8 Best Sights in The Central Coast, Vietnam

Touted as the largest of its kind in central Vietnam, the colorful Cao Dai Temple lies 1 km (½ mile) west of the Song Han swing bridge, on the Bach Dang side of the Han river, and is a peaceful spot to escape the madness of the city. Built in 1920, the impressive temple is still in use today and serves as a place of worship for approximately 50,000 followers. During the day, visitors are welcome to tour the gardens, temple, and a small building behind that holds a display of historic artifacts and statues of popular saints. The main temple is sparsely furnished and, beyond the impressive divine eye that towers from behind the altar, most visitors are left unimpressed. But venture up the staircase at the entrance and you'll be treated to a beautiful view of the city that spans all the way across to the East Sea.

Head north on Nguyen Truong To Street for approximately 1 km (½ mile) to the end, turn left, and follow the path until you reach Chuc Thanh Pagoda, the oldest and most revered pagoda in Hoi An. Founded in 1454 by Minh Hai, a Chinese Buddhist monk, the pagoda contains several ancient religious objects, including bells and gongs made of stone and wood. On the way back, stop at the Phuoc Lam Pagoda, built in the mid-17th century. Note the interesting Chinese architecture and the large collection of ceramics on its roof.

Nestled at the foot of Hon Vuon Hill, Huyen Khong Son Thuong is a monastery and the serene home of about 60 Theravada monks. Founded by Ven. Silaguna in 1989, the monastery sits in a beautiful garden with five water lily and lotus ponds and is surrounded by pine trees. Unlike the majority of Buddhist temples in Hue in which designs are influenced by the Nguyen Dynasty’s royal style, its architecture is simpler and is decorated with calligraphy poems that are composed by the monks and written in Vietnamese rather than traditional Chinese characters. Apart from beautiful bonsai trees, hundreds of orchid plants bloom here year round. If you’d like to venture further, take a one-hour hike to the top of Hon Vuon Hill, where you'll get a stunning view of hills, lakes, the iconic Huong River, and Hue’s cityscape expanding into the horizon.

After entering through Ong Chon Gate, the main entrance of the Marble Mountains, you'll see the Linh Ung Pagoda, a Buddhist shrine inside a cave, filled with a large collection of Buddha statues. Built in 1825, this sacred structure also features small lotus ponds, bonsai plants, and intricate tilework. It bears many of the same motifs found in the UNESCO-listed tombs in Hue.

Founded in 1653 by the Chinese community, this impressive temple is dedicated to Quan Van Truong, a revered general of the Chinese Han dynasty. The temple is divided into four parts: the front hall, the left and right sections, and the main sanctuary. The entrance leads through a large garden to the temple, where the main altar is, along with a gilt-and-papier-mâché statue of the general standing between two life-size, jolly-looking horses. Quan Cong lends itself to contemplation and meditation, and you get a real sense of that in the rear courtyard, gazing up at the unicorns and dragons perching on the colorful ceramic tiled roof or watching the small school of fish that happily dart around in the pond out front. The carp, symbolic of patience in Chinese mythology, is displayed throughout. Every year, on June 24 of the lunar calendar, Hoi An organizes a ceremony for Quan Cong, and pilgrims, especially merchants, come to the temple to make offerings.

Across the "Water" Mountain of the Marble Mountains, you'll see the tiny but charming Tam Thai Tu Pagoda, where monks still live. The pagoda is dedicated to the bodhisattva Phat Di Lac, and was rebuilt more than 400 years ago by King Minh Mang of the Nguyen Dynasty. Tam Thai offers a serene view of the landscape below, especially during early morning.

Overlooking the Perfume River, this pagoda constructed in 1601 under Lord Nguyen Hoang has impressive Buddha statues, a seven-tiered monument, a two-ton bronze bell, and a marble turtle dating back to 1715. Take note of the engraved graffiti covering the turtle's shell, most of which dates back to the 1950s, when refugees from northern Vietnam inscribed notes of their whereabouts. As Hue's oldest pagoda, this structure still functions as a monastery and is perched on a hill above the river at the narrowest point in Vietnam. Housed inside the grounds is the Austin car once used by Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc, who lit himself on fire in protest of the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. The best way to reach this official symbol of Hue is by dragon boat up the Perfume River.

One of Hue's most beautiful and peaceful pagodas is accessed via a junglelike path off the road, past a half-moon-shape pool. Built in 1843, the temple houses a large Buddha and it is the root pagoda of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a good place for quiet meditation. The monks live in simple rooms off to the side and hold services several times a day. At the far corner of the pagoda is a cemetery for the Nguyen Dynasty's eunuchs who made contribution to building and renovating the pagoda.