Cao Dai Cathedral, Tay Ninh

"Caodaism is a syncretic religion that had its beginnings in Vietnam, then part of French Indo-China, in the 1920s. Its founder, Ngo Minh Chieu (or Ngo Van Chieu), was a French civil servant and was also a mystic who was well-versed in western and eastern religions. In 1919 he began receiving revelations about the truth of religions from God (Caodai) that told him to combine the teachings of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam and other religions into one religion to promote peace. In 1926 he revealed his seances to the public as a new belief system. It soon became quite popular..."

The main thing that interested me about this religion is the fact that it combines so many religions together the French founder believed he had devine inspiration from God to bring western and eastern religions back together as fundamentally they all have the same route. The Cao Dai symbol in every window of the Cathedral shows the left eye of God (this is what the founder was believed to have seen in the 1900s).

The other really crazy thing that struck me about this religion was some of their saints - Shakespeare and Victor Hugo are both saints to this religion and Jesus from Christianity is also a saint along side these playwrights and poets.

The different colour robes that the priests wear actually represent 3 of the principle religions coming together... Yellow for Buddhism, blue for Taoism and Red for Christianity. The Cathedral itself is amazingly decorated and colourful, inside the ceilings are covered in painted clouds and stars.

All seemed a bit alien to me (being brought up a traditional Christian) but I really liked the idea of bringing every religion back together.