu then: the left eye radiating lights.

In 1925 Ngo Minh Chieu moved to Sai Gon where he started his mission to deliver the teachings to new followers. At the end of 1926 Le Van Trung and 28 other people signed the "Declaration of the Founding of the Cao Dai Religion" with a list of 247 signatures of members present at the ceremony.

“Cao Dai” refers to the high palace where God reigns and is used in the religion to refer to God himself in his revelation as a human being (Cao Dai Tien Ong). Caodaism’s philosophy is the fusion of Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism as well as Geniism.

Caodaism believes that in the beginning, there was only God: formless, shapeless, unchangeable, everlasting, and universally powerful and is the origin of all. God divides his spirits into parts which form everything such as earth, universe, plants, animals, human beings... All things have a part of God’s spirit.

A human being has 02 parts: the visible element which is the physical body and the invisible element which is the spirit and soul. The spirit of a human being came from a part of God’s spirit. The soul is to control emotions and to make up characteristics of each person.

Caodai’s philosophy considers that God’s revelation and salvation have experienced 3 periods. In the first one, God inspired to found Judaism, Hinduism and Geniism. The second period came a few thousand years later in which God led to the foundations of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. Due to the lack of communication and transportation when those religions were founded; and due to the fact that God’s messages were carried indirectly via selected religious leaders combined with the difference in each community which made God’s messages distorted. Human beings as God’s children are more and more different and there’s no peace universally. God decided that this time – The Third Revelation and Salvation - God delivered his own messages to human beings. This time God chose to deliver Caodaism using spiritism means.

Caodaism believes in karma and reincarnation which means a person is reborn many times in the cycle of life. The next life is influenced by deeds practised in this life. More positive karmas lead to better life and in contrast negative karmas lead to more miserable life.

Caodaists practise to fulfill their duties to family, society and humanity. They worship and adore God, venerate Superior spirits and worship their ancestors.

Caodaists worship God (symbolized by the Divine Eye), Sakyamuni (representing Buddhism), Lao Tse (representing Taoism), Jesus Christ (representing Christianity), Confucius (representing Confucianism), Khuong Thai Cong (representing Geniism).
 
Caodaists venerate Li Tai Pe, (representing Taoism), Quan Am Bo Tat (representing Buddhism) and Quan Thanh De Quan (representing Confucianism) as “the Three Lords of Earth”

Caodaists adore three saints:  Sun-Yat-Sen (1866-1925), leader of the Chinese Revolution of 1911; Victor Hugo (1802-1885), French poet and writer; Trang Trinh – Nguyen Binh Khiem (1492-1587), Vietnamese poet and prophet.
 
Followers are to follow three rules: 
Pray at least once per day, at 5-7 AM, noon, 5-7 PM, and/or midnight; at least twice per month at the temple.

Eat from a vegetarian diet at least 6 days per month for the first time and at least ten days each month thereafter

Followers are to observe five interdictions: 
Do not kill living beings
Do not be dishonest
Do not commit adultery
Do not get drunk
Do not sin by word
 
Caodaism’s hierachy has 9 ranks of members: Pope, Censor Cardinal, Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishop, Priest, Student Priest, Subdignitaries and Followers (Adepts). Women are limited to the level of Cardinal and below.

Confucianism’s influence: fulfill three duties (between king and citizen, father and child, husband and wife) and five virtues (humanity, obligation, civility, knowledge, reliability).

There are 2 branches in Caodaism:
Exoterism:
Practice good and avoid evil
Show kindness to humans, other species, plants and nature

Esoterism:
Practice meditation
Practice to eradicate the inferior self and develop the divine element.

Tay Ninh is 100km northwest of Sai Gon, close to the Cambodian border. The road trip from Sai Gon to Tay Ninh is 2 hours. Many travellers combine the trip to Tay Ninh with the trip to Cu Chi Tunnel. Some travellers visit Tay Ninh on their way to Cambodia. From Sai Gon you can visit Tay Ninh and arrive in Phnom Penh in late afternoon.

At present the tourists normally don't stay overnight in Tay Ninh, but would go back to Sai Gon or Cambodia for the night. There are many local restaurants serving not too good food.