Black Virgin Mountain
Encyclopedia
Black Virgin Mountain is a mountain in the Tay Ninh Province of Vietnam
. To the Vietnamese
the mountain is the center of a myth about Ba Den, a Vietnamese woman. During the Vietnam War
the area around the mountain was very active as the Ho Chi Minh Trail
ended a few kilometers west across the Cambodia
n border. As such there were many battles and American and Vietnamese soldiers based in the region remember the prominent land mark. After the war the mountain turned from a battle ground to being famous for the its beautiful temples and theme park. There are trails to hike up the mountain but many people take the Nui Ba Den gondola lift
to the top.
jungle and farmland. The mountain is almost a perfect cinder cone
with a saddle
and a slight bulge on her Northwest side. The mountain is honeycombed with caves and is covered in many large basalt
boulders.
sect the mountain has special religious significance and its temple, the Tay Ninh Holy See, is close to the mountain.
During World War II
the mountain was occupied by the Japanese and it was occupied by the Viet Minh, the French and the Viet Cong.
is generally a flat region with the exception of the Black Virgin Mountain. The mountain commands everything in its sight and was therefore a strategic location for both sides during the war. In 1964 the mountain top was assaulted by special forces and the peak was held by American forces as a radio relay station. Supplied by helicopter for much of the war the Americans controlled the top and the Viet Cong (VC) controlled the bottom and surrounding plain. In 1968 the station was once overrun by the VC, who killed all 23 Americans manning the station. In January 1969 the mountain was extensively searched by 1st Brigade elements of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry regulars, 4th Battalion 23rd Infantry and tanks from the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armour. In the tunnels that honeycombed the mountain they found arms caches, and engaged VC units stationed on the mountain. Throughout the war the VC returned to the mountain and its cave bases. Colonel Donald Cook was the first Marine
captured in the Vietnam war. For a time he was held near Black Virgin mountain. In 1973 the mountain was closed as an American base. During the closing days of the war when the mountain was abandoned by Army of the Republic of Vietnam
(ARVN) troops the local population left the region afraid of the approaching communist soldiers.
to the top.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. To the Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
the mountain is the center of a myth about Ba Den, a Vietnamese woman. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
the area around the mountain was very active as the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
ended a few kilometers west across the Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n border. As such there were many battles and American and Vietnamese soldiers based in the region remember the prominent land mark. After the war the mountain turned from a battle ground to being famous for the its beautiful temples and theme park. There are trails to hike up the mountain but many people take the Nui Ba Den gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
to the top.
Geography
At 996 metres (3,267.7 ft), the extinct volcano rises from the flat Mekong DeltaMekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
jungle and farmland. The mountain is almost a perfect cinder cone
Cinder cone
According to the , Cinder Cone is the proper name of 1 cinder cone in Canada and 7 cinder cones in the United States:In Canada: Cinder Cone In the United States:...
with a saddle
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
and a slight bulge on her Northwest side. The mountain is honeycombed with caves and is covered in many large basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
boulders.
Pre-Vietnam War
Variations of the legend of Nui Ba Den exist. Most center around a woman, Ba Den, falling in love with a soldier and then through betrayal or suicide Ba Den dies on the mountain. It has special significance to the Vietnamese Buddhist population and has a famous shrine about two thirds of the way up the mountain. Also, to the Cao DaiCao Dai
Cao Đài is a syncretistic, monotheistic religion, officially established in the city of Tay Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. Đạo Cao Đài is the religion's shortened name, the full name is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ...
sect the mountain has special religious significance and its temple, the Tay Ninh Holy See, is close to the mountain.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the mountain was occupied by the Japanese and it was occupied by the Viet Minh, the French and the Viet Cong.
Vietnam War
The Mekong DeltaMekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
is generally a flat region with the exception of the Black Virgin Mountain. The mountain commands everything in its sight and was therefore a strategic location for both sides during the war. In 1964 the mountain top was assaulted by special forces and the peak was held by American forces as a radio relay station. Supplied by helicopter for much of the war the Americans controlled the top and the Viet Cong (VC) controlled the bottom and surrounding plain. In 1968 the station was once overrun by the VC, who killed all 23 Americans manning the station. In January 1969 the mountain was extensively searched by 1st Brigade elements of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry regulars, 4th Battalion 23rd Infantry and tanks from the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armour. In the tunnels that honeycombed the mountain they found arms caches, and engaged VC units stationed on the mountain. Throughout the war the VC returned to the mountain and its cave bases. Colonel Donald Cook was the first Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
captured in the Vietnam war. For a time he was held near Black Virgin mountain. In 1973 the mountain was closed as an American base. During the closing days of the war when the mountain was abandoned by Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
(ARVN) troops the local population left the region afraid of the approaching communist soldiers.
Tourist attraction
The mountain is famed for the its beautiful temples and theme park. Visitors may hike up trails but many people take the Nui Ba Den gondola liftGondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
to the top.
See also
- Dong Ap BiaDong Ap BiaDong Ap Bia is a mountain on the Laotian border of South Vietnam in Thua Thien-Hue Province. Rising from the floor of the western A Shau Valley, it is a looming, solitary massif, unconnected to the ridges of the surrounding Annamite range. It dominates the northern valley, towering some 937 metres...
- 25th Infantry Division - the 25th was stationed near and on the mountain.