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People often come to Tay Ninh to enjoy the famous Trang Bang rice noodle soup, or to buy a few strings of soft, chewy sun-dried rice paper mixed with spicy shrimp salt flavored with garlic and chili. We, however, were different; we wanted to participate in a midday prayer ceremony of Cao Dai followers. Locals call it the "Noon Prayer Ceremony."
The road to the cradle of Caodaism
At five in the morning, the Saigon sky was still dark, probably still burying itself in the late sleep from the previous day. The roads were relatively empty on the weekend, so we quickly headed towards the An Suong roundabout and then down National Highway 22 to Tay Ninh. After driving over 50 kilometers, the city landscape gradually emptied, replaced by fields of golden-brown stubble after the rice harvest. Occasionally, we passed through a few towns, Trang Bang and Go Dau. Along the way, in the distance, we glimpsed Mount Ba Den – the highest peak in Southern Vietnam, standing alone in the vast plain, like an inverted bowl. Thick white clouds covered the summit. I heard a local saying, "If the mountain wears a hat, it will rain." The image of the mountain appearing throughout the journey, sometimes far away, sometimes close, was quite interesting.
After more than two hours of driving, we arrived at Hoa Thanh town, an important stop on our trip to Tay Ninh. Following directions from the locals, we found the Tay Ninh Holy See, the cradle of the indigenous Cao Dai religion in the 20th century.
beliefs in the real world
Around midnight, we took a stroll from the Hoa Vien gate into the sacred grounds. The inner sanctuary was almost a miniature city, complete with various architectural structures serving different functions. We were accompanied by groups of tourists from many different countries, both European and Asian. Like us, they were amazed by the novel and unique architecture. From a distance, the temple resembled a Catholic church, but upon closer inspection, the yellow walls, red tiles, and lotus motifs characteristic of Buddhist temples in Vietnam became apparent. It must be said that Cao Dai followers are quite skillful in combining various artistic values, both Western and Vietnamese, within a single architectural structure measuring approximately 20 meters wide and over 100 meters long.
We were guided by female devotees dressed in white ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), with their hair styled in the traditional Southern Vietnamese bun of the previous century, up a small staircase to the upper floor so we could clearly observe the upcoming ceremony. On the upper floor, there were quite a few devotees in white ao dai. They were busy arranging musical instruments, incense, and fruit, each person doing their part quickly. The scent of incense permeated the entire space. Around six people sat at a round table tuning and testing the sound of each instrument. Despite the large crowd, there was no noise; the Cao Dai devotees prepared everything quite smoothly, perhaps this was a daily routine for them.
Bong… bong… bong…
The long, resonant sound of bells echoed both inside and outside the Holy See temple. Lines of devotees in yellow, green, red, and white robes streamed into the main hall. They lined up neatly and bowed in unison, accompanied by chanted prayers and the continuous ringing of bells. A fiddle played, followed by the sounds of the zither, two-stringed fiddle, and double-stringed lute, creating a familiar melody with a distinctly ethnic feel, reminiscent of the chants and rituals we often heard in temples and shrines during our childhood. Immediately afterward, a group of Cao Dai female choir members sang prayers like epic poems praising the Creator's grace, their rhythms sometimes deep and resonant, sometimes sharp and clear, reverberating throughout the tranquil space.
The devotees participating in the ceremony focused almost entirely on the image of the Divine Eye, or simply the eye of the sun, symbolizing the presence of God. Occasionally, the interspersed ringing of bells served as a signal, and the devotees nodded in unison and bowed rhythmically and steadily.
The majority of the devotees attending the ceremony were elderly people. Some had gray hair and hunched backs, giving them the appearance of senior citizens. They seemed more optimistic and sharp-minded than their outward appearance suggested.
After the ceremony, the devotees chatted animatedly, sharing stories about their daily lives. They were strangers, but because they shared the same faith, they addressed each other affectionately as brothers and sisters. We asked an elderly woman what motivated her to attend this midday prayer service despite her age. She smiled, her expression full of generosity, and replied, "Because of my faith in life, my belief in goodness and kindness, whether I am alive or dead. I believe that Cao Dai followers have the heart of a Bodhisattva, the forehead of Confucius, the hands of Jesus, and the way of life of Lao Tzu."
