Turning off the national highway into the red-soil rubber hills of Đồng Nai, visitors catch sight of the statue before any other structure. A white figure of Our Lady with open arms stands atop a tall pedestal on the hilltop, rising well above the treeline. Coming closer, one sees a stadium-sized plaza at the foot of the statue, together with the crown-shaped main shrine complex consecrated in October 2026.
This is Our Lady of Núi Cúi Pilgrimage Center of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc. The statue stands 50 meters tall, comprising a 17-meter pedestal and a 33-meter figure. Those two numbers were not chosen at random, seventeen represents Our Lady's age at the Annunciation according to the diocese's tradition, while thirty-three represents the earthly years of Jesus. Two ages of life are folded into a single monument.
IThree titles and the role of a pilgrimage center
The full title of this sanctuary is much longer than the two words Núi Cúi. Here the diocese honors Our Lady under three titles at once, namely Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Queen of the Vietnamese Martyrs, and Mother of Divine Mercy. Each title expresses a distinct facet, and together they declare whom this sanctuary serves.
According to Catholic doctrine, the Immaculate Conception is the dogma that Mary was preserved free from original sin from the first moment of her conception, celebrated on December 8. Queen of Martyrs is an invocation from the Litany of Loreto, and adding Vietnam links Our Lady to the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs canonized in 1988, celebrated on November 24. Mother of Divine Mercy highlights the mercy of God, a call that the universal Church emphasized during the very years when the Núi Cúi project broke ground.
The term pilgrimage center speaks to its ecclesiastical role. A parish church serves parishioners living within parish boundaries. A cathedral houses the bishop's cathedra and serves the common governance of the diocese. A pilgrimage center differs from both because it is designated by the bishop as a shared destination, welcoming people from across the diocese and beyond to come pray and return home, requiring a vast plaza, a Way of the Cross, resting areas, and a steady rhythm of pilgrimages throughout the year. The cathedral of the diocese is Xuân Lộc Cathedral, whereas Núi Cúi is the Marian pilgrimage sanctuary of the diocese.
The first common misconception is that Núi Cúi is the site of a Marian apparition. No apparition is associated with this hill in the diocese's records. It is a pilgrimage sanctuary chosen and built according to a project announced in 2013. Stories of graces received that pilgrims share with one another since its opening are personal testimonies of the faithful, upon which the Church makes no official pronouncement.
The second point to clarify is the oft-repeated phrase the largest pilgrimage center in Southeast Asia. That is a description used by the diocese when presenting the project, which the library records strictly as the diocese's own expression rather than a verified comparative measurement against other sanctuaries.
IIA project of this century
Unlike pilgrimage sites rooted in accounts from centuries ago, Núi Cúi is a modern project with architectural blueprints, formal groundbreaking dates, and engineering contractors. According to Vatican News and diocesan records, after the Diocese of Bà Rịa was separated from Xuân Lộc in 2005 and received the Our Lady of Bãi Dâu Pilgrimage Center, Bishop Đaminh Nguyễn Chu Trinh sought a new Marian pilgrimage site for Xuân Lộc (initially surveying Mount Chứa Chan before selecting Núi Cúi Hill overlooking Trị An Lake). According to an article by the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics, the hill carries the administrative name Mount Cát Minh, while locals have long called it Núi Cúi, with the main construction zone covering about 13.5 hectares within an overall planned area of nearly 100 hectares.
- 2013Project announcementApproved in October, the decision to build the pilgrimage center was announced in November by Bishop Đaminh Nguyễn Chu Trinh of Xuân Lộc.
- 2015Groundbreaking and cornerstone layingOn April 17, 2015, the bishops of Vietnam visited the site and held a groundbreaking rite. On September 18, 2015, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, together with 26 bishops and about 60,000 faithful, celebrated the Mass of laying the first stone in the year Pope Francis proclaimed the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
- 2018Major construction phase and statue erectionOn August 15, 2018, under Bishop Giuse Đinh Đức Đạo, the center launched its major construction phase. Architect Ngô Viết Nam Sơn led the master design, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Hiệp oversaw structural engineering, sculptor Xuân Quang crafted the statue model, and Vĩnh Cửu Company erected the statue using CNC-cut glass-fiber reinforced concrete panels mounted on a reinforced concrete frame.
- 2022Opening to pilgrimsDuring the Lunar New Year of the Tiger (Nhâm Dần), the center opened its gates to pilgrims for the first time, welcoming roughly half a million visitors according to published records.
- 2026Consecration of the main shrineOn October 14, 2026, marking the 61st anniversary of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc, Bishop Gioan Đỗ Văn Ngân presided over the Mass of Thanksgiving and Consecration of the Shrine of Mary Immaculate, attended by Archbishop Marek Zalewski (Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam), more than 40 bishops, over 500 priests, and more than 50,000 faithful.
