Vinh Nghiem Buddhist Temple

339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q.3, Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam +842838483153 chuavinhnghiemq3@gmail.com http://vinhnghiemvn.com/

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Description

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s oldest, most beautiful, most holiest pagodas. In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, the Vinh Nghiem pagoda is easily accessible by bicycle, bus, and automobile. Ben Thanh market is only approximately 20 minutes away. Each year, the pagoda attracts thousands of devotees and visitors, and the first and fifteenth days of lunar months are particularly busy. This pagoda’s construction began in 1964 and was completed in 1971.

This 6,000 square meter Mahayana Buddhist pagoda is organized into three primary sections: the Shanman gate (three-arched gate), the Grand Hall, and the surrounding towers.

This temple, like all other Mahayana Buddhist temples, honors Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Arahants (Louhans) rather than Buddha alone, as do Theravada Buddhist temples. The entire purpose of the Great Hall is to honor the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Arahants. Buddha is venerated in the center of the Great Hall, flanked by two Bodhisattvas on his left and right.

Architecture of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is one of the defining examples of 20th-century Vietnamese Buddhist architecture, featuring the Tam Quan gate, the Central building, and the Towers.

This is a substantial work of traditional architecture with a red-tiled, curved roof. In the past, when Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street was not extended, the gate was around 4 meters away from the existing pagoda and approximately 30 centimeters lower. In 2005, as a result of the city’s expansion of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, the pagoda’s Tam Quan gate was relocated inside to its current site.

The relocation ensures that the pagoda’s architectural landscape is not disrupted. It helps to maintain a building in the city with artistic, cultural, and historical significance.

The core building is a massive, sturdy construction with an upper level and a ground level. In front of the center building is a statue of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The ground floor is divided into two sections, including the ancestor worshiping house (which contains a Bodhidharma altar), lecture hall, office, library (one of the three libraries of the Buddhist Association of Ho Chi Minh City), monk chamber and classrooms, etc.

From the courtyard, three 23-step wide staircases rise to the upper floor, which includes the terrace, the Buddha Hall, and the Quan The Am Tower.

The width of the terrace is around 10 meters. On the right is a bell tower from which hangs a big bell (or “The Bell of Peace”, 1.8 m in diameter; cast in 1971) that was donated by Tao Dong Buddhists in Japan prior to 1975 in order to pray for peace in Vietnam.

The Buddha Hall is designed in the style of the Chinese “Cong” calligraphy (). The roof’s corners are rounded in the style of northern pagodas. The Wheel of Dharma and the corners of a phoenix’s head are located in the center of the roof. Bai Dien, Ban Dien, and Dia Tang Duong comprise the Buddha Hall’s three sections.

Bai Dien measures 35 meters in length, 22 meters in width, and 15 meters in height. Columns, racks, and roof tiles are all cast from reinforced concrete. In the center of the Bai Dien is the Buddha’s altar. Bodhisattva Van Thu (left) and Bodhisattva Pho Hien (right) represent the two sides (right). This area’s walls are lined with Arhat murals. These woodcarvings feature Bao Lam Tu Linh and Bao Lam Cuu Long, as well as reliefs depicting notable temples in Vietnam and other Asian nations. On the porch on either side of the entry is a relatively large statue of Kim Cang.

The architecture of Ban Dien (worshipping Buddha Amitabha) and Dia Tang Duong (worshipping Jiz Bodhisattva) is comparable to that of Bai Dien.

The Quan The Am Tower is positioned to the left of the Buddha Hall (from the entry to the inside) and is about 40 meters tall. It was constructed at the same time as the pagoda. Each side of the tower’s base is six meters long. The pinnacle of the tower is adorned with nine round wheels and spherical forms named Long Xa and Quy Chau. This is the largest tower among the Buddhist towers in Vietnam.

The four-story, 25-meter-tall Xa Loi Community Tower was constructed in 1982 and completed in 1984. The courtyard has stairs leading upwards. This is where Buddhists and their families come to visit their ancestors’ graves.

The 14-meter-tall Vinh Nghiem Stone Tower was inaugurated in December 2003 to honor the late monk Thich Thanh Kiem, one of the pagoda’s two revered founders. This is the first stone tower in the South, as well as the largest and highest stone tower ever constructed in Vietnam.

In addition, the pagoda contains a guest house and a vegetarian restaurant to accommodate the needs of all tourists.

History of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is a relatively new pagoda that was constructed in 1964, when northern monks Thich Tam Giac and Thich Thanh Kiem came to the south to teach Buddhism and began building. The pagoda was created by the architect Nguyen Ba Lang in collaboration with Mr. Le Tan Chuyen and Mr. Co Van Hau, based on the model and namesake of the historic wooden Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Bac Giang Province, which was constructed during the time of King Ly Thai To in the 11th century.

The pagoda began in a low-lying area on the Thi Nghe canal, where 40,000m3 of land from the Bien Hoa highway had to be moved for leveling at a cost of 98 million Vietnamese dong at the time, all funded by Buddhists. After seven years, in 1971, the Central Building, Quan The Am Tower, and a base for social activities were essentially built. Later, more structures were erected, including the Xa Loi Community Tower, the Vinh Nghiem Stone Tower, and a guesthouse…

After completion, the pagoda will be situated on a 6,000-square-meter campus that is perfectly suited for prayer and relaxation. The pagoda’s architecture is in the traditional style of northern Vietnam, although it was constructed using contemporary building materials and methods.