Caodaism is a new Vietnamese faith. It originated from Ngo Van Chieu, a minor civil servant on Phu Quoc Island, in the early 1920s. During a séance, he was contacted by a spirit called the Cao Dai (high position) who handed down a creed and symbol – the “all-seeing eye”.

The Cao Dai Holy See is an architectural wonder, a hotchpotch of styles from its contributing religions and ornamented in brilliant colours.

The daily service is impressive. The worshipers wear robes of different hues denoting their function and status, and kneel in blocks in the nave to genuflect and pray while acolytes perform complex rituals.

The Holy See is near Tay Ninh town, about a hundred kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City. The journey takes two to three hours.