Sightseeing In Vung Tau

Vung Tau is a city located on the coast of the South China sea. It’s easy to get here from Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in the country, as well as from Mui Ne, thanks to the daily direct bus and our excursion.

Vung Tau is home to 450 thousand people and has many attractions. The city is located near the sea, so there are beaches where you can swim, but the tourist infrastructure is not too developed.

Vung Tau is located near Ho Chi Minh City. The Vietnamese come here from sealess Saigon on weekends. That’s why it’s better to pick quieter weekdays to visit Vung Tau.

Vung Tau is a well known city among many Russians, since a joint Russian-Vietnamese company Vietsovpetro is located here. There are also lots of specialists from Russia who live in a specially equipped area for them.

If you visit Vung Tau on your own, you can get around the city by taxi, rent a moped or bicycle. You can rent two-wheeled vehicles on the main streets of the city and in many hotels.

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Sightseeing In Vung Tau

One cane note that the main attractions of this Vietnamese city are associated with Catholicism. That’s due to the fact that many Vietnamese became Catholics during colonization under the influence of the French.

Christ of Vung Tau

The Christ of Vung Tau, located on a high hill and towering over the city is the most famous landmark of Vung Tau.

Most people on our planet know about the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro. The statue in Vung Tau is only slightly lower than the famous Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. The Christ of Vung Tau is 32 metres high, while the one in Brazil is 38 meters high.

The construction of the statue of Christ in Vung Tau began in 1974, taking a long time, and the statue was opened to visitors only in the early 90-ies.

811 steps lead to the statue of Jesus Christ. Some steps are numbered so you can understand how many of them are still left.

You can climb the spiral staircase inside the statue and go to the observation deck, located on the shoulders of Christ, if you want to.

Please note that the Vietnamese control the appearance of visitors of the statue strictly. Be sure to remove your shoes before entering. Your clothes should cover your knees and shoulders. This is the strict rule for both women and men, visitors wearing revealing clothes are not allowed inside.

Statue of virgin Mary and Catholic temple

Another monument, that owes its appearance to the Catholic religion is a beautiful white statue of the virgin Mary, who holds the baby Jesus. The statue is 25 meters high. The statue located on a hill is clearly visible from the waterfront and it stands out for its whiteness against the green surroundings.

You can admire the statue and climb up the hill. Along the way you will see sculptures depicting biblical scenes, and on the top of the hill — a simple white cross. Many people go all the way up to enjoy the beautiful views from the height.

At the foot of the hill there is a functioning Catholic temple. The design of the temple is simple and modern. The temple funcions on a regular basis.

Villa Blanche

Villa Blanche (White Villa in French) was built in the late 19th-early 20th century for Governor-General Paul Dumer, who came to Vietnam from France. The Governor had a daughter named Blanche, after whom they named the Villa.

Here, the old furnishings are preserved and one can easily go back to that distant era walking around the Villa. The floor in the building is decorated with beautiful mosaics, the windows are decorated with white shutters, the rooms are equipped with carved wooden furniture and the second floor offers a magnificent sea view.

There is a green park next to the Villa. Many plumeria trees grow here, spreading a pleasant light aroma around.

Museum Of Worldwide Arms

Don’t think that the weapons are boring. Not in this Museum! After all, here you can take pictures with the objects of the exhibition, holding them in your hands!

The Museum of weapons in Vung Tau was opened by the Englishman Robert Taylor, who has long lived in Vietnam and collects weapons and uniforms.

The museum has about 2500 exhibits. Most of them are made in England, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA more than 200-300 years ago. It took Taylor 50 years to build such a collection. There are military uniforms, swords, crossbows and firearms among the exhibits. The owner of the Museum has a special passion for guns of different eras.

The first purchase of the collector was an old sword. Taylor was 18 at the time. Since then, he’s been spending most of his income on weapons and have traveled to many countries in search of interesting specimens.

The Museum in Vung Tau is considered the largest private Museum of weapons in Vietnam.

The oldest of the exhibits, the German hand cannon, dates back to 1620. The collection includes some Russian weapons, as well (for example, Degtyaryov machine gun and the famous Maxim machine gun) and uniforms.

Buddha Altar (Thich Ca Phat Dai)

It’s a name of a large three-level complex of Buddhist temples, located in a picturesque park. It was built in 1963. Each level of the complex is located at different heights. The highest third level is located at 29 meters above sea level.

The sculptures installed on the way to the highest point of the complex, show the life path of Buddha. Ten-meter statue of Buddha sitting in a lotus flower is situated at the last level.

House of Pure Nirvana (Nirvana Vihara)

The House (Temple) of Pure Nirvana is one of the most beautiful temples in Vung Tau. It was built between 1969 and 1974 with donations from local residents. This building covers an area of 10 thousand square meters.

The House of Pure Nirvana is built on a hill with a magnificent view of the sea and the beach.

The pagoda is decorated with colorful mosaics, stone bowls and sculptures.

In the House of Pure Nirvana there is a statue of Buddha made of mahogany on a high pedestal and a boat in the form of a dragon, decorated with mosaics. The boat was made into an aquarium with fish.

A large bell crowns the main tower of the Temple. There is a custom of leaving notes with desires under it. To make the wish come true, you have to ring the bell.