Tourists coming to Nha Trang city of Khanh Hoa province could not help visiting Long Son pagoda – one of the greatest and best-known beauty spots in the South of the Central coast in general, and in Khanh Hoa province in particular.
Long Son pagoda, known as White Buddha pagoda, is located under the Trai Thuy mountain foot (N0 22, 23-10 str., Phuong Son ward, Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province).
In 1886 Most Venerable Thích Ngộ Chí erected a pagoda named Dang Long on Trai Thuy mountain (known by the time as Bat mountain). In 1900, after a big tornado, Most Venerable Thích Ngộ Chí moved the pagoda to the foot of Trai Thuy mountain and this pagoda was awarded the name of Long Son pagoda by king Bao Dai.
The pagoda had been dedicated to An Nam Buddhist Studies Society following a testament of Most Venerable Thích Ngộ Chí. Long Son pagoda has been upgraded many times. Current, Long Son pagoda is also used as office of the Khanh Hoa provincial Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee.
The architecture of Long Son pagoda doesn’t have any ancient designs. However, the pagoda’s impressive scale and statues and its natural and Feng-Shui design make it very attractive.
The main worshipping hall has an area of nearly 2,000m2 with a solemn arrangement of worshipping statues and items. The main altar has a preaching Buddha statue made of copper with 1.6 m high and 700 kg in weight, with symbols of Avalokitesvara and Mahasthanapràta bodhisattvas on two sides of the Buddha statue. In the upfront altar there are statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and Avalokitesvara, Maitreya bodhisattvas. Especially, there are two big candles inside the main worshipping hall; each candle weighs 900 kg with 3.4 m high.
To offer incense to the open sitting statue of Shakyamuni Buddha on top of the hill, one has to take 193 steps up from the ground. At 44th step the pagoda displays an open statue of reclining Nirvana Buddha erected in 2003 with 7m long and 5 high. With several steps higher, one can see a great bell of 1,500 in weight and 2.2m in height.
The white statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in sitting meditation on top of the hill was erected in two years, from 1964-1965, by Venerable Thích Đức Minh who was then the President of the Buddhist Society of Khanh Hoa province, and sculptor Phúc Điền - Bùi Văn Thêm. The sitting Buddha statue is 14m high on a lotus shape with 10m diameter placed on a platform of 3m in height.
The reclining Nirvana Buddha statue
The white sitting Buddha statue at the pagoda
The great bell in the pagoda
After visiting the pagoda people would understand why Long Son pagoda has been regarded as a symbol of Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa province – know as the land of aquilaria.
