Ta Cu Mountain

Ta Cu rises about 650 metres from the coastal plain south of Phan Thiet, forested and holding a pagoda founded in the middle of the nineteenth century by a monk who came here as a hermit and is credited locally with curing a queen mother. The mountain's landmark is the reclining Buddha built on the slope between 1962 and 1963: forty-nine metres long, in white-painted concrete, lying on its side against the hillside, and generally described as the longest reclining Buddha statue in Vietnam. A cable car runs up; the alternative is a climb of a couple of hours through the forest reserve.

What you actually see

• A reclining Buddha of forty-nine metres - built 1962 to 1963.
• A pagoda from the mid nineteenth century - founded by a hermit monk.
• Forest reserve on the slopes - the way up on foot.
• A cable car - the way most visitors arrive.

When to go

November to April, the dry season. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The cable car is charged separately and queues at weekends. The walk up is hot and takes about two hours. The statue is painted concrete, not stone. Domestic tour groups fill the site midday.

Nearby

Phan Thiet and Mui Ne are north; the coast road runs south.