Things to See & Do in Nui Chua Mountain Peak (King Peak)

Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple

This temple sits on the top of Nui Chua Mountain or the King Peak at an elevation of 1,487 meters. It opened to visitors on 27th January 2014, after 5 years of construction. Nowadays, there are both locals and tourists coming here to pray and sightsee because it’s one of the holiest sites in the area.

Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple is also known as the Temple for the Princess of Forest because she is worshipped here. In Vietnamese traditional belief, she is the daughter of Tan Vien Son Thanh (‘God of the Mountain’, one of 4 immortals) and My Nuong, daughter of one of Hung Kings. This woman is known for her good morality, beauty, intelligence, skill-and-spirit-combined, nice communication skills, and talents. She usually travels with her father who teaches people how to grow rice/fruits, raise animals, catch fish, build houses, or use plants for medicine. Over time, she learns a lot from him, and when he can’t go somewhere for work, she will take over. One day, her parents have to return to Heaven, and after that, their duties and responsibilities are handed over to her. He became the ‘princess of forests’ in Vietnam (Thanh Mau Thuong Ngan in Vietnamese language).

Because Ba Na Hills is in the mountains and forests, Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple is built to honour the Princess of Forest and to pray for good things for visitors.

Around the ground of Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple, visitors can see a pavilion with a marble statue of Maitreya Buddha (Phat Di Lac) who has a fat body, and laughs. In Vietnamese culture, he represents wealth, happiness, and peacefulness. This buddha is also seen in Linh Ung Pagoda of Ba Na Hills, famous Lady Buddha Statue in the Monkey Mountain, or Tam Thai Pagoda in the Marble Mountains.

Visitors can climb to the Bell Tower (Thap Chuong) to enjoy a picturesque 360-degrees view, and to take some cool photos. The best spot is to see the whole Ba Na Hills from above, with antique buildings surrounded by dense forests. Further than that, there is Da Nang city with small hills, lakes, rivers, farm lands, and blue sea. When the mountain is cloudy, the scenery is excellent and worth the effort. While climbing to this pavilion, visitors need to be careful because the staircase is steep and quite small. In the pavilion, it’s always breezy and the bell here is hit automatically by a robot. Travelers dropped small money around the bell before, but now not anymore. Before going upstairs, visitors will see marble statues carved by local artists, portraying different arhats (the one has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved nirvana and liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth). The bell is 1 ton in weight, casted right in the King Peak.

Not only in Nui Chua (King Peak), the Princess of Forest is also worshipped in Huyen Khong Cave, in the Marble Mountains.

Linh Phong Tower

This tower is by the main staircase leading to the King Peak, on the higher terrace than the Teahouse, and on the lower terrace than Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple. It’s one of the buildings which can be seen from other areas of Ba Na Hills.

Linh Phong Tower is 33,6 meters tall, built in 2006. It includes 9 stories and each storey has one Sakyamuni buddha statue on four sides, and hanging bells at the tip of roofs. Around its base, there are the Four Heavenly Kings (Tu Dai Thien Vuong) who are believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world.

Visitors just can go to the ground floor of Linh Phong Tower, to see and pray. Other stories are closed and opened only for monks or when special occasions occur.

In the spring, around the Vietnamese new year festival, it’s possible to see blooming bell-shaped cherry blossoms in the surroundings of Linh Phong Tower. This pink flower is the symbol of Nui Chua Mountain (the King Peak).

See also: Xa Loi Tower in Marble Mountains

Linh Phong Thien Tu Pagoda

This Buddhist temple is hidden away in the forests on the top of Nui Chua Mountain (King Peak). It’s constructed in 2006, on a hilltop that is lower than the goddess temple. Because it has a northern Vietnam architecture, therefore it’s known as ‘north pagoda’.

Linh Phong Thien Tu Pagoda has one main hall to worship Lord Buddha, an entrance gate, west and east corridors housing the statue of 18 arhats (the one has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved nirvana and liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth). All of them are built of ironwood. Total area is 650 m2.

In the back of Linh Phong Thien Tu Pagoda, there is a small house in which two great Vietnamese people in 20th century are worshipped. They are Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969), the president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and Vo Nguyen Giap (1911-2013), the general of the Vietnam People’s Army.

The views from Linh Phong Thien Tu Pagoda are awe-inspiring, with no man-made buildings. Due to its secret location, it’s very tranquil here, a perfect place for those who want to escape from hustle and bustle around the park.  

Linh Phong Thien Pagoda is worth seeing. Visitors may miss it because it’s in a hidden corner of the park. Follow the stone-paved walkways near Linh Phong Tower or Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple to get there (a sign is there!).

Tru Vu Tra Quan (The Rain Sheltering Teahouse)

This teahouse is on the right hand side of the main staircase leading to Nui Chua (King Peak). It serves a variety of tea choices in Vietnamese traditional style houses, with beautiful gardens in the surroundings. Its location is most peaceful in Ba Na Hills. ‘Tru Vu’ means ‘hiding from the rain’. Opening hours are from morning to sunset.