Phung Son Pagoda

The Phung Son Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City is a stunning 19th century Buddhist temple. The temple contains approximately 40 magnificent porcelain and copper figures, and devotees visit everyday to pray. Furthermore, the land surrounding the temple was excavated to disclose structures from the Funan period of the first century AD.

Bonze Lieu Thong founded the Phung Son Pagoda in the early nineteenth century. It has undergone two major restorations since then. A group of Sa Dec craftsmen sculpted several of the figures located in the pagoda.

It was decided many years ago that it should be relocated to a separate location. For transportation, all of the ritual artifacts were piled onto the back of a white elephant. The elephant stumbled on the route to the new location, and all of the valuable items fell into a nearby pond. This occurred as a sign that the pagoda should remain in its original place. Except for the bell, which locals claim was heard ringing everytime there was a new or full moon up until a century ago, all of the ceremonial objects were recovered.

The pagoda also houses a number of valuable statues, including Di Da Tam Ton, Ngu Hien Thuong Ky Thu, a stone statue of Buddha coated in gold leaves, and a ceramic statue of Tieu Dien. The surrounding area is an archaeological site where various artifacts, including baked earthen head statues and ceramic artefacts from the Oc-Eo culture, have been excavated. The pagoda has been designated as a historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture. Three times a day, from 4 to 5 a.m., 4 to 5 p.m., and 6 to 7 p.m., people pray.