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Looking at the map, it's easy to recognize the southernmost area of Vung Tau city, which includes Nghinh Phong Cape, Tao Phung Mountain, Con Heo Hill, and Hon Ba Island.
The statue of Jesus Christ is 32 meters tall, placed on a 5-meter pedestal, and built at an altitude of 176 meters above sea level. At dawn, viewed from Ha Long Street, the statue of Christ stands majestically with outstretched arms atop the mountain.
To reach the statue of Christ, you have to climb about 1,000 steps on the mountainside. Then, continue climbing 133 spiral steps inside the statue to reach its shoulder. From here, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Vung Tau.
The Vung Tau Lighthouse is located on Nui Nho (Small Mountain) on Ha Long Street, and the city of Vung Tau is visible from Thuy Van Street, as seen from the Christ statue.
From the late 19th to early 20th centuries, the French colonialists built an artillery battery on Nui Nho (Small Mountain) to create a defensive line to control the movement of ships in and out of the Vung Tau - Can Gio (Saigon) harbor. Among them, at the foot of the statue of Christ, there were two large cannons firing 240 mm shells, and further down the mountainside, there were two more artillery clusters, one of which consisted of three cannons firing 140 mm shells.
This southernmost area of Vung Tau, besides the statue of Christ on Nui Nho (Small Mountain), also features Nghinh Phong Cape - the furthest point of land extending into the sea; and Hon Ba Island - a small rocky island with a temple dedicated to the Goddess on the island - connected to the mainland by a stone path that appears and disappears depending on the tide.
Nghinh Phong Cape is a very popular check-in spot for young people. Even in the early morning, many people were already there taking photos, including a bride and groom who came here to take their wedding photos.
Nghinh Phong Cape and Hon Ba Island are seen from the top of Ha Long Bay, across from Tao Phung Park. In the early morning, the tide is still high, so Hon Ba truly appears as a small island.
By the time we reached the summit and lined up to climb onto the shoulders of the statue of Christ, it was already midday. The water was beginning to recede, and the waves were starting to reveal the path of stones beneath the water's surface, with white-crested ripples on the surface.
In the late afternoon, as the tide receded to its lowest point, the entire stone path leading to the island was exposed. Despite the gloomy weather caused by the tropical depression, many people waited for the tide to drop so they could walk to the island to offer incense at Hon Ba Temple.
Besides the influx of tourists visiting the island, when the tide recedes, many locals also come to the rocky path leading to the island to collect snails and oysters clinging to the rocks. Because there are so many oysters on the rocks, walking to the island requires extreme caution to avoid cutting one's feet on the oyster shells stuck to the rocks.
Hon Ba Island is a small rocky island with an area of only about 5,000 square meters.2and is about 7-8 meters above sea level. Hon Ba Temple was established on the island in 1781, dedicated to the Water Dragon Goddess, who bestows blessings upon fishermen at sea.
From the breezy Hon Ba Island, gaze out towards Tao Phung Mountain, where the statue of Christ stands with outstretched arms, seemingly protecting the city behind it. Looking towards Nghinh Phong Cape nearby, with its gently sloping beach where many people are still enjoying a swim before nightfall, it's a truly peaceful scene in Vung Tau.
As darkness began to fall, the temple on the island lit up, the sea level started to rise again, and tourists hurriedly left the island to return to the mainland.
