Cao Dai - a Fusion of Religions

Cao Dai which means kingdom of heaven is a fusion religion that unites Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam and Taoism into one monotheistic religion.

Cao Dai was founded in South Vietnam in the year 1926 by Ngo Minh Chieum. It quickly spread and became popular among the rice farmers of the Mekong Delta. The number of followers reached its peak in the 40's and 50's when more than half of the regions population practiced Cao Dai.

The main practices of the religion are prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism. Services are held every 6 hours in its temples around the world.

The main symbol of the religion is a large all knowing left eye. It represents yang, a concept from Taoism. Many foreign visitors observe a likeness between the eye of the temple and the eye on the back of the US 1 Dollar bill.

The ultimate goal of Cao Dai is to escape the cycle of birth and rebirth. If that is not achieved in this life their secondary hope is to rejoin the father in heaven temporarily.

Cao Dai recognizes a number of political and religious figures as saints. Its three main saints are Sun Yat-sen, Victor Hugo and Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm. Other personalities in the pantheon of saints include Jeanne d'Arc, Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare ,William Churchill, Napoleon and Lenin.

The most important temple of Cao Dai is currently located in Tay Ninh which is 6o miles north west of Saigon.

Many foreign visitors find their way to the services which are a feast to the senses. The architecture as the religion is a fusion of temple, church, mosque and pagoda elements. Its flashy colors, smells, sounds and ceremonies are unique to observe.

Contemporary Cao Dai has approximately 4 million followers in Vietnam and another 30000
devotees overseas. At present it is the third largest religion in Vietnam. Cao Dai is also practiced outside of Vietnam, primarily the United States, Australia, France & Germany. Its largest temple is being constructed in Riverside, Southern California.