Regarding the starting dates, sources mention three dates tied to three distinct ceremonies. The article by the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics records April 17, 2015, when bishops of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam visited and held a groundbreaking ceremony. The center's website and Vatican News record September 18, 2015 as the Mass of laying the first stone, and August 15, 2018 as the groundbreaking ceremony for the major building phase. The completion of the main shrine was confirmed on October 14, 2026 with the Mass of Thanksgiving and Consecration of the Shrine of Mary Immaculate.
Regarding the weight of the statue, published documentation records an estimated weight of over 1,000 metric tons of reinforced concrete, with a maximum fabrication tolerance of about 2 millimeters across the statue panels. Those figures come from the construction team, and the library records them as stated.
IIIThe 17-and-33 statue, the hundred-thousand-person plaza, and the crown-shaped shrine
Núi Cúi was designed from the outset as a complete pilgrimage complex rather than a church with an added courtyard. Its focal point is the statue on the hilltop, fronted by a grand plaza with supporting structures arranged around it. Architect Ngô Viết Nam Sơn created the master plan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Hiệp (Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology) directed the reinforced concrete structural engineering, sculptor Xuân Quang sculpted the statue model, and Vĩnh Cửu Company (chaired by Mr. Nguyễn Vui) carried out construction.
Standing 50 meters tall from the ground, comprising a 17-meter pedestal and a 33-meter figure. The statue was assembled from CNC-machined glass-fiber reinforced concrete panels mounted onto a reinforced concrete structural frame.
According to the diocese's explanation, seventeen corresponds to Our Lady's age when she received the Annunciation. This reflects a traditional devotional understanding, as Scripture does not record Mary's exact age.
Thirty-three corresponds to the earthly years of Jesus according to customary Church reckoning. Placed one atop the other, the two numbers form the monument.
The vast esplanade in front of the statue, capable of holding around 100,000 people according to published records and used for open-air Masses.
Consecrated on October 14, 2026, the main shrine covers more than 5,000 square meters (approx. 5,568 square meters of floor area) with a capacity of about 5,000 people, shaped like a crown symbolizing the Immaculate Conception and topped with a laurel wreath and cross. Around the plaza also stand the Eucharistic Chapel evoking a Central Highlands communal house (nhà rông), a multipurpose building nearly 300 meters long paired with a 50-meter bell tower, and the Way of the Cross.
The most striking architectural feature here is scale. A parish church is measured by pews holding a few hundred or one to two thousand worshippers. Núi Cúi is measured by a plaza for a hundred thousand people, a five-thousand-seat shrine, and a statue as tall as a multi-story building. That scale shows that the builders were planning not for the everyday rhythm of a single parish, but for days when the entire diocese and pilgrims from afar converge at once.
Many people read the figure of 50 meters and assume the statue body itself is 50 meters tall. According to published records, 50 meters is measured from the ground to the top, of which 17 meters is the pedestal. The figure of Our Lady alone measures 33 meters. When comparing this height with statues elsewhere, visitors should note whether the pedestal is included.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
A clear preface is needed here. Catholicism does not teach feng shui. Older churches were typically oriented according to liturgical direction, meaning the placement of the altar and sanctuary according to liturgical norms, whereas at Núi Cúi the placement of the statue follows the hilltop selected by the diocese. What follows is the library's reading through the lens of traditional geomancy, not anything found in Church documents, offered solely as a point of comparison for readers familiar with traditional Vietnamese site reading.
First, a prominent hill amid low hills. Núi Cúi is a hill rising within the red-soil rubber-growing terrain of Đồng Nai rather than a craggy mountain. Traditional site reading calls this form a rising hill (đồi nổi), high enough to command a wide view and be seen from afar, yet not so high as to be buffeted by scattering winds. A 50-meter statue set atop such a crest becomes a landmark for the entire region.
Second, forest behind and water in front. According to the article by the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics, rubber forests lie behind the site while the front looks out over the waters of Trị An Lake. In traditional land reading, woodland at the rear provides backing support while an expanse of water in front serves as a basin that gathers qi. Having both forms the configuration classical texts call water in front and mountain behind (tiền thủy hậu sơn) adapted to upland terrain, with forest standing in for a high mountain range.
Third, an exceptionally wide bright hall. The plaza before the statue forms an unusually expansive bright hall (minh đường). Classical geomancy regards a broad, level bright hall as auspicious, and at Núi Cúi it serves not merely as open space before the monument but as the main gathering ground when tens of thousands assemble.
Fourth, numbers encoded in form. Vietnamese builders traditionally read structural dimensions using the Lỗ Ban ruler to select auspicious segments. At Núi Cúi, the measurements follow an entirely different symbolic logic, taking ages of life as numbers, 17 for Our Lady and 33 for Jesus. These represent two distinct ways of thinking about architectural numbers, which the library places side by side simply for comparison.
