For a long time, Tien Giang has been famous for many architectural works, which bear the imprint of the Southwest region of our country. In particular, Vinh Trang Pagoda is one of the places with outstanding architecture that any visitor should not miss the opportunity to visit. Every year, this place opens the door for thousands of visitors from all over the world, they come to pray as well as learn about the culture and history. Right now, let’s find out interesting things about Vinh Trang Pagoda in Tien Giang with Mekong Smile.
Experiences when visiting Vinh Trang Pagoda in 2022
Introduce about Vinh Trang Pagoda
Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho attracts tourists from all over the world not only for its surface and vastness but also for its unique architecture. This is a combination of East and West interwoven with traditional Vietnamese spiritual values.
Where is Vinh Trang Pagoda?
- Address: Nguyen Trung Truc Street, My An Hamlet, Ward 8, My Tho City, Tien Giang.
Along with Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery (Can Tho), Bat Pagoda (Soc Trang), Xiem Can Pagoda (Bac Lieu),… Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho is one of the largest pagodas in the Southwest region. This pagoda is located about 3 kilometers from the center of My Tho city. Every year, this place attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world to visit and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The appropriate time to visit Vinh Trang Pagoda
From January to March of the lunar calendar, when the spring weather is warm, is also a suitable time for you to visit Vinh Trang pagoda. Combining spring travel with the pagoda ceremony to pray for good luck. However, this is also the peak season for tourists to visit here and is often overcrowded. Therefore, if you are a lover of solemnity, you can visit the temple at another time of the year.
How to visit Vinh Trang Pagoda?
You can take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho or nearby provinces to My Tho, then take a taxi to the pagoda. However, if you are a lover of backpacking trips and the atmosphere of freedom to explore, you can still travel by motorbike. Because it is located on the main road named Nguyen Trung Truc, finding the way to Vinh Trang pagoda in My Tho is also quite easy.
What is special about Vinh Trang Pagoda?
The Pagoda’s architecture
At the beginning, the pagoda built in the Northern Tong style, in the shape of the word Quoc (國). However, later the pagoda added some other architectural pieces of Khmer and Westerners. But the main theme is still traditional Vietnamese architecture. The pagoda built into four main compartments: the front hall, the main hall, the ancestral house, and the rear house. The pagoda has an area of 14,000 square meters. All are built with cement and a variety of precious woods.
Inside the main hall there is a large rockery in the middle. The architecture of the main hall is quite special because it built in the Roman architectural style, mixed with rows of colorful French marble on the roof. In addition, the pagoda also preserves nearly 20 different watercolor paintings painted from a long time ago.
Previously, the pagoda preserved quite well with many old memorabilia. However, there are some young people who have damaged some architecture while visiting. Especially, the wooden poles that are more than 100 years old engraved with their names. Therefore, the temple equipped with surveillance cameras and does not encourage too many visitors to visit.
Big statues
The sculptures and Buddha statues covered with a special golden layer. It has the effect of highlighting the architectural features and preventing termites. The main hall built with large wooden pillars from hard woods, the bottom poured with a solid concrete layer.
Vinh Trang Pagoda has about 60 Buddha statues cast in many different materials: wood, cement, bronze, terracotta and painted with gilded paint. All of them date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Especially 3 bronze statues nearly 1 meter high dating from the mid-19th century.
Maitreya Buddha Statue
The statue has a length of 27 meters, a width of 18 meters, a height of 20 meters and weighs about 250,000kg made of concrete and reinforced materials. This Buddha statue inaugurated on January 22nd, 2010. Inside the Buddha statue is also used to design the working office of the Buddhist Administration of Tien Giang province. Includes lecture hall and accommodation for 200 people.
Amitabha Buddha Statue
The Amitabha Buddha statue inaugurated on January 14th, 2008. Standing statue has a height of 18 meters from the foot to the top, the pedestal is 7 meters high, and weighs 150 tons.
Shakyamuni Buddha reclining Statue
There is also a reclining Buddha statue, often misunderstood as Amitabha Buddha. In fact, these two Buddhas are completely different. Morever, this Shakyamuni Buddha completed on February 15th, 2013 with a 35 meters long base; 7 meters high, 18 meters wide. The Buddha built with a length of 32 meters, a height of 10 meters, and a weight of 250 tons of reinforced concrete.
Seven-floor tower
Beside the giant and majestic Buddha statues, it also has a tower located in the back. This tower is 7 floors and is the place to keep the ashes of Buddhists and monks in the temple.
Wonderful place for check-in, self-fie
Your trip to Vinh Trang Pagoda will be incomplete if you skip taking beautiful photos here. Because every small corner in the pagoda grounds are ideal “sefl-fie” backgrounds.
What things should you know about Vinh Trang Pagoda
The history of Vinh Trang Pagoda
The pagoda built in the 19th century by Mr. Bui Cong Dat – an official of the Minh Mang period. Initially, the pagoda was just a small temple. In 1849, a monk named Thich Hue Dang returned to be the abbot and built it into a large temple, named Vinh Trang. The name Vinh Trang is meant to imply: “Eternal for the mountains, eternal for heaven and earth” – A temple that will live forever.
In 1907, the monk named Chanh Hau restored the temple and built many innovative features in architecture with a special blend of Asia and Europe. In 1930, a monk named Minh Dang completely restored the temple’s architecture. Although it has gone through the ups and downs of time and many remodels, the temple still retains the majestic and ancient lines.
Abbots at Vinh Trang Pagoda:
Up to now, the temple has experienced many abbots:
- Hue Dang: Abbot from 1849 to 1864.
- Minh De: Abbot in 1864
- Quang An
- Minh Truyen
- Chanh Hau: Abbot from 1890-1923
- Minh Dan: Abbot from 1923 to 1939
- Phat An: Abbot from 1939-1943
- Tri Long: Abbot from 1954-1987
- Buu Thong: Abbot from 1987 to 1988
- Hoang Tu: Abbot from 1988-1991
- Thich Hoang Thong: Abbot from 1992 – 1994
- Nhut Long: Abbot from 1995 – 2002
- Hue Minh: Abbot from 2002 to present.
Noticing things when visiting Vinh Trang Pagoda
- When visiting, you should keep the dignified and quiet atmosphere for the temple, not noisy.
- If you intend to check-in and take photos, you should also wear elegant and polite costumes to enter the temple; you should not wear shorts, mesh tops…
- Please take off your shoes and hats before entering the main hall, the ancestral church, etc.
- You should ask for permission in advance and should not arbitrarily take photos in the area inside the forecourt, the organizer…
- Do not bargain on items sold in the temple premises.
- You should not arbitrarily visit private areas in the temple such as the kitchen area; private living or resting area of the monks,…
Beautiful photos
If you have the opportunity to come to Tien Giang, you must definitely visit Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho at least once in your life. The temple not only has a unique architecture, but the outside landscape is also beautiful. Hopefully, the spiritual tourism experiences of Vinh Trang pagoda that I have just shared will help you have interesting and memorable experiences!
Source: https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%B9a_V%C4%A9nh_Tr%C3%A0ng
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