The Lighthouse – Vung Tau

Most coastal cities have a lighthouse to guide ships and prevent them from being wrecked on the rocks. Viet Nam has 30 of them but the lighthouse in Vung Tau is the oldest and most well-known. Soon after the French occupied the 3 Eastern provinces of South Vietnam, they built the lighthouse in 1862 and later rebuilt it in 1913.

The lighthouse is cylindrical, 3 meters in diameter and 18 meters in height. The lighthouse beam is created by a big powerful electric lamp which sends flashes of light as far as 35 nautical miles (64.75 km) to sea at fixed intervals every few seconds. Since the lighthouse sits on top of the Small Mountain, 170 meters above sea level, it offers visitors a bird-eye view of the sea and the city. The winding road leading up to the lighthouse is also spetacular.

Although cars can reach the top, a motorbike ride is likely to appeal to the more adventure-minded.

Thanks to its wonderful location and lovely seabreeze, the lighthouse has become a popular site attracting hundreds of visitors everyday.