Since its inauguration on November 11, Vietnam Quoc Tu pagoda located in District 10 has formally become the new headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s chapter in Ho Chi Minh city.
The old Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda was built in 1963. The re-construction of Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda was started in 2014 on an area of 10,000 m2 with many facilities including the main worshipping hall (served as the VBS chapter administrative building), function halls, guesthouse, accommodations for monks and nuns and underground carpark, etc with the total cost of VND150 billion.
The highlight of Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda is the 13-storey, 63-metre-high stupa to be completed by the Lunar New Year 2018. According to Most Venerable Chairman of the city VBS’s Executive Committee Thích Trí Quảng, the heart relic of Bodhisattva Thích Quảng Đức who set himself on fire to protest the repression of Buddhists in 1963 will be placed in this stupa.
The main worshipping hall is decorated with traditional features including symbols of a dragon or a phoenix.
Dragon-shaped decoration
"This is my first visit to this pagoda. The great and beautiful pagoda seems to make me overwhelmed" a 63-year old man in Tan Phu district, HCM City said.
The corridor in the pagoda
A Buddha statue with 7.5 m high, 35 ton in weight given by Buddhists in the North of Vietnam is placed in the main worshipping hall.
18 Arhat statues are arranged on two sides of the main hall
A gold-plated reclining sculptural relief designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana in the main worshipping hall
The pagoda entrance to be completed soon
The pagoda also has a large bell with 2.9 m high, 1.6 m wide and 3 tons in weight cast by a group of artisans in Hue city, Vietnam, with Vietnamese traditional patterns and Buddhist style decorations.
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