HCM CITY — The 170-year-old An Phú Pagoda at the foot of Chánh Hưng Bridge in HCM City’s District 8 is an attractive destination for foreign visitors to HCM City.
Construction on the pagoda, built under the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802 – 1945), was completed in 1847 under the reign of King Tự Đức by Venerable Thích Thanh Đức. The pagoda underwent restoration in 1961 under Master Monk of Thích Từ Bách until 2004.
All wall surfaces and columns for the exterior and interior are stunningly decorated with nearly 30 tonnes of broken porcelain pieces, including chipped plates, bowls and vases, making it the only porcelain pagoda in HCM City.
In 2007, the place was acknowledged by the Việt Nam Record Book Centre as Việt Nam’s largest temple made of ceramic pieces.
Two candles, weighing 1,800 kg each and measuring 3.4 metres in height, have been recognised as the heaviest and largest in Việt Nam in 2005.
The pagoda has now become one of the most-visited religious destinations in the city and attracts a large number of Buddhists and tourists on full moon days or during Tết (the Lunar New Year) holiday. — VNS
Source: vietnamnews.vn
