On the other side of the world from the famed statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, lies a statue of Jesus Christ in the coastal resort city of Vung Tau, Vietnam.
And although it may be hard to believe, this statue of Jesus overlooking the tumultuous South China Sea is taller than the world-renowned one in Rio.
The Christ the King statue in Vung Tau is 105 feet tall, totaling 118 feet, including the 13-foot platform Jesus stands on. Christ the Redeemer in Rio measures 98 feet high.
This breathtaking statue of Jesus Christ is one of the largest statues in Asia and attracts pilgrims and tourists worldwide. That includes me!
I traveled from Portland, Oregon, to Ho Chi Minh City, then took a taxi for almost three hours in the grueling traffic of the big city and finally arrived at the foot of the mountain, where pilgrims climb over 800 steps in the debilitating tropical heat to reach the feet of Jesus Christ.
Once you make it to the statue, you can scale up to the shoulders of Jesus by ascending 133 spiral steps inside the statue itself. Along the way up the nearly 1,000 steps, one can see Biblical figures, partake in the Stations of the Cross, and enjoy beautiful views of the city and the sea.
Right before reaching the Christ statue, one can find a replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta. The giant statue of Jesus faces the Pacific Ocean and stretches his arms out from the summit of Mount Tao Phung, 580 feet above sea level.
The religious shop and gift shop at the base of the mountain where pilgrims hike up to the Christ the King statue in Vung Tau is run by Dominican sisters who live at a convent about 20 minutes from the sanctuary.
Vung Tau belongs to the Diocese of Bà Rịa, which was established in 2005.
Spanning over 1,200 miles, the diocesan territory is comprised of the coastal Vung Tau city, Ba Ria town, and six subdistricts. To the west, it borders the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, and to the east, it reaches the South China Sea in the Pacific Ocean. This diocese is also bounded by 62 miles of sea. In the mid-1600s, Catholic and foreign missionaries moved to this area to avoid religious persecution.
Having been plagued with constant war and threats from its northern neighbors in the South China Sea, this protector of the world, of the country of Vietnam and more so of Vung Tau, overlooking the distressed area, brings a sense of hope and comfort to the Christians and Catholics of Southeast Asia.