Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery - Spiritual destination in Can Tho

Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery is a good choice for you if you are intending to travel to in Can Tho. It is a very famous pure spiritual place. This post is useful for you to consider making. This Zen Monastery is a Zen monastery that belonging to the Truc Lam Yen Tu sect of Vietnam. It is a great spiritual tourist destination. Visitors coming here can both visit and admire the largest monastery in the West. And they can find serenity and peace when the soul is agitated.

At the same time, you can worship at the temple, pray for luck, pray for peace, and pray for good luck. This is one of the largest Zen monasteries in the Southwest region, as of 2014. What is there in this Truc Lam monastery that attracts so many young people and Buddhists to visit. Let’s explore with Mekong Smile Tour.

What is a Zen Monastery?

Zen monasteries are also often large temples, dedicated to meditation. In Can Tho, Truc Lam Zen Monastery is a large Zen monastery of the Truc Lam Yen Tu sect founded in 1994 (built in 1993). This place is also a scenic spot of Can Tho that attracts many tourists. This is one of the largest Zen monasteries in the Southwest region, Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery attracts so many young people and Buddhists to visit.

What is Truc Lam Zen?

Truc Lam Zen (禪派竹林) is a Vietnamese Zen lineage formed during the Tran Dynasty. Furthermore, it King Tran Nhan Tong founded it. Truc Lam was originally the name of Tran Nhan Tong since he ordained in Vu Lam cave (Ninh Binh). It also the name of Zen Master Dao Vien, the predecessor of Tran Nhan Tong. Then, it is the second patriarch of this Zen lineage. Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery in Can Tho is one of the places that own Truc Lam Zen.

Truc Lam Zen has three outstanding Zen masters: Nhan Tong (Truc Lam Dau Da), Phap Loa and Huyen Quang (collectively known as Truc Lam Tam To). This Zen sect considered a continuation but a fusion of three Vietnamese Zen lines of the 12th century – the Thao Duong. Furthermore, it were The Vo Ngon Thong and the Tinida-luuchi lineages. With the founding of the Truc Lam sect, Tran Nhan Tong unified the pre-existing Zen sects and the entire Tran Buddhist pagoda into one.

About Truc Lam Zen Monastery Can Tho

Construction time of Truc Lam Zen Monastery

Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery in Can Tho built on an area of nearly 4 hectares. It started construction in July 2013 and completed after 10 months of construction in May 2014. The inauguration ceremony of Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery in Can Tho solemnly held on May 17, 2014. And under the chairmanship of the Can Tho Buddhist Executive Board.

Overview of the design of Phuong Nam Zen Monastery in Can Tho

Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery in Can Tho impresses with its architecture. It is including a tiled roof structure, columns and frames all using ironwood, brick walls, floors and walkways paved with Chinese bricks.

The campus of Truc Lam Zen Monastery is balanced with 20 construction items such as: ancestral house, spacious hall, water house, 9-storey stupa, drum tower, bell tower, guest house, roadside area, and library.

Particularly impressive are the items made from about 1,000 ironwood blocks imported from South Africa. The bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, the statue of Bodhisattvas and the wooden ancestor Du Sam with a lifespan of 800 years.

Where is Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery?

Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery address located in My Khanh commune, Phong Dien district, Can Tho city. About 15km from the city center, is an extremely famous temple, bearing many architectural and cultural features of the Ly – Tran dynasties.

The monastery located more than 15km from the center of Can Tho, surrounded with luxuriant fruit gardens. Nearby are two large eco-tourism areas with many different fun activities, namely My Khanh tourist area and Ong De tourist area.

Truc Lam Zen Monastery is the largest monastery in the West. It is one of the largest Buddhist works in the Southwest. The former Minister of National Defense, General Pham Van Tra proposed to build it.

Specific address: located in the historical site of Lo Vong Cung, TL 923, My Nhon hamlet, My Khanh commune, Phong Dien district, Can Tho city.

Ticket price for visit Truc Lam Zen Monastery

The monastery is free for visitors and Buddhists to visit. At the monastery, the car parked inside the temple and it is completely free. In the parking area, there is a merit box, you can put money in it at will.

Opening and closing hours of Truc Lam Zen Monastery: 5:00am – 9:00pm.

The way to visit Zen Monastery

If you are in the Northern and Central provinces/cities, you can travel by plane to Can Tho International Airport. The ticket price is quite cheap, ranging from 500.000 VND – 2 million depending on the airline and the time of travel.
If you are in Saigon or the western provinces, you can travel with private vehicle or by bus. Bus fares are also very cheap, only about 80.000 VND – 150.000 VND depending on when you go. Mekong Smile suggests to you a few well-reviewed car companies such as Phuong Trang, Thanh Buoi.

When is the right time to go to Zen Monastery?

If you want to enjoy the peaceful and fresh feeling of the temple, you should choose to come to Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery on weekdays. These days there are usually not too many visitors. You can freely take pictures with all styles without being afraid of people around. Your check-in photo also won’t get too many people in the photo. It’s great, isn’t it!

