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Visitors to the Mekong Delta have probably heard the name Tien Giang - one of the largest provinces located between two famous names such as Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. This tourist destination converges many factors that make it a great tourist destination in the southern region of Vietnam, for example, unique cuisine, interesting destinations, and among them is the largest pagoda in the region - Vinh Trang Pagoda.
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1. A Brief Introduction
Vinh Trang Pagoda is the largest Buddhist temple in Tien Giang province, ranked as a national historical-cultural relic in 1984. The pagoda was built in the early 19th century by Mr. and Mrs. Bui Cong Dat.
In 1894, the monk Thich Hue Dang of Giac Lam Pagoda (Gia Dinh) became the abbot and organized the construction of the pagoda and named it Vinh Truong Pagoda with the implication of wishing for the pagoda to be "exists forever alongside with the universe.”
In 1907, the monk Tra Chanh Hau repaired the main hall, mixing both Asian and European architectural features. In 1930, the monk Minh Dang completely restored the pagoda to its current appearance. This pagoda is much younger than the pagodas in Bac Ninh, which is why Vinh Trang Pagoda has an architectural style, unlike any other temple and pagoda in Vietnam.
2. Architecture of Vinh Trang Pagoda
If Hanoi is proud of Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ninh Binh has Bai Dinh Pagoda, Quang Ninh has Yen Tu Pagoda, then Vinh Trang is definitely the pride of Tien Giang because it is considered a pagoda with the most unique architecture in the Southern Vietnam. The highlight of Vinh Trang Pagoda is the three-entrance gate with the art of assembling pieces of porcelain.
Taking advantage of the colorful ceramics, ancient artisans skillfully arranged many paintings illustrating Buddhist stories, folk tales, themes of four sacred animals, four precious animals, flowers, clouds, sky, and the soft scrolls inscribed with the Buddha's names in skillful handwriting.
The European-Asian Architectural Style
The pagoda grounds consist of 4 consecutive areas: the front hall, the main hall, the ancestral house, and the back house. It has an area of 14,000m², 70m long, 20m wide, built of cement and precious wood, 1m high molded foundation, surrounded by solid walls. The front of the front hall is built in a harmonious European-Asian architectural style with slender columns, curved arches, and colorful patterns.
Looking from a distance, visitors will have the feeling that the pagoda is like a house in European architectural style with slender curved columns, reliefs of the Eight Immortals riding animals with Renaissance patterns, and Roman-style arches, iron wool from France, and ceramic tiles from Japan. The inside of the main hall and the ancestral house have bold Vietnamese architecture.
Going inside, visitors will see shiny golden Buddha statues, and especially the pair of dragon pillars in the main hall. These are large round pillars made of precious wood. The space inside the pagoda is home to many fine artworks of generations of artisans across the North, Central, and South of Vietnam.
In addition, at the pagoda, there is also a set of statues of eighteen Arhats that are as majestic as those at Tay Phuong pagoda. These 18 statues are located on both sides of the main hall wall, carved from jackfruit wood, each statue is about 0.8m high, with a width of 0.58m.
National experts praised Vinh Trang Pagoda as the convergence of products representing the pinnacle of statuary art in the Mekong Delta region.
Peaceful Surrounding Space
Around the pagoda are ornamental gardens planted with many types of fragrant flowers and exotic grasses, lakes fragrant with lotus scent, and ancient trees providing shade, creating a wonderful harmony between the natural scenery and the architectural space, making the pagoda more ancient and solemn.
Prominent in the middle of the garden is the 24m high Amitabha Buddha statue (pedestal 6m, statue 18m). The white statue depicts the Buddha standing and watching over sentient beings in all realms. The Buddha statue is considered by many locals to be the symbol of the current pagoda.
Vinh Trang Pagoda, along with the concentric snake farm and the old grandfather's house, are always places that IZITour ranks as must-visit places in Tien Giang.
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