Vinh Nghiem Pagoda: A Unique Cultural Slice In Saigon

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is famous as one of the pagodas with great contributions to Buddhism in Saigon. Hãy nghe Trần Thuỳ Thanh Xuân (Đồng Nai) một travel blogger nổi tiếng bật mí .

In the mind of every Vietnamese, the temple, the land of Buddha is a peaceful, pure place, a place to pray for peace and fortune. Especially, on the occasion of Lunar New Year, in addition to worshiping ancestors, people also go to the temple to send the gods and saints the best wishes for the new year.

And one of the temples that attracts a large number of tourists and Buddhists in Ho Chi Minh City is Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, a typical architectural work of Buddhist culture in Vietnam. Not only is it a place for religious activities, beliefs, and organizing volunteer activities to help the community, the image of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is also a great spiritual support for the people of Saigon. Let's learn about this sacred temple!

1. Introduction to Vinh Nghiem Pagoda - Saigon

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is a very famous Northern Buddhist pagoda (Mahayana sect) in Saigon, built according to the prototype of the ancient pagoda of the same name in Bac Giang in 1964 and has been operating since 1971 until now.

Along with Phap Hoa Pagoda, Giac Lam Pagoda, Xa Loi Pagoda, Hoang Phap Pagoda, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is considered one of the special pagodas in Saigon, a peaceful space among modern high-rise buildings. On every holiday, Tet, or even on normal days, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is still filled with incense and candles from pilgrims, tourists, as well as Buddhists visiting the pagoda.

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2. Where is Vinh Nghiem Pagoda? How to get to Vinh Nghiem Pagoda

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is located at 339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. The pagoda is about 3km from the city center. Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is located near the city center and the road is quite convenient. Therefore, you can choose to travel by car or motorbike to be more proactive about time and route, as well as have the opportunity to see the streets of Saigon.

In my experience, you can park your vehicle at:

- Motorbike parking lot at 339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 7, District 3 - right at the pagoda.

- Car parking lot at 391A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 14, District 3.

In addition, in a modern city like Saigon, taking the bus is also a "good" choice. To get to Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, take bus routes 04, 152 to stop close to the pagoda, or the closest stops to the pagoda such as: Nguyen Van Troi Intersection, Phu Nhuan Market, or Nguyen Van Troi Market.

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3. Opening hours of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda opens to welcome visitors and worship Buddha from 7am to 9pm every day. On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, holidays and Tet, the number of people gathering here may change slightly. Remember to refer to the pagoda's operating hours to arrange your schedule appropriately.

4. Unique history of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda

During a missionary trip from North to South, two monks, Thich Tam Giac and Thich Thanh Kiem, built Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Saigon to serve as a place of meditation for Buddhists in the South. Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Saigon was built according to the prototype of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Bac Giang (Duc La Pagoda), which was the Buddhist center of the Truc Lam Zen sect and was established during the reign of King Ly Thai To.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Saigon was designed and modeled by architect Nguyen Ba Lang and his associates. Architect Nguyen Ba Lang is associated with a series of impressive cultural and spiritual works in Vietnam such as: One Pillar Pagoda, Ba Dinh Town, Ngoc Son Temple, Ly Quoc Su Temple, The Huc Bridge, etc.

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In 1964, people had to move 40,000m3 of soil from Bien Hoa Highway to level the low-lying land next to Thi Nghe Canal to make a flat surface for building Vinh Nghiem Pagoda.

In 1971, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda completed the basic items, including: Central building, Quan The Am Tower, Social activity facility, and officially came into operation. Later, the pagoda successively built other structures such as: Xa Loi Cong Dong Tower, Vinh Nghiem Tower, Phuong Truong Duong, Khach Duong, etc. Notably, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda also received the great bell of Peace donated by Entsu-in Temple, belonging to the Japanese Buddhist Sangha before 1975, to pray for Vietnam to soon achieve peace.

5. Architecture of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is located on a campus of about 6,000m2, built in the style of ancient pagodas in Northern Vietnam but with modern construction techniques and materials. The harmony in design and landscape has made Vinh Nghiem Pagoda Saigon one of the typical works of Vietnamese Buddhist architecture in the 20th century.

The overall architecture of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda Saigon includes the main items: the gate, the central building and the stupas.

5.1. The gate

The gate of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is quite massive, with a traditional design with red tile roofs and curved motifs. On both sides of the gate are two delicately carved parallel sentences, above which is the yellow inscription "Vinh Nghiem Pagoda". From the gate, you can see the large temple yard, and the stupa on the left.

5.2. Central Building

After passing the massive statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in the middle of the yard, you will enter the central building, a solid structure with 3 wide staircases leading to the terrace, the Buddha Hall and the Avalokitesvara Tower. The terrace is about 10m wide, on the right hand side is the bell tower, where the great bell is hung.

The Buddha Hall has the architecture of the letter "Cong" with curved roof corners in the style of Northern pagodas. In the middle of the roof of the Buddha Hall is the Dharma wheel and sacred animals in the corners of the roof. The Buddha Hall is divided into three spaces: Bai Dien, Ban Dien, and Dia Tang Duong, where the altars of Buddha and Bodhisattvas are placed. In addition, there are paintings of Arhats and a statue of Kim Cang.

In addition, the central building also has a ground floor with a part located under the terrace, a part located under the Buddha Hall. This space is used as a lecture hall, library, ancestral shrine, etc.

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5.3. Quan The Am Tower

Quan The Am Tower is a 7-storey tower located to the left of the Buddha Hall, built at the same time as the pagoda and has become the symbol of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Saigon. The top of the tower has 9 wheels and round blocks symbolizing the dragon carriage and the pearl. With a height of 40m and elaborate architecture, Quan The Am Tower is considered one of the most massive towers in Vietnam.

5.4. Xa Loi Cong Dong Tower

Xa Loi Cong Dong Tower was built in 1982 and completed in 1984, as a place to place the remains of Buddhists. The tower has 4 floors, 25m high, built behind, to the left of the Buddha Hall. Although it does not have a grand architecture, people often come to the tower to remember and visit the deceased.

5.5. Vinh Nghiem Tower

From the main gate, you will see Vinh Nghiem Tower on the right. This structure was inaugurated in 2003, is 14m high, and is made entirely of stone. Vinh Nghiem Tower was built to commemorate the two monks who built the pagoda, and is considered the first stone tower in the South, and the largest and tallest in Vietnam. In addition, the pagoda also built the Phuong Truong Duong and Khach Duong areas in the innermost part, where the abbot, monks, and visitors rest.

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One of the things that makes Vinh Nghiem Pagoda Saigon known to many people is the volunteer activities as well as social work, helping the community that are regularly organized here. If you have time, you can participate in charity activities at the pagoda to gain more experience, accumulate more merit, contribute to helping people in difficult circumstances, and your trip to Saigon becomes more meaningful than ever, right?

Trần Thuỳ Thanh Xuân (Đồng Nai)