Sam Mountain

Sam mountain is located in Chau Doc city which has an impressive spiritual temple and pagoda. This mountain is 284 meters high above sea level, it has approximately 200 relics scattered from the foot to the top of this mountain. It would be a miss not to visit when you come here.

What to see & do in Sam Mountain

Tay An Pagoda

Tay An Pagoda is a Buddhism pagoda, located in the mountain’s base. This pagoda is the historical legacy of interference between Vietnam and Indian architecture. Tay An Pagoda was constructed in 1847 and restored in 1958. The total area of this pagoda is 15.000 square meters. The main material of this pagoda is brick and cement. Through many years, Tay An Pagoda still keeps the beauty like when it was just restored.

The first thing you can see when visiting here is “Tam Quan” gate, it has 3 doors. “Quan Am Thi Kinh” statue is placed at the middle door. Once entering the pagoda, you will see a two-story Buddha worshipping tower. Upstairs is the statue of Amitabha Buddha standing in the middle of the high floor with a curved dome and pointed top according to the ancient tower in India. There are black elephant and white elephant statues in front of the tower. The large main hall consists of two roofs. On both sides are a bell tower and quadrangle drum. It has more than 200 large and small statues made from various materials such as rare wood, cement, and copper in the main hall. All of them are carefully carved.

Tay An Temple

Hang Pagoda

Hang Pagoda is located in the mountainside with an overview of the wide paddy field at the foot of Sam mountain, it brings to visitors a peaceful atmosphere. This building was built between 1840 - 1845. The way leading to the pagoda is hundreds of steps created by large stone blocks stacked up higher and higher. Hang Pagoda is surrounded by a deep green forest. If you have a chance to come here in the blooming seasons, you will realize that it is not different from a fairyland. On the way to this pagoda has a map that shows you 44 locations inside the campus of Hang Pagoda and introduces you to how to get there.
On the campus of Hang Pagoda is a statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and four dharma protectors look at the mountain’s foot. All of them are elaborate carvings.

The main hall is 11 meters long and 10 meters wide. Besides the main hall, the nooks of the cave deep into the cliffs at Hang Pagoda are used to place a complex of Buddha statues. On both sides of the entrance, visitors can see the statue of two giant snakes, they were named “Thanh Xa” and “Bach Xa” - the mascots which are associated with the legend of Hang Pagoda.

Hang Temple

Ba Chua Xu Temple

Initially, Ba Chua Xu Temple was made mostly of wood and looked quite simple. Until 1870, the local people donated to build a large temple with beautiful architecture. This temple has the shape of a blooming lotus flower with three-story. All the roof of this temple is covered by blue tiles. Thanks to the skillfulness of the artists, the patterns in the main hall are delicate and charming. In Particular, the wall behind Ba Chua Xu statue and four pillars in front of the main hall almost remain the same.
The Ba Chua Xu statue is located in the middle of the main hall. This statue has a high pedestal below, on both sides are two white cranes symbolizing her holy spirit. In 2009, Ba Chua Xu statue was recognized in the An Giang record book as the oldest and biggest sandstone statue in Vietnam.

Ba Chua Xu Temple

Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb

This is one of the outstanding historical sites here which is a rare intact architectural building from the Nguyen dynasty in the south. This building consists of a tomb and temple that used to worship Mr.Nguyen Van Thoai (Thoai Ngoc Hau) - an official of the Nguyen Dynasty who has a lot of contribution to the development in both the economic and social life of An Giang.

Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb is located at the Sam mountain’s foot, on highway 91, opposite Ba Chua Xu Temple. This building is a harmonious architectural block. There is a steady white wall surrounding the building. The entrance of this tomb is 9 laterite steps. In the middle of campus is the tomb of Mr.Thoai Ngoc Hau, and 2 tombs of his wife on both sides. In front of the tomb is a large yard. In addition, it has a lot of graves of various shapes. There are anonymous graves of relatives and courtiers of his. Behind the tomb is a temple with beautiful decorations. A 2 meters majestic bust of Mr.Thoai Ngoc Hau is placed in the middle of the temple. This is a must-visit place that you will not forget.

Ngoc Hau Tomb

Take a cable car and enjoying the scenery of Sam mountain from above

The cable car’s system is 900 meters long, consists of 37 cabins, each cabin with a capacity of 8 people. The cable car operates continuously 24/24 to meet the needs of visitors. Taking a cable car, you will have a chance to admire the unique architecture from the ground. In particular, the station has classical European architecture and a complex of religious buildings such as One Pillar Pagoda, Medicine Su Temple,...

This is a means of transportation that BestPrice Travel highly recommends you must try on your Sam mountain adventure trip. The ticket’s price depends on the way and it’s quite cheap. Two-way ticket: 90.000 VNĐ (4,5 USD)/adult, 70.000 VNĐ (3,5 USD)/children and One-way ticket: 60.000VNĐ (3 USD)/adult, 50.000 VNĐ (2,5 USD)/children.

Sam Mountain Cable cab

Admire the magnificent sunset scenery from the top of Sam mountain

There is nothing more beautiful and poetic than the sunset. Standing at the top of Sam mountain, you not only have an overview of the peaceful scenery of Chau Doc city, but you also can see the sun like a fireball go down slowly. The sunlight turned orange and red. A peaceful feeling spread throughout the space. There is also a spot to take a fancy picture.

How to get there

Sam Mountain is the highest mountain in the Mekong Delta. It is a remote location so the only way to get to Sam mountain is the road from Chau Doc city. Take the center of Chau Doc city as a landmark, you can go through Nguyen Van Thoai street and go straight ahead to Tan Lo Kieu Luong road until you see the Sam mountain. The distance is about 6 kilometers. Because of its close distance, you can rent a motorbike or book a taxi to get there. It costs about 50.000VNĐ - 100.000VNĐ ( 3 - 5USD) depending on the means of transport you choose.

Travel tips

• Most of the attractions in Sam mountain are temples and pagodas so you should dress up politely clothes, and remember not to make loud sounds
• You should visit Sam mountain in the dry season (from December to April next year), this time is suitable for climbing the mountain without rain.
• It is quite crowded in the holidays, especially Tet holiday so you can avoid this time when you decided to come here
• A hat and sunscreen are encouraged to bring.

Hope that the above information is useful for you. We are pleased to plan you an unforgettable trip so do not hesitate to contact us now!

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(Image sources: Internet)