And if you want to have the atmosphere of the days when people visit the temple. If the scent of smoke is faint in the wind, you should choose holidays. Bring ao dai, spring couplets, red envelopes as photography accessories. Carefully equipped helps you have an extra set of “quality” photos. You should choose cool or sunny days, when the air is quite fresh, suitable for visiting the monastery.

History of Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery

The Zen Monastery started construction on July 16, 2013 (June 19, the year of the Snake in Eastern calendar). Completed and put into operation on May 17, 2014 (April 19, year of the Horse in Eastern calendar). The monastery is very large, with a total area of 38,016m2 with many temples and attics.

What is outside this monastery?

The area of the three-way gate and the outside yard

The area at Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery has many unique architectural features, including the three-door gate of the monastery, which is an item designed according to a reinforced concrete structure with imitation of wood, including three paths, the middle aisle and two symmetrical aisles on either side.

The three-door gate has a boat-shaped roof with four extremely impressive claws, roofed with red fish fin tiles and decorated with a two-dragon pattern flanking the Falun wheel right on the top.

Going straight through the three-door gate, visitors will come to the main hall, impressed with the left and right sides including 18 statues of “Twelve bowls of Arhat” carved in stone.

The main hall

From the main courtyard of Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery, going straight to the main hall, also known as Dai Hung Buu Dien, is roofed with eight-roof tiles in the style of the Tran dynasty. It built on a large area, with a large capacity up to hundreds of people performing at the same time. The two sides are the bell tower (right hand side) and drum tower (left hand side).

The main hall designed in the style of five compartments, two wings and three entrances, which is the most majestic and sacred place. Furthermore, it was featuring the architecture of two yin and yang roofs, in the middle is the architecture of the wheel of Dharma. The trusses, rowing poles, crossbeams in the main hall are all built of ironwood and precious woods.

Public living area

The living area of the monks in Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery is right behind the Patriarchate, including areas such as the library, the kitchen, the gallery, the pavilion. Next, the most impressive thing is that there are many trees around for a peaceful, airy space, beautiful scenery so visitors can take pictures there.

In the living quarters of Truc Lam Zen Monastery. There is a forbidden area, which is the living quarters and private living quarters of the monks, only for monks in the temple and those on duty who need to go inside.

Free healing house

The free treatment house at Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery in Can Tho is a traditional medicine clinic, specializing in helping difficult patients with Chinese medicine.

Every day, many patients come to visit the free treatment house at Truc Lam Zen monastery in Can Tho, the clinic operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays:

In the morning: from 7 a.m to 11 a.m.
In the afternoon: from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Back gate area

Go straight, turn left, through the room of the abbot of Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery (for the staff to rest and live), see a large Maitreya Buddha statue, visitors can go to the back gate area.

What is inside Truc Lam Zen Monastery?

Unique architecture inside the monastery

With pure Vietnamese architecture in the Ly and Tran dynasties, it brings a sense of purity and closeness to Buddhists when visiting. Especially Tam Quan gate, one of the most beautiful works in Truc Lam. The roof of the three-door gate with the shape of a boat covered with red fish fin tiles. The crests decorated with an extremely eye-catching two-dragon pattern. Morever, the words “Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery” are embossed with impressive gold plating.

The main hall or Tam Bao palace is large with 680m2 and can accommodate more than 200 people. This is the most majestic and sacred place of the temple. This place is designed according to the architecture of five compartments with three entrances. All the architecture inside the main hall is built entirely of ironwood and other precious woods. The couplets in the main hall are also decorated with majestic gold, highlighting the development of Buddhism in the Ly – Tran dynasties.

From the main hall, going to the back of Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery in Can Tho is the Patriarch’s pagoda. This place is arranged with typical miniatures of the temple to create a harmonious and quiet landscape. And the existence of buildings such as Maitreya Palace, One Pillar Pagoda, Guest Hall, Oriental Medicine Room and many other structures.

Buddha statues at monastery in Can Tho

The two sides of the corridor leading to the back of the Phuong Nam boathouse display many marble statues. Futhermore, the giant statues are equally splendid such as the Statue of Dat Ma Master, Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, Zen Master Huyen Quang, Zen Master Phap Loa. Then, the most prominent is the bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha weighing more than three tons.

Notices when visiting

Here are some notices for visitors when visiting to Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monatery:

Doesn’t make noise, doesn’t make a loud or disorderly sound. Because this is the holy place of Buddhist monks.
Do not throw garbage or spit indiscriminately. Let’s keep the general hygiene!
Dress modestly and politely.
Take conscious, humane, non-offensive photography.
Avoid taking pictures with Buddha statues.

Above is sharing experiences of going to Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen monastery in Can Tho city. Hope the article will be useful for your trip to the land of Can Tho. Besides the Truc Lam Zen Monastery, you can refer to some other famous spiritual tourist sites in Can Tho.

Can Tho tours you may like: