Thủ Dầu Một: Lacquer Art, Pagodas and History

Thủ Dầu Một offers a variety of cultural highlights: traditional lacquer craftsmanship, religious buildings, sites connected to Vietnamese history and distinctive architecture. It is also home to the Đại Nam tourist area, which includes an amusement area. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can make your choice based on whether craftsmanship and historic architecture, religious traditions or a larger tourist area will shape your trip.

Lacquer Art and Hội Khánh Pagoda

At the Tương Bình Hiệp lacquer craft village, visitors can observe the individual steps involved in making lacquerware. This craft has a history of nearly 300 years of development and is listed as a recognised national intangible cultural heritage. Anyone interested in traditional production can get a close-up look at a craft developed over generations, rather than simply viewing its finished products.

Another historical highlight is Hội Khánh Pagoda. It was built in 1741 and recognised as a national historical-cultural relic on 7 January 1993. The main hall contains almost 100 gilded wooden statues, including Arhats and depictions of the Ten Courts of Hell. The pagoda’s collection also includes woodblock prints, writings, scrolls, documents, poems and works on geography and traditional medicine. At the foot of a hill, the complex stands beneath four dipterocarp trees that are several hundred years old. In 2007, the pagoda gained a seven-storey tower measuring 27 metres in height.

Religious Traditions and City History

Chùa Bà, at 4 Nguyễn Du Street, was moved to its current location in 1925. It is a religious site of the Chinese faith tradition. Deities worshipped there include Thiên Hậu Thánh mẫu, the Mothers of the Five Elements and the couple Bổn Đầu Công. Chùa Tây Tạng represents a different religious tradition: the pagoda is designed in the style of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism and houses a statue of Bodhidharma woven from the hair of thousands of devotees.

Phú Lợi Prison is located on 1 tháng 12 Street in Phú Lợi Ward. It was designated a national revolutionary historical relic on 10 July 1980. It serves as an educational site where guests and student groups learn about patriotic traditions and Vietnam’s wartime history. The old house of Trần Văn Hổ offers another historical point of interest: it is located at 18 Bạch Đằng Street in Phú Cường Ward. The house was built in 1890 and completed in 1893.

Architecture and a Range of Travel Interests

Modern architecture is also part of the city’s character. Gió and Nước Café combines wind energy with the cooling effect of water. Almost 7,000 bamboo poles were used as building material, and the café has received numerous awards from Vietnamese and international architects’ associations. Phú Cường Cathedral, at 104 Cách Mạng Tháng Tám Street, adds another architectural landmark with its distinctive modern Gothic style.

The Đại Nam tourist area is located in Hiệp An Ward and covers about 476 hectares. Its features include temple complexes, fortifications and castle buildings, mountains, hotels, lakes and an amusement area. This is a distinct attraction alongside the city’s craft, historical and religious highlights. When planning your trip, you can first decide which of these interests you would most like to explore, then look for a suitable holiday apartment in Thủ Dầu Một.

Discover More Places

If you would like to continue planning your trip beyond Thủ Dầu Một, you can also visit the pages for Thuận An and Thị xã Bến Cát.

For the broader travel overview: Bình Dương.