Cao Dai Holy See

Caodaism was founded in southern Vietnam in 1926 and draws deliberately on Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and Vietnamese folk religion, with a hierarchy modelled loosely on the Catholic church and a body of saints that includes Victor Hugo, Sun Yat-sen and the poet Nguyen Binh Khiem. Its Holy See at Tay Ninh, begun in 1931 and completed in 1947, is a long hall of columns wrapped in dragons, painted in strong colours, with the Divine Eye - the symbol of the faith - above the altar. Services are held four times a day, at six, noon, six and midnight, with the congregation in white and the priesthood in red, blue and yellow.

What you'll find

• A religion founded in 1926 - combining several traditions deliberately.
• A hall of dragon-wrapped columns - completed in 1947.
• The Divine Eye above the altar - the faith's central symbol.
• Services four times a day - the noon one is the usual visit.

When to go

Year round; the noon service is when most visitors come. Half a day.

What to expect

This is worship, not a performance - visitors watch from the balcony, shoes off, and are expected to be quiet. Coach groups arrive for noon and can be intrusive. Photography rules apply. Dress modestly.

Nearby

Ba Den mountain is north-east; Ho Chi Minh City is south-east.

Key facts