The temple has bells echoing from the lotus pond and possesses the rarest tree species

On good days of the month, people around the pagoda, once considered the most scenic spot in ancient Gia Dinh city, hear the sound of bronze bells echoing from the lotus pond.

On good days of the month, people around the pagoda, once considered the most scenic spot in ancient Gia Dinh city, hear the sound of bronze bells echoing from the lotus pond.

The white elephant lost its footing and the sacred bell fell into the water

Hidden under the green canopy of ancient trees, Phung Son Tu (District 11, Ho Chi Minh City) is ancient, quiet with unique anecdotes. Legend has it that the pagoda was originally called Go Pagoda because it was temporarily built on a high mound by Zen Master Lieu Thong.

One day, the Zen master saw a phoenix fly to the sycamore tree in front of the temple, eat the fruit, and sing loudly. Seeing this as a good omen, the Zen master decided to change the name of Go Pagoda to Phung Son Tu, also known as Phung Son Pagoda.

According to the book "Phung Son Pagoda - History and Culture" of Social Sciences Publishing House, the location of the pagoda was the foundation of an ancient Khmer pagoda that had been abandoned for many years. During two exploratory excavations in 1988 and 1991, archaeologists found many artifacts made of terracotta, bricks, Oc Eo ceramics... This shows that under the foundation of the ancient temple, there once existed a Buddhist god temple. Brahman from the Oc Eo culture period.

The information that Phung Son pagoda is located on the foundation of an ancient Khmer pagoda was also recorded by the pagoda in an anecdote of people around the pagoda hearing the bell ringing from the water tank.

Regarding this anecdote, Venerable Thich Tri Dinh, Abbot of Phung Son Pagoda, said that the pagoda's history records that during the reign of King Gia Long, the Khmer people decided to abandon the pagoda. When leaving, people took with them Buddha statues and bronze bells.

A corner of the ancient Phung Son pagoda

These items were loaded by the Khmer people onto the back of a white elephant. However, when the elephant moved a short distance, his foot suddenly fell into the lotus pond around the pagoda, causing the Buddha statue and bronze bell to fall into the water.

Venerable Tri Dinh said: "Later, people recovered the Buddha statue and brought it to the temple to worship. Currently, the statue is still worshiped in the main hall of the temple. There was only the bell, although I searched diligently but still couldn't find it.

Later, at auspicious hours on the lunar days of each month, people around the area often heard the bell ringing from under that water tank. Seeing the strange thing, the people named the water tank with the falling bell Bau Chuong.

Also according to Venerable Tri Dinh, later, people encroached on the land and dumped waste into Bau Chuong, so this pond became polluted. Since then, no one has heard the bell ringing again.

To remind of this anecdote, Phung Son built and worshiped a statue of a white elephant carrying a Buddha statue on its back and a bronze bell in the temple grounds. Next to this statue is a stele recording the above anecdote.

The statue recreates the story of a white statue carrying a Buddha statue and a bronze bell

In addition to unique anecdotes, Phung Son Pagoda is also famous for its beautiful scenery. In the past, the pagoda was praised as the most famous beauty spot of Gia Dinh citadel.

In the work Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi, Trinh Hoai Duc describes the pagoda grounds as having "many male apricot trees, old trees leaning down, flowers blooming with a sweet fragrance". He wrote: "The stream gurgled around the mound. In the late afternoon, the girls leaned on their canoes to pick lotus.

When the weather is nice, writers and poets carrying pregnant women go up each step, meditating under the flowers, the poems seem like a real landscape for tourists to see...".

Owning the most precious tree in the city

Currently, Phung Son Pagoda is still shaded by green trees. Many ancient trees here are over a hundred years old. However, the most famous is the white apricot tree that was planted in 1909. Up to now, this apricot tree is 114 years old.

Venerable Thich Tri Dinh said that the white apricot tree at the pagoda was planted by monk Hue Minh from Cay Mai pagoda (also known as Mai Son pagoda on Mai hill, in ancient Gia Dinh). The tree produces white flowers, which usually bloom at night during Tet. White apricot flowers have a gentle fragrance.

The rare ancient apricot tree of Ho Chi Minh City is located in the grounds of Phung Son pagoda

The Vietnam Association for the Protection of Nature and Environment analyzed that white apricot is also known as apricot apricot, and its scientific name is Ochrocarpos siamensis, belonging to the mangosteen family. This flower is considered a precious and rare apricot variety in the South, so it is also called nam apricot.

Bach Mai appears a lot in the poetry of ancient people and guests of Gia Dinh. The white apricot tree of Phung Son Pagoda was also mentioned by Trinh Hoai Duc when describing the beautiful scenery of this pagoda.

In the work Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi, he wrote: “At the distance of 13 and a half miles south of the town, the mound is high, there are many apricot trees, old trees lean down, but in the blooming season there is no snow, only snow. The leaves only protect the fragrance. The sacred camphor flower that is born cannot be planted elsewhere."

The ancient white apricot tree at Phung Son soars high above the temple roof. However, the tree now does not have many large branches or branches left because it has been neatly cut and pruned.

The tree is old and has many dead and dry branches, so it has been neatly pruned

Above the large tree trunk, about one person hugging, are small, green branches, covering a corner of the temple roof. Due to old age, part of the tree's base rotted, causing the tree to lean and fall toward the temple roof. Faced with this situation, the pagoda held a meeting to discuss with local authorities to find ways to protect and care for the tree.

According to Venerable Thich Tri Dinh, currently, in Ho Chi Minh City there is almost no apricot blossom left. In particular, after the more than 300-year-old white apricot tree at Giac Vien Pagoda (District 11) no longer existed, the "old" white apricot tree of Phung Son Pagoda became the most precious and rare flower tree in Ho Chi Minh City.

Therefore, in addition to measures to protect and care for the ancient white apricot tree, Venerable Thich Tri Dinh also sought to propagate and plant more of this precious tree species in the temple grounds. However, Venerable Tri Dinh said white apricot is very difficult to grow and care for.

To date, the pagoda has only successfully planted one white apricot tree from the mother tree variety. Currently, this tree is over 70 years old.

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Update day : 16/11/2023