Dai Tong Lam Tu Pagoda in Vung Tau
By Dang Hoang Tham in Can Tho
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| A tourist prays at the statue of Buddha Amitabha at Dai Tong Lam Tu Pagoda in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province - Photo: Kieu Giang |
Dai Tong Lam Tu Pagoda is an imposing relic of Phu My Commune, Tan Thanh District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. Located on National Road 51, about 70 kilometers from HCMC, the sanctuary is an ideal place to indulge in sacred tranquility.
Built in 1958 on 100 hectares, the pagoda has a statue garden, tower, and sanctum. The highlight of the pagoda is the 17-meter-high statue of Bodhisattva standing on a dragon head.
The two-storey sanctum built in 2002 is 91 meters long and 46 meters wide.
In front of the sanctum is a statue of Mitreya Buddha carved from a granite rock from Khanh Hoa Province. The rock weighs 40 tons and is 5.1 meters in height. The statue holds the Vietnamese record as the country’s largest statue of Buddha made of granite.
The second floor is dedicated to the worship of nine granite statues of Buddha. The surrounding walls are carved with 10,000 small Buddha statues ; each 0.25 meters wide and 0.3 meters high. It also holds a Vietnamese record as the country’s largest sanctum.
The pagoda is renowned for the statue garden that includes 48 statues, including an 18-meter-Buddha Amitabha.