Jade Emperor Pagoda

73 Đ. Mai Thị Lựu, Đa Kao, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam

Now Open

Description

Built in 1909 to honor the highest Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), this is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most evocative temples, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes.

When visiting Ho Chi Minh City, it is essential to visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda. In addition to its spiritual significance, this pagoda is a stunning example of old Chinese architecture. This ancient pagoda is nestled between towering buildings in the heart of the city’s economic district. It will be one of the most recommended travel places anytime you have the opportunity to visit the city.

Architecture of Jade Emperor Pagoda

The pagoda attracts people from all over the country and the world due to its distinctive interior and exterior designs, hundreds of statues and figurines, wood carvings, and the calming aroma of burning incense. The Jade Emperor Pagoda is an ancient, huge pagoda with a 2300-square-meter footprint, which provides ample space for everyone to wander and explore.

Numerous stunning murals adorn the pagoda’s walls and ceilings, which are designed in the Chinese religious architecture style. The roof is composed of brilliantly colored yin-yang tiles. On the roof and gables are a number of statues.

The pagoda’s main entrance is roughly 6 meters wide and 4.5 meters tall. It is a single-door gate with a single roof, unlike the majority of pagodas and temples in Ho Chi Minh City, which have three-door gates with multi-tiered roofs.

In reality, there are two entrances: the main entry, which is supported by two pink concrete pillars and has a tiled roof, and the side entrance, which is smaller. The smaller entrance is supported by two red-inscribed stone doors.

The pagoda is 2,300 square meters in size. The main entrance and major structure are joined by a courtyard located outside. There is a parking area for motorcycles, a Dharmapala Shrine, a lotus-filled fish pond, an incense burner and a candle-lighting area, a turtle pond, and numerous trees in the yard.

The pagoda is emphasized by a great number of shade-providing oak trees. Despite the scorching heat in Ho Chi Minh City, visitors to the pagoda’s courtyard will welcome the fresh, cool air. It is a world apart from the rest of Saigon, which consists of densely packed and buzzing skyscrapers.

Inside the pagoda are several wooden, porcelain, and cardboard paintings, statues, and shrines. The pagoda contains over 300 miniatures, including 100 constructed of cartridge paper.

There are three halls in the pagoda: the front hall, the middle hall, and the rear hall. Each hall is a unique example of old architecture. There is a Buddha statue in the entrance hall. On special occasions, the front and center halls are filled with singing and feasting.

History of Jade Emperor Pagoda

The Jade Emperor Pagoda was constructed in the early 20th century by a Chinese man named Luu Minh, who left China and settled in Vietnam. As a devotee of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, he desired to build a pagoda to honor Buddha and Jade Pagoda.

In 1982, the renowned Buddhist monk Thich Vinh Khuong assumed control of the pagoda. The pagoda has since been owned by the Vietnam Buddhist Association.

Jade Emperor Pagoda was renamed Phuoc Hai Tu in 1984. However, people continue to name it “Jade Emperor Pagoda” because, according to Chinese religious tradition, the center chamber is a place to worship the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor Pagoda was repaired four times between 1943 and 1986.

The pagoda was designated a national site of artistic and architectural significance in 1994.

In 2016, Jade Emperor Pagoda was privileged to get a visit from Barack Obama, the president of the United States.