Tay Ninh: the Cao Dai Holy See and Ba Den Mountain

Watch the midday ceremony in the extravagant cathedral of a twentieth-century faith, then ride a cable car up the highest mountain in southern Vietnam.

Area

Day trips

Start from

District 1

Distance

about 100 km north-west

Time needed

1 day

Best season

All year; dry season for the mountain views

Difficulty

Easy to Moderate

Transport

Private car, tour, or bus to Tay Ninh then a taxi

Tickets & rules

Cao Dai temple free, modest clothing; cable car tickets for Ba Den Mountain

Why go

The Cao Dai Holy See is one of the strangest and most beautiful buildings in Vietnam: a long temple painted pink, yellow and sky blue, with dragon-wrapped columns, a vaulted ceiling scattered with stars, and above it all the symbol of the faith, a single all-seeing eye within a triangle.

Several times a day, worshippers in white, yellow, blue and red robes file in for a ceremony with music and chanting. Visitors are welcome to watch quietly from the upper gallery, and the noon ceremony is the one most people come to see. The colours, the music and the order of the rows are unforgettable.

In the afternoon, head to Ba Den Mountain, the Black Lady mountain, rising alone from the flat plains. A modern cable car takes you to the summit, with views over the countryside and pagodas along the way.

The story

Caodaism was founded in 1926 in southern Vietnam. It brings together elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and local spiritual traditions, and teaches that all religions share one source. Its saints famously include figures from many cultures, among them the Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, the Vietnamese poet Nguyen Binh Khiem and the French writer Victor Hugo, who are shown together in a mural at the entrance.

The Holy See in Tay Ninh was built from the 1930s onwards and completed in the 1950s. Today it is the centre of the faith, with millions of followers, mostly in the south of Vietnam.

Ba Den Mountain, at just under 1,000 metres, is the highest peak in southern Vietnam. Its name comes from a legend about a young woman, Ly Thi Thien Huong, who lived on the mountain and died there; she became venerated as the Black Lady. Pagodas on its slopes have been pilgrimage sites for centuries.

In recent years a large cable car system and a huge bronze Buddha statue on the summit have turned the mountain into a major destination for Vietnamese pilgrims and day-trippers, especially during the spring festival season after Tet.

Getting there

The drive from Saigon takes about two and a half to three hours each way, so a private car or tour is the easiest option. Many tours combine Tay Ninh with Cu Chi in one long day. Buses run from Saigon to Tay Ninh town, from where you can take a taxi to the temple and mountain.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00Leave Saigon early.
2. 10:30Arrive at the Holy See; walk around the grounds.
3. 12:00Watch the noon ceremony from the gallery.
4. 1:30 pmLunch nearby, then drive to Ba Den Mountain.
5. AfternoonRide the cable car to the summit and return to Saigon by evening.

Where to stay

Tay Ninh is an easy day trip, but there are simple hotels in Tay Ninh town if you want to explore the mountain early in the morning.

Good to know

• Arrive at the temple before noon to get a good spot in the gallery.
• Remove shoes when entering the temple; follow the staff’s directions.
• Ba Den Mountain gets very busy at weekends and in the spring festival season.
• Bring a light jacket for the summit.