VWho comes and on which occasions
The pilgrimage rhythm at Núi Cúi revolves around the feast days tied to its three Marian titles, the two Marian months of the year, the anniversary of the diocese's founding and the consecration of the main shrine, and the Lunar New Year when visitor numbers peak. The table below lists dates only, without service hours.
| Time | Occasion | Connection to Núi Cúi |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar New Year (Tết) | Start of the lunar year | Its first Lunar New Year opening in 2022 welcomed roughly half a million visitors. Many families make a New Year pilgrimage here in place of holiday outings. |
| Second Sunday of Easter | Divine Mercy Sunday | Feast corresponding to the center's title Mother of Divine Mercy. |
| All of May | Month of Flowers | Marian month during which parishes across the Diocese of Xuân Lộc organize floral offering pilgrimages. |
| All of October | Month of the Rosary and Consecration Anniversary (October 14) | Month of praying the Rosary, while October 14 marks both the founding anniversary of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc (1965) and the consecration of the Shrine of Mary Immaculate at Núi Cúi (2026). |
| November 24 | Vietnamese Martyrs | Feast corresponding to the title Queen of the Vietnamese Martyrs. |
| December 8 | Immaculate Conception | Patronal feast corresponding to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the primary title of the sanctuary. |
Visitors to Núi Cúi come from many walks of life. There are parish groups from the Diocese of Xuân Lộc, a region with one of the highest densities of Catholic churches in the country. There are day-trippers from Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring southeastern provinces. Catholic associations choose this venue for national gatherings, and non-Catholic visitors also come to view the monumental statue. The sanctuary's etiquette applies equally to all.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Ấp Dốc Mơ, xã Thống Nhất (xã Gia Tân 1 cũ, huyện Thống Nhất cũ), tỉnh Đồng Nai
- Getting there
- The center is located in Dốc Mơ Hamlet, Thống Nhất Commune (formerly Gia Tân 1 Commune, former Thống Nhất District), Đồng Nai Province, atop Núi Cúi Hill beside Trị An Lake. The white statue on the hilltop is visible from afar as one approaches the area.
- Coordinates
- 11.0859, 107.1545
This is a place of prayer rather than a recreational park, so sanctuary etiquette applies, including dressing modestly, removing hats inside the chapels and main shrine, and keeping silence while Mass is being celebrated on the plaza. Do not climb onto the statue pedestal. During Lunar New Year and major feast days when crowds are very large, please follow designated walkways, avoid cutting across liturgical areas during services, and help keep the plaza clean.
Nearby places in the library
VIIContribute To This Page
Contribute photos, information or video for Our Lady of Nui Cui Pilgrimage Center
Góp ảnh, thông tin hoặc video cho Trung tâm hành hương Đức Mẹ Núi CúiEveryone is welcome to enrich this page: a photo you took, a detail the page misses, a short video. Every contribution is read and answered.
Thầy Ưng Khiêm mời cộng đồng cùng làm giàu trang này. Ảnh chụp tận nơi, một chi tiết lịch sử chưa được nhắc, một đoạn video ngắn: mọi đóng góp đều được đọc và trả lời.
No community contribution yet. You could be the first. Chưa có đóng góp nào từ cộng đồng. Bạn có thể là người đầu tiên.
?Quick Questions
How tall is the statue of Our Lady of Núi Cúi
According to published records, the statue stands 50 meters tall from the ground to the top, comprising a 17-meter pedestal and a 33-meter figure. Seventeen represents Our Lady's age at the Annunciation according to diocesan tradition, and thirty-three represents the age of Jesus. The statue is made of glass-fiber reinforced concrete mounted on a reinforced concrete frame.
Where is Our Lady of Núi Cúi located
In Dốc Mơ Hamlet, Thống Nhất Commune (formerly Gia Tân 1 Commune, former Thống Nhất District), Đồng Nai Province. Administratively named Mount Cát Minh and locally known as Núi Cúi, it serves as the Marian pilgrimage center of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc, distinct from Xuân Lộc Cathedral.
When was Our Lady of Núi Cúi built and consecrated
The project was announced by Bishop Đaminh Nguyễn Chu Trinh in November 2013, broke ground on April 17, 2015, had its first stone laid on September 18, 2015, and opened to pilgrims during Lunar New Year 2022. The crown-shaped main shrine was consecrated by Bishop Gioan Đỗ Văn Ngân on October 14, 2026.
Is Núi Cúi the site of a Marian apparition
No. Diocesan records do not associate this hill with any apparition. It is a pilgrimage sanctuary chosen and built by the Diocese of Xuân Lộc under a project announced in 2013. Personal accounts of graces shared among pilgrims are testimonies of the faithful upon which the Church makes no official judgment.
Under what titles is Our Lady venerated at Núi Cúi
Under three titles, namely Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Queen of the Vietnamese Martyrs, and Mother of Divine Mercy. Each title has its own liturgical feast day on December 8, November 24, and the Second Sunday of Easter respectively.