Name and Location

Hải đăng Vũng Tàu, also known as Đèn biển Vũng Tàu or Le Phare du Cap Saint-Jacques, is a coastal lighthouse serving ships off the coast of Vũng Tàu City in Bà R��a–Vũng Tàu Province, southern Vietnam. It stands at an address of 40 Hải Đăng, Phường 2, Vũng Tàu, Bà Rịa–Vũng Tào, Vietnam, with coordinates 10°20′02″ N, 107°04′39″ E.

2. Construction and History

The lighthouse is believed to have been constructed during the French colonial period (circa 1860-1880). It has been in continuous operation since its erection, apart from a brief interruption during World War II. Although no definitive Vietnamese archival records have survived, it is widely accepted that the tower dates from this era.

3. Architecture and Materials

The Hải đăng Vũng Tàu lighthouse is a cylindrical masonry tower with an attached single-story keeper's quarters. It stands 18 meters above its base and has a focal plane at approximately 18 meters above mean sea level. The materials used in its construction are load-bearing brick or stone core with rendered exterior, currently painted white.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse emits a white light with a range of 23 nautical miles (approximately 43 km). Its characteristic is one white flash every 10 seconds. The light is electrified and fully automated, with no resident keeper since the late 20th century.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

Visitors can access the lighthouse compound year-round. They may climb internal stairs to the lantern gallery (subject to staffing). There are small ticket booths at the base of the tower and public toilets nearby. The grounds offer panoramic vistas of Vũng Tàu's beaches, the bay entrance, offshore islands, and the city skyline.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The views from the lighthouse include Bãi Sau (Back Beach) to the east, the bay entrance, offshore islands, and the city skyline. Visitors can reach the site by taxi or motorbike taxis up the road leading to Núi Nhỏ ("Small Mountain"), followed by a 100-meter stair climb.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local lore tells of a French keeper who reputedly dashed down the slope to warn fishermen of an approaching storm in the 1920s. This act is commemorated in a small plaque at the site, although it remains unofficial and community-erected.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is managed by the Directorate of Maritime Safety, Vietnam Ministry of Transport. It appears on Vietnamese coastal charts and mariners refer to it under the name Vung Tau Lighthouse. The structure itself does not have publicly known AIS or radar installations.