Sand, stones and surf

 Though there’s a lovely beach, people really come to Co Thach for the famous coloured stones. Long stretches of brilliant white sand, old pagodas and colourful stones are only some of the attractions at the Co Thach tourism area in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan.

With 78 hotels and resorts located along its beaches, Binh Thuan Province holds the record of having the most hotels and resorts in the country.

The province’s popular resort area Mui Ne is mentioned in Viet Nam’s Guinness Records for having the biggest sand dunes, which change shape with the wind, while Co Thach Beach in Tuy Phong District’s Binh Thanh Commune is popular for its beautiful stones and pagodas.

Co Thach is a rocky mountain created from thousands of large and small rocks piled on each other as though they were arranged by people, not nature. The rocks form many mysterious caves and grottos.

The tourism area, which lies between the rocky area and the turquoise water, has clean beaches and is distinctive because of the stones of different sizes and colours scattered on the beach.

Said to have existed for hundreds of years, the rocky area spreads over an area 1.5km wide and 20km long, also recognised as a Viet Nam Guinness Record for being the largest of its kind area in the country.

Tourists enjoy swimming and looking for beautiful stones in Co Thach. The stones, which have different shapes and sizes, appear in seven colours, including immaculate white, black, light yellow, grey brown, dark violet and cobalt blue.

Another attraction is the Hang Pagoda which is located inside the Co Thach Rock. The pagoda, about 64m above sea level, was built in the mid-19th century by Bonze Bao Tang.

It was restored many times from 1956 to 1964 and was officially recognised as a national relic by the Ministry of Culture in 1993. Its varied architectural style is derived from its many restorations over the years.

A three-door temple gate leads to a long path to the main hall, which is surrounded by tall blocks of marble.

On the right of the gate is a statue of a sitting tiger and on the left a lying elephant.

Ancestral temples, a preaching hall, and a refectory can be seen as well as a bell and drum towers.

The pagoda is adorned with solid altars made of valuable wood, on which stand dozens of Buddha statues of different sizes and ages.

Many rare relics are also kept in the pagoda’s buildings, including parallel sentences inscribed in gilded Chinese and Nom (traditional Vietnamese script) calligraphy and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, netlike panels, scrolls and other old documents.

The Dai Hong Bell and Sam Drum at the Hang Pagoda belong to early 19th century.

Southwest of the pagoda is a stretch of brilliant yellow beach. Legend has it that because of the region’s enchanting landscapes, tien (fairies) would take a bath there and then fly to a nearby well to drink. The Gieng Tien (Fairy Well) derives its name from this tale.

In addition to beautiful landscapes, Co Thach’s cuisine also lures travellers. Muc mot nang (cuttlefish dried in the sun) and dom nuong (grilled clams of different colours) are among the most popular dishes with visitors.