Day Trips From Saigon

Cao Dai Holy See - Tay Ninh

I had never heard of the Cao Dai religion before going on a day trip to the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh Province.

Temple Entrance - Tay Ninh

But as I was to find out, the Cao Dai religion is an interesting and unique religion.

As my guide explained during the bus trip to the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh, the Cao Dai religion is based on the belief that all religions such as Christianity or Buddhism have one same divine origin, whether that origin is called God, Allah or the Tao, and that the different names are just different expressions of the one same Truth.

In other words, all man's different faiths are pathways to the one single, primordial truth, and that each and every one of them leads to God.

Because of this, Cao Dai followers simultaneously worship God, symbolized by the image of the eye; Sakyamuni, representing Buddhism; Lao Se, a Taoist; Jesus Christ of Christianity; Confucius of Confucianism; and Khuong Thai Cong, representing Geniism.

In this way the Cao Dai religion is a unique blend of many religions, and through this Cao Dai followers look to promote peace, understanding and tolerance throughout the world.

Cao Dai Temple - Tay Ninh

Formally established in Vietnam in 1926 by Ngo Van Chieu, a civil servant working for the colonial French Government who purportedly saw visions that ordered him to begin worshiping "Duc Cao Dai", or "The Great Lord in the High Place," you can still visit the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh province today.

And if you do, the first thing that strikes you as you hop down off the tour bus are the vibrant red, yellow and blue colors of the building.

The colors are almost gaudy in appearance, and juxtaposed with the dragon and eye imagery it is no wonder that Graham Green in his novel "The Quiet American" described the interior of the temple as "Christ and Buddha looking down from the roof of the Cathedral on a Walt Disney fantasia of the East, dragons and snakes in Technicolor."

The inside of the Cao Dai Holy See is huge and dominated by two rows of nine columns entwined with plaster dragons.

Each pair of columns represents one of the nine steps to heaven, leading to a dome at the far end that represents the heavens.

Inside The Temple - Tay Ninh

In turn the windows along the side of the interior all portray the motif of the 'divine eye.'

The ‘divine eye' is also above the main entrance of the building and is the official symbol of the Cao Dai religion.

Cao Dai followers believe that the God's presence comes into the chapel and gazes at the congregation through the ‘divine eye.'

The Cao Dai Holy See is actually situated in quite a large walled compound that also contains administrative offices, residences for officials and adepts, and a hospital of traditional Vietnamese herbal medicine.

In these other buildings is also where they make their traditional white gowns, and you can stroll around these buildings and see the Cao Dai followers sewing and weaving these traditional garments if they are not sleeping!

Cao Dai worshippers are expected to prey once everyday, and prayer sessions are conducted four times a day.

Being only 2 to 3 hours drive from Saigon, Cao Dai worshippers are used to visitors watching from the balcony, in fact I found myself ushered from one sport to another by the old Cao Dai ladies who act as ushers, as they took turns in pointing out the places from which to get the best photos.

Cao Dai Worshippers - Tay Ninh

And with inquisitive foreigners looking on, the Cao Dai worshippers dressed in white gowns file into the large hall to the sounds of lute music floating down from groups of lute players located up in the balconies.

Once all the worshippers have finally entered the great hall, they stand in rows facing each other on opposing sides.

When a bronze drum is then sounded the worshippers bow a few times, turn to face the dome at the far end of the hall and proceed to sit down on the floor and begin to quietly pray.

Looking on from the balconies in hushed silence with all the other tourists, it is all a far cry from the Western religious experience

Here in the Cao Dai Holy See flat gray stone walls are replaced by vibrant colors and exotic dragon and eye motifs.

Parishioners are replaced by followers dressed in elegant white robes who move and pray in a quiet and synchronized togetherness.

All this makes the Cao Dai religion and the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh an interesting and unique experience, and a great place for a days excursion from Saigon.