Stepping into a Cao Dai temple feels like wandering through a kaleidoscope of spiritual symbolism. The Divine Eye—often set inside a radiant triangle—sits front and center, a direct nod to the “All-Seeing Eye” but reimagined through an Eastern lens. It captures that sense of universal watchfulness, bridging ideas from Christian iconography to Taoist mysticism.

Color plays lead role here. Five hues—red, blue, yellow, white and black—dance across banners, walls and even worshipers’ sashes. Each shade corresponds to one of the five elements and the principal branches of the faith:
• Blue signals compassion (Buddhism)
• Yellow stands for propriety and virtue (Confucianism)
• Red embodies courage and love (Christianity)
• White echoes purity and sincerity (Islamic influences)
• Black represents neutrality and the unseen mysteries (Taoism)

Those stripes aren’t just for show; they’re the very heartbeat of Cao Dai’s syncretism, popping up on the temple flag and weaving through ceremonial robes.

Iconography borrows freely from East and West. Dragons and phoenixes coil around columns, guarding the inner sanctum just as they guard imperial palaces in Chinese lore. The Four Holy Beasts—Qilin, Turtle, Phoenix and Dragon—stand sentinel near shrines, each symbolizing virtues like justice, endurance, renewal and power. Meanwhile, statues of Buddha, Jesus, Confucius and Lao Tzu share the spotlight, wearing “hats” from different traditions without missing a beat.

Lotus blossoms float on painted ceilings and altars, a gentle reminder of spiritual awakening even in muddy waters. Mandalas combine Vietnamese folk motifs with cosmic maps borrowed from Tibetan art. Incense smoke swirls like living brushstrokes across these patterns, tying together hundreds of years of religious cross-pollination.

In cities like Tây Ninh—home to the faith’s largest Holy See—newly restored temples are drawing crowds again, especially during Tet and international religious tourism fairs. That surge feels like proof that Cao Dai’s vibrant tapestry of symbols still speaks to people hungry for a worldview that wears many hats yet stays unmistakably unified.