Marble Mountain & Lady Buddha Tour from Hoi An – Half Day

Approximately 30 minutes driving outside of the busy tourist city of Hoi An is Marble Mountains, adjacent to a beautiful beach. This place is a masterpiece of nature bestowed on this stretch of Central Vietnam. Viewed from above, Marble Mountains look like a hand of heaven fixing this place as sacred land.

There are many legends and mysterious stories related to the formation of the Marble Mountains. Our tour guides will help you discover those tales.

According to geologists, this mountains cluster was previously islands near the coast due to the effect of tides, alluvial deposits that connected with the continent. Gradually, due to the erosion effects of rainwater and climate, it creates caves and interesting shapes. In particular, the marble here has five colors, the marble is usually pink at Thuy Son, white at Moc Son, red at Hoa Son, blue at Kim Son and brown at Tho Son.

Thuy Son is the most beautiful mountain of the five mountains in the Marble Mountains, possessing the most charming scenery. This is the same best choice for this adventure. To explore this mountain, visitors can go by two roads: the western gate of the mountain consists of 156 steps leading to Tam Thai Pagoda or up. The east gate consists of 108 steps leading up to Linh Ung Pagoda.

We will start to visit Tam Thai pagoda, built in the Hau Le dynasty (1630). In April, 1826, Minh Mang Emperor ordered the pagoda to cast 9 statues and 3 large bells, Tam Thai pagoda still preserves the “heart fire” and the bell engraved with the name of Minh Mang Emperor. When passing through Tam Thai pagoda and reaching the courtyard, you will see the Happy Buddha statue first. The statue is carved from sandstone, quite large in size. According to the legend, rubbing the Buddha’s belly will bring luck. After admiring the Buddha’s ceremony at Tam Thai pagoda, you will visit Huyen Khong cave, one of the most beautiful and fanciful caves. To enter Huyen Khong cave, you must step down 20 stone steps. Inside the cave is a miniature spiritual world with temples, statues, and majestic smoke. Huyen Khong cave is an open cave with five holes on the arch. The light gets inside creating a very mysterious atmosphere.

Located in the complex of scenic relics of Ngu Hanh Son, Van Thong cave, also known as “the way to the sky”, lies neatly in the mountain. A very strange arrangement of the creator creates a connecting path between Tam Thai Pagoda and Linh Ung Pagoda. Going between the two heavenly gates, you will feel like walking inside a giant rockery.

At the top of Thuy Son, there is a relic tower with a height of 30m, with nearly 200 statues of Buddha Bodhisattva and Arhat. This is one of the most valuable Buddhist structures. The tower consists of 7 floors and 6 edges, representing the concepts in the Buddha, 7 floors as the seven things of human sentiment, 6 edges meaning 6 human senses.

Thuy Son has Linh Ung Pagoda, built in the 18th century. In the pagoda, there are two rare artifacts, two gold plates, awarded from the reign of Minh Mang Emperor. The natural landscape and pagodas and caves creates a very harmonious and poetic beauty. Behind Linh Ung Pagoda is the Tang Chon cave. Tang Chon is meant to contain all the truths of the universe. Tang Chon cave is a beautiful cave, 7m wide, 10m long, outside is a small Chon Tien cave, inside the left is a small Tam Thanh cave, each cave is decorated and worshiped with statues of gods according to The East culture.

Referring Linh Ung Pagoda, there are 3 pagodas named Linh Ung in Da Nang city, ones in BaNa hill, one in the Marble Mountains and the last in Son Tra Peninsula. However, Linh Ung Pagoda in Son Tra peninsula is more special, this is also the last stop for this discovery journey, considered the Buddha realm in the world. Located about 9 km from the city center, and 15km from Marble Mountains, it takes about 30 minutes to drive here from the Marble Mountains. This pagoda has the highest statue of Lady Buddha in Vietnam. Lady Buddha Da Nang statue is inside Linh Ung pagoda courtyard with a height of 67m, the lotus diameter is 35m, equivalent to a 30-storey building. The statue stands with its back leaning on the mountain, facing the sea, one handshaking the seal, one hand holding a vase of water, along with gentle eyes overlooking all of Da Nang, full of dreams.

After spiritual land was explored, transfer to My Khe Beach which is worldwide known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. You have a chance to enjoy in the white smooth sand, cool water and also take some pictures. Driving back to the hotel in Hoi An, ending a journey with many memories.

Itinerary

08H00: Pick up at your hotel (around in Hoi An) and drive to Marble Mountains for your new journey.

08H30: Arrive in Marble Mountain and start to explore here.

10H30 – 11H00 : Transfer to Linh Ung pagoda in Son Tra peninsula to visit the highest statue of Lady Buddha in Vietnam.

11H00 – 12H00: Explore the Linh Ung Pagoda.

12H00: On the way back to Hoi An city, stop at My Khe Beach (one of the best beautiful beach in Vietnam).