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Van Thuy Tu Whale Temple, Phan Thiet

The huge whale skeleton displayed on a metal frame in a long hall of the Van Thuy Tu temple, tiled roof beams overhead
Photo: Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Ticket
About 15,000 VND, children 5,000
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Daily 7:00–17:30
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
30 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Time needed
30–40 minutes
Where
231 Ngu Ong, central Phan Thiet — 150 m from the fishing port
From the Water Tower
≈ 900 m on foot, 10–12 minutes
Dress
A working temple: cover shoulders and knees
Coordinates
10.92319, 108.10005YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

1762the fishermen of Thuy Tu village built the temple to worship the whale
2 sourcesVietnamese WikipediaVnExpress (08.03.2021)
> 20 mthe length of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) skeleton; guides say 22 m
2 sourcesVnExpressVinWonders (blog)
2005the Vietnam Book of Records named it the country's largest whale skeleton
SourceVnExpress (08.03.2021)
63 vertebraeand 15 pairs of ribs; the skull is about 2.4 m wide
SourceVnExpress, citing the Phan Thiet Culture Office
≈ 100whale skeletons are kept here; half of them are 100–150 years old
SourceVietnamese Wikipedia
24royal decrees from Nguyen emperors — an unusual number for one temple
SourceVietnamese Wikipedia
1996the temple became a national historic monument
SourceVietnamese Wikipedia
> 100 mthe sea has retreated from the gate, which once stood at the water's edge
SourceVietnamese Wikipedia

Opening hours and entrance fee

The temple is open daily from 7:00 to 17:30. Tickets are about 15,000 VND for adults and 5,000 for children. These figures come from a VinWonders guide marked 'for reference' — there's no official website — and may change on holidays, so check at the desk.

Pay in cash in dong. This is a working temple: cover your shoulders and knees, keep your voice down and don't touch the altars or bones.

What is Van Thuy Tu?

Van Thuy Tu (Vạn Thủy Tú) is the 'vạn' — guild temple — of the Thuy Tu fishing village, on Ngu Ong street in central Phan Thiet. It was built in 1762 to honour the whale — 'Cá Ông' ('Lord Fish'), god of the Southern Sea, who fishermen believe rescues them in storms. The cult came from the ancient Cham and was taken up by Vietnamese and Chinese fishing communities along this coast.

When a dead whale washes ashore, the fishermen hold a funeral and, three years later, move the bones into the temple. That's how about a hundred skeletons ended up here. In 1996 the temple became a national historic monument.

The whale skeleton — Vietnam's largest

The highlight is a fin whale skeleton (Balaenoptera physalus) over 20 m long (guides say 22 m). Legend says the 65-tonne whale beached here in the 18th century and took two days to bring to the temple. In 2003 the bones were reassembled on a metal frame, and in 2005 the Vietnam Book of Records named it the country's largest.

It has 63 vertebrae and 15 pairs of ribs, a skull about 2.4 m wide and a lower jaw about 3.8 m long. It lies in a long hall at the back of the temple, next to cabinets of bones from other whales.

What to see

  • The fin whale skeleton, over 20 m long, in the hall at the back.
  • Cabinets of whale bones — around a hundred skeletons, many over a century old.
  • The main hall with altars to the whale god and the fishermen's ancestors.
  • Carved boards and couplets in Han-Nom, Vietnam's old script.
  • The large bronze bell with its inscription.
  • The 'holy ground' in the yard where beached whales are buried.

How to get to Van Thuy Tu

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Where are you starting from?

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On foot

More tips

  1. From the Water Tower it's about 900 m south on foot, 10–12 minutes.
  2. From Duc Thanh School it's about 700 m, 10 minutes on foot.
  3. From Mui Ne and the Nguyen Dinh Chieu resorts it's 20–25 km — 25–30 minutes by Grab. Search for "Vạn Thủy Tú".
  4. The temple is at 231 Ngu Ong street, 150 m from Phan Thiet fishing port.
  5. The ticket desk is at the entrance; the skeleton hall is at the back of the courtyard.

