Located about 9 km east of Ca Mau city center, the majestic and peaceful Thien Lam Pagoda is a famous spiritual tourist destination of the southernmost land of the country, attracting Buddhists and many tourists to visit observer worship.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Ca Mau Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: One hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food:
Shop:
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/thien-lam-pagoda-ca-mau/
Address: Located in Hamlet 4, Tan Thanh Ward, Ca Mau City, Ca Mau Province.
Added values: Not only is it a place to regularly organize major Buddhist festivals, Thien Lam Pagoda is also a sacred place of worship for Buddhists in Ca Mau. The majestic worship space and quiet atmosphere inside the grounds of Thien Lam Pagoda also make visitors here feel peaceful, forgetting the fatigue of life.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Thien Lam Pagoda? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ca Mau Cape (40 km), Thi Tuong Lagoon (47 km), Hon Khoai Island (80 km), Ca Mau City Bird Garden (11 km), Hon Da Bac Island (57 km)…
2. Travel Guide to Thien Lam Pagoda
Like other temples in Vietnam, Thien Lam pagoda also has Tam Quan gate, main hall, worship area, Bodhi tree and architectural works of Buddhist temples and towers. The only highlight is that these buildings are all carved with the roof of a dragon, with the same curved roof architecture commonly found in the temples and pagodas of the Chinese. The pagoda was built in 1810. After more than 2 centuries of existence and through many major restorations, Thien Lam Pagoda has acquired the majestic, spacious and flashy beauty as it is today.
Arriving at Tam Quan gate of Thien Lam Pagoda, visitors will be surprised by the flashy beauty of the temple gate. It is also the Tam Quan gate like many other temples and pagodas in Ca Mau, but the Tam Quan gate of Thien Lam pagoda is very high, wide and has a majestic dragon roof. Stepping through Tam Quan gate, visitors will come to the courtyard in front of the temple. The pagoda has a campus of more than 3 hectares, the main hall of the temple is located in the middle, in front of the main hall there is a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, surrounded by architectural works of temples, towers, Bodhi trees and statues of Buddha Ca Mau Ni…
The main hall is the largest building inside Thien Lam Pagoda. In the middle of the main hall is the Shakyamuni Buddha temple, the left and right are the lecture hall and the bell area. In the main hall of the temple, there is also a rather large Maitreya Buddha statue. In addition to the main hall, which is a place of worship, in the temple grounds, there is also a high tower decorated with a beautiful dragon-shaped curved roof. On major holidays, Thien Lam Pagoda welcomes a lot of tourists and Buddhists traveling to Ca Mau to visit the temple.
3. What to Do –See – Eat at Thien Lam Pagoda
Thien Lam Pagoda is a place of cultural and religious activities, a place to study and practice for Ca Mau Buddhists. Every year, on major holidays of the Vietnam Buddhist Church, Thien Lam Pagoda welcomes a lot of tourists and Buddhist followers traveling to Ca Mau to visit the temple. Especially on the 2 nights of January 19 and July 20 of the lunar calendar every year, Thien Lam Pagoda organizes the Hoa Dang festival, lights up on the river for Buddhists to pray for luck and peace.
The space in the front yard of Thien Lam Pagoda during the Hoa Dang festival is lit by thousands of lamps. After the prayer ceremony in front of the main hall, people moved one after another to the river to release lanterns. According to the concept of Buddhism, the lanterns lit on the night of the Lantern Festival will bring the wishes of the person released to the Buddha, so that the person who blesses them will have good luck throughout the year.
According to preliminary statistics, the night of Hoa Dang festival at Thien Lam pagoda attracted more than a thousand Buddhist followers to participate. The party will end at 23:00. Even though it was over, the whole river was still shining brightly in the light of lanterns until the next morning.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Ca Mau city center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in Ca Mau. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Ca Mau daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Thien Lam Pagoda
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Thien Lam Pagoda by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from Google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Ca Mau village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in Ca Mau.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice Thien Lam Pagoda
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Thien Lam Pagoda (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. The Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
You can stay in a homestay which is near the riverside, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself. There are many local homestays in the mangrove forest near Ca Mau cape and near U Minh Ha forest. Both of these places are super green for staying and forget the world.
If you plan to extend your travel to Ca Mau homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Ca Mau or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Ca Mau responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Ca Mau food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Ca Mau cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken), grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper, grilled snakehead fish, grilled mudskipper fish, stone crab roast with salt, young bee salad, Ba Khia – A traditional food in Ca Mau, Ca Mau crab is a must-eat…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Ca Mau in the rainy season, as Ca Mau always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Ca Mau tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Ca Mau City Bird Garden, Ca Mau Cape – The South Pole of Vietnam, U Minh Ha National Park, Mui Ca Mau National Park, Monivongsa Bopharam Pagoda, Thien Lam Pagoda, Ca Mau Floating Market (totally no more), Cao Dai Temple In Ca Mau, Nam Can Mangrove Forest, Quan Am Ancient Temple, Memorial of President Ho Chi Minh, Watch the Sunrise and Sunset at Ca Mau Cape, U Minh Forest, Thi Tuong Lagoon, Khai Long Tourist Area, Hon Khoai Island, Hon Da Bac Island,
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Ca Mau province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
