The white tower
18 metres high.
BrightRaven — CC BY 3.0 · Hoangvantoanajc — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Damian Vo — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Damian Vo — CC BY-SA 2.0
Vung Tau's lighthouse is one of the oldest in Vietnam and Southeast Asia and the emblem of the seaside city. The French built it and lit it on 15 August 1862, 149 metres above the sea, to guide ships to the mouth of the Saigon River, then rebuilt it in 1913 on a higher spot, 170 metres above sea level. The lighthouse is a white cylindrical tower 18 metres high and three metres across, with stairs up to a balcony near the top, and its beam reaches about 55 kilometres out to sea. From the balcony and the terrace around it the whole city opens up: Front Beach curving between the two mountains, the long Back Beach and the ships in the bay. Visitors drive or ride up Small Mountain on a steep road, or walk a path up the slope. It is lovely just before sunset, as the city lights come on below.
18 metres high.
Front and Back in one view.
As the city lights up.
Top of Small Mountain (Nui Nho), Vung Tau
Yes. Entry is free and it stays open until 10 pm; go up by car or on foot along a path up Small Mountain.
