Thach Dong Cave Pagoda

Ha Tien


This Buddhist cave temple is 4km northeast of town. Scramble through the cave chambers to see the funerary tablets and altars to Ngoc Hoang, Quan The Am Bo Tat and the two Buddhist monks who founded the temples of the pagoda.

A taxi here from town is 60,000d, but you may need to call for one for the return trip as very few pass by.

To the left of the entrance is the Stele of Hatred (Bia Cam Thu), shaped like a raised fist, which commemorates the Khmer Rouge massacre of 130 people here on 14 March 1978. The wind here creates extraordinary sounds as it funnels through the grotto’s passageways. Openings in several branches of the cave afford views of nearby Cambodia.