Ta Cu Mountain looms high above 61,000 acres of primary forest and offers excellent panoramic views. Tourists regularly climb the mountain to see the 19th-century pagoda at the summit.
The forest of Ta Cu was recognized in the mid 1990s for its diverse plant life. Tourist interest in the mountain is a recent phenomenon, and for the time being the atmosphere is still serene and remote.
Linh Son Truong Tho Temple at the summit has been an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists since it was built in 1861. A trio of Mahayana Buddhist statues as well as Vietnam’s largest reclining Buddha image sit at the top. The latter was created completely by hand in 1972.
There are two ways to reach the Ta Cu summit. A cable car was recently installed, whisking tourists from the foothills to the 1,500-foot summit. The other option is to hike from the base of the mountain. A person in average shape can reach the top in 3 hours. Some hikers stay overnight in the guesthouse next to the pagoda, saving the return hike for the day after.
Getting There & Away
Access to the pagoda is through the town of Thuan Nam at the base of the mountain. A road is being built, but for the time being the cable car offers the only transportation to the top. Thuan Nam is around 100 miles from the international airport at Ho Chi Minh City and can be reached by bus in 2 to 3 hours.