• This caters to aerial photography

Tay Ninh – An unknown location for photography

Tay Ninh is a province in the Southestern Vietnam, which borders Cambodia. The province’s capital shares the same name and it’s home to around 150,000 people. It takes around 2.5 hrs drive from Saigon  to the North East.

For years, Tay Ninh has been a well-kept secret on the photography map of Saigon’s surroundings. While many travelers are drawn to its iconic Cao Dai Holy See—a stunning architectural marvel dedicated to CaoDaism, a unique religion that originated here—most visitors only experience the temple en route to other destinations, often leaving the enchanting surroundings unexplored.

As a photographer, venturing into Tay Ninh allows you to capture the province’s mesmerizing patterns and vibrant scenes that few have witnessed

Cassava starch drying scene

Tay Ninh is a treasure trove of artisanal craftsmanship, boasting a collection of photogenic handicraft villages. Among them, Long Thanh village stands out as a vibrant canvas of color. Here, local artisans transform cassava starch into exquisite ingredients, before supplying to those who make the popular Vietnamese pudding. In Long Thanh, the journey begins with the meticulous processing of cassava starch, which is then steamed, colored, and shaped into an array of delightful forms. As you wander through the village, you’ll witness a display of colors on bamboo lattices as the locals dry them before packing. 

Rice paper and rice paper

Rice paper is made throughout Vietanm as an integral part of the well-known Vietnamese spring rolls. Near the city of Tay Ninh, we’ll take you to a large open ground filled up with rice papers. Here, we’ll witness the locals as they go about their normal routine: drying, adjusting, collecting the rice papers before packing. This scene represents some of the most iconic images of Vietnam.

Rubber bowls

Rubber is among the plants introduced into Vietnam following the colonial French. As the French left, rubber plants stay back and continue to thrive as an important economic sector. The plants are very popular in Tay Ninh, thanks to its bright sunshine most of the time of the year. And to harvest rubber, you need small bowls to contain the sap. And the bowls are made in local kilns in the surroundings of Tay Ninh city, too.