Long Dien Son

Along Trần Phú Street, about five kilometers from the center of Tây Ninh city, stands a tourist park that is unusual for this area. It is not a historic monument and not a stretch of wild landscape. It is a place made for play, rest and gatherings, built with families in mind.

Long Điền Sơn first opened on November 7, 2008. Its area today is 27 hectares. After nearly 18 years of operation, it is a familiar weekend stop for people of Tây Ninh and for visitors passing through the province.

The first thing that stands out inside is the green space. The grounds spread out with gardens, lawns, natural stones and a lake at the center. The lake is the main landmark of the park, and a small bridge links it to Long Ẩn island. On the island, a café sits inside a cave shaped like a dragon's head, shaded by trees on every side. Restaurants, cafés, events and a water park are all gathered in a single compound.

The heart of the park is the water park, which covers more than two hectares. It has open slides and tube slides, jumping platforms, a lazy river, a fast mat slide, artificial ocean waves, and a separate pool for small children. Laughter, splashing water and cheering fill the grounds on weekend afternoons.

Beyond the water park, there are bumper cars, a racing-car ride called F1, a 5D cinema, and an attraction called Eighteen Levels of Hell. There is also a roller coaster, along with attractions named the Flying Dragon, the Flying Saucer, the Rope Swing and Swan Lake. Each corner offers a different kind of thrill.

The park adds entertainment at the Long Đình stage on weekends, on holidays and during Tết, the Lunar New Year festival in Vietnam. The stage is covered and seats more than 5,000 people. Music, dance and magic acts often ring out from it.

Long Điền Sơn is not a cultural site, and it is not a natural place with deep history. It is a place for play and rest. It suits families with small children, groups of friends who want to relax, and teams that need a day out together.

In the late afternoon, as the light turns gentle, ripples cross the central lake, music drifts out from the Long Đình stage, and somewhere on Long Ẩn island children are still laughing. The park has offered that scene to visitors for nearly 20 years, and it is still crowded.