Da Nang

Son Tra Peninsula and the Lady Buddha: Linh Ung Pagoda Guide

A 67-metre white statue on a forested peninsula, free to visit and about 10 km from central Da Nang. What to expect at Linh Ung Pagoda, how to dress, and why the viewpoint roads need a local check.

Linh Ung Pagoda sits on the Son Tra Peninsula, about 10 km north-east of central Da Nang, and its 67-metre white statue of the Lady Buddha is visible from much of the coast. Entry is free, the site is open all day, and you need only about an hour. It is the easiest half-day in Da Nang for anyone who wants a view without a climb — provided you ask the driver to stop at the upper car park.

What Linh Ung Pagoda is

The temple most visitors mean is Linh Ung Bai But, high on the Son Tra Peninsula and facing the sea. Its Lady Buddha is a statue of Quan The Am, the bodhisattva of compassion, 67 metres tall, and it was the tallest statue in Vietnam when it was completed in 2010.

This is a working Buddhist temple, not a theme park. Monks live and pray here. The courtyard, the sea view and the statue are what most visitors photograph; the main hall is where the temple does its work, and it deserves the quiet it asks for.

Getting there

Linh Ung is about 10 km from the centre of Da Nang, on the coast road north of My Khe beach and then up a short mountain road. The city tourism portal notes that there is no bus stop or train station nearby, so the realistic options are a car, a taxi or a ride-hailing booking. It also lists motorbike and bicycle, which we do not recommend for most travellers over fifty on a road with bends and heavy tour traffic.

From Hoi An the journey is the Da Nang run plus the trip out to the peninsula, so we would not do it as a stop on the way. Do it from a Da Nang hotel, or as part of a Da Nang day, as in the “flexible day” of our three-day plan. Whichever you choose, agree the waiting time with your driver in advance, because one guide notes the return ride can take a while to arrange.

Gentle version

Ask the driver to go all the way to the upper car park. The portal warns that many steps lead to the gate, and the upper car park cuts them. Then walk down, not up, if you want the steps at all.

Visiting: hours, dress, steps

There is no official dress code on the portal. The usual courtesy at any active pagoda is covered shoulders and knees, and we suggest you follow it. Leave shorts, sleeveless tops and short skirts for the beach, wear shoes that come off easily, and lower your voice inside. Donation boxes are around the grounds; giving is voluntary.

The portal says many steps lead to the gate, but gives no step count, and we have not counted them, so we will not print a number. For the wider picture, see how much walking there really is on a Vietnam trip.

Midday is hot and exposed. The portal recommends arriving early; it also says the evening is delightful, roughly six to eight o’clock, for views of city lights and fishing boats. If you go in the evening, remember you will come down the mountain road in the dark, which is a reason to use a driver you trust.

The viewpoints on Son Tra

Linh Ung itself gives you the sea, the curve of Da Nang bay and, on a clear day, the city towers across the water. The higher viewpoints are a separate matter. Reference sources describe Ban Co Peak as looking over Da Nang, the Hai Van Pass, Ba Na Hills and the Cham Islands. That is the view people photograph.

Access is the problem, and it changes. Tuoi Tre reported on 17 August 2026 that the Tien Sa–Suoi Om–Ban Co Peak route was closed while authorities repaired storm damage, and that the Yet Kieu–Ban Co Peak–Bai Bac route was approved as one-way, excluding scooters and vehicles of more than 24 seats, with hours of 07:30 to 18:30 from March to September and 07:30 to 17:30 from October to February. The newest item we found is a report dated 15 October 2026: the peninsula management board suspended visits from 8 October because of heavy rain and the risk of landslides, and restored them from 14 October 2026. That report does not say which routes reopened, and we found nothing newer, so we cannot tell you whether the Ban Co Peak road is open on your date. It has closed before: the state-run VOV news service reported in September 2025 that Da Nang reopened Son Tra routes after a three-year halt. Ask your hotel or driver on the day, and treat the summit as a bonus rather than the plan.

Wildlife, and one rule

Son Tra is a nature reserve and home to the red-shanked douc langur, a rare monkey. Vietnam News reported in June 2024 that more than 1,300 of them live on the peninsula. You may see macaques near the road. The one rule that matters is to not feed, touch or chase them. The same Tuoi Tre report lists feeding or disturbing wildlife, especially monkeys, among the acts visitors must avoid. Keep food out of sight, because a monkey that learns people carry snacks becomes a problem for the next visitor.

How to fit it into a day

Linh Ung pairs well with the flat parts of Da Nang: the riverside promenade, My Khe beach and the city’s Cham museum. It is an easy morning, one hour on site and another hour of driving. Pair it with a lunch on the beach and a pause, and keep the evening for the old town. If you want a harder day, the Marble Mountains have the caves and the summit, but it is a bad idea to stack both on the same morning.

If the weather is poor, Son Tra is not the place to be. In low cloud or heavy rain the views disappear and the mountain roads need more care, much as at Ba Na Hills in the rain. See our best time to visit guide, and pack for sun and sudden rain with what to pack for central Vietnam. For more guides, see the Vietnam travel guides.

Common questions