Ta Cu mountain (649 meters above sea level) is located in Tan Lap village, Ham Thuan Nam district, 30 kilometers south of Phan Thiet.

The highlight here is the white reclining Buddha (Tuong Phat Nam). At 49m, it's the largest in Vietnam. The pagoda was constructed in 1861, during the Nguyen dynasty, but the Buddha is a much more recent addition (1972). It has become an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists, who stay overnight in the pagoda's dormi­tory. Foreigners can't do this without po­lice permission, but there's now a guesthouse on the mountain.

The mountain is just off Hwy 1, 28km south from Phan Thiet, from which the Buddha is a beautiful two-hour trek, or a two-minute cable-car ride (50,000d return) and a short, but steep, hike.