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Located at 81 Nguyen Xien Street, Long Binh Ward, District 9, about 20km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, lies a temple nestled on a hill west of the Dong Nai River. This magnificent structure, known as Buu Long Pagoda, is also officially called Buu Long Ancestral Temple.
Previously, the temple was a small hermitage built in 1942, and officially donated to the monks in 1958. After several expansions, renovations, and restorations, Buu Long Temple was essentially completed in 2007.
The first impression upon arriving at Buu Long Pagoda is its magnificent architecture, a blend of Nguyen Dynasty style and Theravada Buddhism from Southeast Asia. Each structure here is meticulously built and intricately carved, with a predominantly white color scheme and accents of majestic and solemn gold.
Because its architecture resembles that of Buddhist temples in Thailand, Buu Long Pagoda is also known by locals as the Thai Pagoda. Nevertheless, the dragon carvings in the pagoda's structures clearly reflect Vietnamese culture.
The temple grounds are surrounded by the lush greenery of rows of straight trees, with a crescent-shaped lake in the center that remains emerald green all year round. On clear, tranquil days, the reflection of the temple on the lake creates a breathtaking scene.
The temple complex includes the following main areas: the main hall, monks' quarters, refectory, guest house, ancestral hall, meditation rooms for monks, nunnery, nun's quarters, and hermitages for nuns and lay practitioners.
One of the most impressive structures at Buu Long Pagoda is the Gotama Cetiya stupa. Covered in white with a vibrant yellow spire, it soars high into the deep blue sky. Standing 56 meters tall and capable of holding up to 2000 people, Gotama Cetiya is also known as the largest stupa in Vietnam.
With its relatively isolated location, far from residential areas, Buu Long Pagoda is not only an ideal place for worship and prayer, but also a place for people to enjoy peace and fresh air in the suburbs of the city.
Visitors do not need to bring incense or candles; they only need to sincerely worship Buddha. This is also why Buu Long Pagoda is known as the "pagoda without incense smoke."
In addition, National Geographic magazine also mentioned Tran Quoc Pagoda. The pagoda is located on an island in the eastern part of West Lake, nestled along Thanh Nien Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. The pagoda was once the center of Buddhism in Thang Long (Hanoi). Initially named Khai Quoc Pagoda, it was built in the 6th century during the Early Ly Dynasty.
In 2016, Thrillist also published a list of the world's most beautiful temples, shrines, palaces, and pagodas in terms of landscape and architecture. Tran Quoc Pagoda was the only representative from Vietnam on this ranking. According to the American publication, the pagoda's architecture resembles a blooming lotus flower.
