Da Nang is famous for being a holiday city, home to a row of resort hotels lined up along its sunny beach. Still, besides the sand, waves, and seafood, there are plenty of activities to do within or just outside the little city in Central Vietnam.

If you want to be closer to the sky than the ocean, then consider a half-day trip to the Lady Buddha Statue and Chùa Linh Ứng (Linh Ứng Pagoda). The Lady Buddha statue stands at a whopping 67m (220 feet) in height, within it 17 floors each with its own altar for prayer. It’s located on Sơn Trà Mountain, just north of Da Nang’s main city centre. And, with viewing platforms all around the mountain, you’re guaranteed a fantastic view of the coastline too.

How to Get There

If you don’t have your own transport, there are three main options to get to the Lady Buddha.

Grab

By far the simplest option is to take a Grab, Southeast Asia’s equivalent to the popular ridesharing app Uber. Simply download the app on your phone, fill in the details, and request the intended location. Of course, this is not necessarily the cheapest option, but it’s far from expensive, especially as there don’t seem to be any options for public transportation to the top of the mountain.

Our ride of around 10km (~6 miles) set us back around đ150,000-200,000 (~US$6.50-8.60) one way. This will, of course, depend on a few factors, including the time of day, demand, and availability of drivers. With almost no traffic at low season, it only took us around 20-25 minutes.

Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

A common service in many tourist cities, the Da Nang buses are run by Coco City Tour and offers 24- and 48-hour tickets, as well as single-trip tickets at đ170,000, đ250,000, and đ50,000 (~US$7.30, $11.00, $2.15) respectively. This option is great for people who are looking to maximise a short amount of time in the city, though of course comes at the cost of flexibility in terms of bus frequency and pick-up stops.

Still, it can be cost effective if you’re looking to maximise your day with a bit of careful planning. You can check out their website for more details on timetables, stops, and prices.

Walking, Biking, and Motorbiking

Walking is by far (and for obvious reasons) the cheapest method of getting up to the pagoda, but unless you’re looking for a hike both to the foot of the mountain and up the winding roads, it’s not ideal. Still, during our trip we saw several tourists riding bikes on the way up the hill. The roads are well-maintained and there’s ample signage, so if you’re looking for some solid exercise it is a possibility.

We should mention that those who are looking to bike or motorbike to the pagoda may have to pay fees to park vehicles in the motorbike parking stations. As for cars and other large vehicles, there is a separate car park though we aren’t fully certain if there is a parking fee for it.

Chùa Linh Ứng (Linh Ứng Pagoda)

Entrance is free. There are several different sections, such as for the Lady Buddha statue, gardens, and viewing platforms. There are plenty of seats for rest but not all too much shade, so we recommend that you bring an umbrella or parasol to keep cool in the sun, and to also be prepared for rain.

There is a shrine for prayer, in which you are also required to remove your shoes before entry. The pagoda grounds are unexpectedly large, and just wandering around aimlessly took us around 30 minutes. We spent a good couple of hours in total to take photos and explore quieter areas.

There is a store that sells refreshments, including drinks and ice cream. The prices are not too different from what you’ll find in the main cities, with a fairly large range on offer.

The Lady Buddha Statue

As mentioned, there are 17 floors inside the Lady Buddha statue, whose interior also acts as a temple. Each floor has its own altar, and 21 statues of Buddha each with different expressions and postures. One can spend a fair amount of time, depending on their interests in the architecture and religion. Footwear must be removed before entering.

We did not take photos or footage inside the temple as we don’t believe it’s respectful for people who practice Buddhism. Obviously, people’s perspectives on this differ. While we cannot stop anyone from doing the same, we’d like to ask people to at least be considerate to people who may be praying while in the temple.

In all, it’s a lovely place to come up for a look at some amazing architecture and artistry as long as you’re respectful and remember that it is a religious ground. You’re sure to get some amazing photos, but don’t forget to hydrate!

Chùa Linh Ứng (Linh Ứng Pagoda)
Chùa Linh Ứng, Hoàng Sa, Thọ Quang, Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam
Mon-Sun 6am-7pm
Free Entry
http://ladybuddha.org/