How long do you need, and when to go?

Allow 30–40 minutes. Go in the morning or after 3 pm — the hall has no air conditioning and gets stuffy at midday. Weekends are busier, especially when groups come up from Ho Chi Minh City.

It's easy to combine with central Phan Thiet: the Water Tower, Duc Thanh School and the fishing port are all close by. The temple's biggest festival is the summer prayer for a good catch.

Is the whale temple worth visiting?

Yes: a whale skeleton the size of a bus is something children and adults remember, and entry costs less than a coffee.

The YesGo take: the temple is small, the labels are almost all in Vietnamese, and there's no air conditioning. If bones and folk religion don't interest you, 20 minutes is enough. It's not worth a special trip from Mui Ne on its own — combine it with a walk around the centre.

Before you go: checklist

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Temples of Phan Thiet: compare and choose

Temples and shrines in Phan Thiet and Mui Ne rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Van Thuy Tu Whale Templeyou are here3930 min≈ 15,000 VND, children ≈ 5,000—
Po Sah Inu Cham Towers3345 minAbout 10,000–15,000 VND5.2 km
Ta Cu Mountain193 hCable car about 250,000 VND25.5 km

Central Phan Thiet in half a day

The Po Sah Inu towers, then the Water Tower, Duc Thanh School and the Van Thuy Tu whale temple. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Po Sah Inu Cham Towers45 min · About 10,000–15,000 VND
  2. 88 min walk from the previous stopPhan Thiet Water Tower20 min · free (outside only)
  3. 8 min walk from the previous stopDuc Thanh School45 min · free
  4. 12 min walk from the previous stopVan Thuy Tu Whale Templeyou are here30 min · ≈ 15,000 VND, children ≈ 5,000

4 places · about 4 h 8 min with walks · 108 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Phan Thiet Water Tower

Phan Thiet, Vietnam

20 min · free (outside only) · 11 min walk

Duc Thanh School

Phan Thiet, Vietnam

45 min · free · 12 min walk

How to do it right

  • Shoot the skeleton from the end of the hall to fit it all in.
  • No flash — it's a temple.
  • Labels are in Vietnamese: translate them with Google Translate's camera.
  • The fishing port with its colourful boats is 150 m away.
  • 900 m away: the Water Tower.

Questions

Where is the whale temple in Phan Thiet?

At 231 Ngu Ong street in central Phan Thiet, about 900 m from the Water Tower.

How much is entry to Van Thuy Tu?

About 15,000 VND for adults and 5,000 for children (unofficial).

What are the opening hours?

Daily 7:00–17:30, according to guides.

How long is the whale skeleton?

Over 20 m (often given as 22 m) — Vietnam's largest according to the national Book of Records.

What kind of whale is it?

A fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus).

How long do you need?

30–40 minutes.

How do I get there from Mui Ne?

20–25 km, 25–30 minutes by Grab.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, for Vietnam's largest whale skeleton — as part of a walk around the centre.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Vietnamese Wikipedia — Vạn Thủy Tú: founding year, whale cult, about 100 skeletons, 24 decrees, 1996 monument status
  • VnExpress International (08.03.2021) — fin whale skeleton, weight, 2003 restoration, 2005 record, dimensions, whale funeral custom
  • VinWonders (blog) — opening hours and ticket prices (for reference)
  • Wikidata Q10834146 — coordinates; OSRM route — distances
  • YesGo general facts for Vietnam — cash and Grab
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 08.11.2026 ·
How we checkedThere's no official website. Hours of 7:00–17:30 and prices of 15,000/5,000 VND come from a VinWonders blog marked 'for reference', so they're flagged as unconfirmed. Skeleton length: VnExpress says 'over 20 m', VinWonders 22 m; we say over 20 m and mention 22. The species is the fin whale, per the Latin name given by the Phan Thiet Culture Office. Number of skeletons: Wikipedia about 100, VnExpress over 100; we say around a hundred. In line with YesGo policy we don't go into the 18th-century wars behind the Nguyen decrees. The distance from the Water Tower is a 925 m OSRM route.

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