Cai Bau Pagoda

Cai Bau Pagoda, also known as Truc Lam Giac Tam Zen Monastery, is a Buddhist pagoda located on a coastal hillside in Van Don District, Quang Ninh Province, overlooking Bai Tu Long Bay. Built between 2007 and 2009 on the foundation of an ancient pagoda dating to the Tran Dynasty, it was inaugurated in 2009. Notable for its Truc Lam Zen architecture, serene coastal setting, and large main hall, it serves as a religious and sightseeing destination near Ha Long Bay.

Visitors can expect a large, modern Zen Buddhist monastery complex set on a hillside facing Bai Tu Long Bay. The site includes a main shrine hall with Buddha statues, bell and drum towers, courtyards, landscaped gardens, and statues along pathways. The setting offers panoramic views of the bay and surrounding islands. The atmosphere is quiet and orderly, with areas for prayer, sightseeing, and photography. Visitors explore the main hall, outer courtyards, and viewpoints overlooking the sea.

The pagoda was constructed from 2007 to 2009 on the ruins of an ancient pagoda believed to date to the Tran Dynasty (13th-14th century). The ancient site was associated with the Tran dynasty's defense and Buddhist development in the region. The new monastery was inaugurated in 2009 as part of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen lineage and built to preserve the historic religious site.

An important Buddhist site of the Truc Lam Zen sect, a Vietnamese Zen tradition founded by King Tran Nhan Tong. It serves as a place of worship, meditation and pilgrimage for Buddhists, and hosts major Buddhist festivals and ceremonies. The pagoda reflects contemporary Vietnamese Buddhist architecture and religious practice.