A Kaleidoscope of Faith in South Vietnam | Cao Dai Temple of Da Lat

Have you ever imagined a religion that honours all gods— from Buddha, Jesus Christ, to Confucius, and even named Victor Hugo a saint? Ever wondered what ‘hell’ looks like when it’s not just unpaid overtime at work? Or seen Baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary dressed in unmistakably Asian attire?

Welcome to South Vietnam, where a kaleidoscopic world of beliefs doesn’t just exist—they blend, adapt, and evolve.

Join me on a journey to three unique sacred sites in Đà Lạt and Sài Gòn (Ho Chi Minh City). From an indigenous religion born in the 20th century, to a Buddhist temple where hell feels surreal, and a Catholic church infused with Chinese aesthetics, discover how foreign religions were Vietnamised in the land of timeless charm.

This first chapter begins with one of Vietnam’s (or even the world's) most unexpected but little-known faiths: Caodaism.

A Land of Layered Beliefs

Vietnam is a land deeply rooted in multi-religious beliefs. Alongside folk traditions widely practised by the population, centuries of Chinese rule, global trade, and French colonisation introduced multiple foreign religions to Vietnamese soil. Rather than replacing local traditions, these beliefs fused with ancestor worship, folk spirituality, and regional aesthetics— especially in the south, where cultural diversity flourished through centuries of migration and trade.

This pattern is no coincidence. South Vietnam’s vivid religious fusion emerged from its history as a frontier society shaped by continuous migration, weaker Confucian control, colonial encounter, and global exchange— conditions that allowed religions to be reimagined, adapted and even created. Caodaism and reform movements such as Hòa Hảo Buddhism are two locally known examples.

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Thánh Thất Đa Phước (Cao Dai Temple of Da Lat)

I accidentally discovered Thánh Thất Đa Phước, commonly known as the Cao Dai Temple of Da Lat, while randomly scrolling on Google Maps for places to visit. With fewer than 200 reviews compared to the almost 11,000 of the neighbouring Linh Phước Temple (coming up in part 2), it was clear that this temple wasn’t a usual tourist stop, which made it perfect for a weirdo like me. Out of curiosity, I looked up the term Cao Đài— and found myself stepping into one of Vietnam’s most unexpected and fascinating belief systems.

Thánh Thất Đa Phước

Caodaism

Founded in 1926 in southern Vietnam, Caodaism (Đạo Cao Đài) can be described as a spiritual fusion of the world’s major religions. Its name, Cao Đài (高臺), literally means ‘High Tower’ or ‘High Palace,’ and its followers believe in one supreme God, Cao Đài, symbolised by the Divine Eye within a triangle. Caodaists believe all religions share the same ultimate path of truth, and the faith draws heavily upon many of the world’s major religions, most notably Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity.

Through the All-Seeing Eye of God

While the religion’s biggest and most important temple— Tòa Thánh Tây Ninh (Tay Ninh Holy See)—would have been too much of a detour, I decided to visit another branch when I was in Da Lat.

Shoutout to my friend Alex, who drove me through the hills of Da Lat, and Jana, who joined my adventure to that 'very interesting temple I really wanted to see', while most tourists in Da Lat were chasing made-for-tourist experiences like Maze Bar and Mario Kart racing.

Stepping into a Cao Dai Thánh Thất (meaning ‘Sacred House’) felt like going into multiple dimensions at once— figures from multiple faiths coexist under one space. The Thánh Thất's appearance resists easy labels, and I found it almost impossible to describe using any familiar English architectural terms. The elongated layout and twin square towers recall a Catholic cathedral, while the decorative elements— dragons, lotus flowers, multi-tiered curved roofs, and colourful huachuang (Chinese-style open lattice-work windows)— are clearly drawn from pagodas and temples of East Asian beliefs. Vivid red, yellow, and blue dominate the space, symbolising the Tam Giáo, the Three Teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, that form the philosophical foundation of Vietnamese and Cao Dai belief. The structure is neither a cathedral nor a pagoda, perhaps too diverse to be described simply as a temple, though that is the term most commonly used to refer to a Thánh Thất.

Entering the interior, a painting titled Notice de la Présence des Trois Saints (Notice of the Three Saints’ Presence) immediately caught my eye—

It depicts Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm (Vietnamese scholar, poet, and prophet), alongside Victor Hugo (French writer and poet), and Sun Yat-sen (Chinese revolutionary leader, aka the founding father of modern China). Together, these three historical figures are honoured as the Three Saints of Caodaism, symbolising the confluence of Vietnamese, Western, and Chinese spiritual traditions. Though separated by centuries and geography, the religion unites them symbolically, in a way no outsider could imagine. Funny little side story: the explanation text was only in traditional Chinese and French, which are the languages or writing systems that 3 of us could understand collectively. Or else we might have skipped this important artwork.

Going deeper into the hall, it felt like God had hit a ‘remix’ button. At the end of the aisle, eight enlightened figures from multiple belief systems were displayed in tiers. Together with the all-seeing god, they are positioned high above to be looked up to by devotees.

The inclusiveness was visually striking, amplified by the echoes reverberating through the empty hall. Arranged in ascending tiers were Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius at the top (representing Tam Giáo); Li Bai, Goddess Guanyin, and Guan Yu on the second tier; Jesus on the third; and the Taoist immortal Jiang Ziya at the lowest level. Besides these godly figures, unexpected modern historical figures like Winston Churchill, Julius Caesar and William Shakespeare are sometimes referenced or venerated in Caodai teachings as lesser or symbolic saints, revealing the belief that truth and divine revelation can be found through various human pursuits, including science, literature, and politics, not only traditional religious paths. 

The Cao Dai Thánh Thất is more than just a temple— it is a vivid testament to how Vietnam has absorbed, reimagined, and Vietnamised foreign religions. During the era of intense East-West encounter, Caodaism was created not only by borrowing from multiple global belief systems, but reshaped them through local philosophy, practices, and aesthetics.

In an outsider's eye, Caodaism and its aesthetics might seem alienating and cult-like at first glance (not trying to be offensive at all). But the more I ventured into its philosophy, the more clarity has revealed itself. Beneath the vivid colours and unfamiliar imagery lies a carefully constructed spiritual response to an increasingly fractured world.

Caodaism is born with a purpose— with a full rainbow-colored cosmology and inclusiveness, the religion ultimately teaches its followers, and society at large, to seek harmony, compassion, and coexistence, qualities the modern world ironically needs more than ever today.

Up next, Linh Phước Temple— a Buddhist temple where karma has never felt so real.

*The universe of Đạo Cao Đài is way more complex yet fascinating, inviting curious minds to dive deep into its philosophy, structure and culture, with existing online sources available, including but not limited to:

The Sacerdotal Council of Caodaism: https://www.caodai.com.vn/en

Dai Dao Tam Ky Pho Do: https://www.caodai.org/