Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh - Best Local Travel Guide
The Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City is not just a religious symbol, but also a canvas depicting a vibrant history through its various colorful developmental phases. Let's explore Giac Lam Pagoda together with Vietnam Budget Car Rental to learn about its history, distinctive architecture, and engaging activities at this temple through the following article.
A brief introduction to Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh
They built the Giac Lam Pagoda, which is also called Giac Lam To Dinh, in the 18th century. It is now more than 300 years old. It can be found at 565 Lac Long Quan Street in the Tan Binh District and is a nationally recognized cultural historical site of the city.
At Giac Lam Pagoda, one of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City, visitors will be surrounded by a peaceful and holy place. With its timeless marks, Giac Lam Pagoda makes us think of the good old days. Young people and guests alike can go there to learn about the history and culture of old Saigon.
How do you get to Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh?
Because the temple is located right in Ho Chi Minh City, the best way is to rent a private car in Ho Chi Minh or opt for a limousine rental service in Ho Chi Minh. Apart from visiting the temple, you can also choose to explore many other interesting spots within this bustling land. Renting a car will make your trip more convenient, offering numerous experiences throughout the journey.
The history of Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Vietnamese took over the Dong Nai and Gia Dinh areas. As towns grew, temples sprung up to serve religious activities and beliefs. The Giac Lam Pagoda has been an important temple in the Southern region since then and still is today.
Records show that in the spring of 1774, during the rule of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat, a layman named Ly Thuy Long, who was originally from Ming China, gave money to help build a temple called Son Can.
After a while, the temple was called Cam Son because it was on Cam Son hill. It was also known as Cam Dem, which came from Thuy Long's personal name, Cam, which reflected the fact that he worked as a weaver and quilter.
After that, Zen Master Phat Y - Linh Nhac, who was the abbot of Tu An Temple at the time, sent his student, Zen Master To Tong - Vien Quang, to be the abbot of Son Can Temple. This changed the temple's name to Giac Lam.
Before Zen Master Vien Quang became the abbot, the temple had been around for more than 30 years without changing much. It was just a place for people to go for spiritual comfort. But with the help of Zen Master Vien Quang, Giac Lam Pagoda became a place to study the scriptures, and the first religious rules for monks in Gia Dinh and the Southern area were set up.
When Zen Master Tien Giac - Hai Tinh finally got what he wanted in 1844, he did more than just train the monks. He also started classes to teach scriptures, logic, and Buddhist dialectics, which made the Buddhist society stronger.
As of 1873, Zen Master Hoang An-Minh Khiem was in charge of the temple. Building on the work of the previous Buddha, he made it a place where Buddhist books and scriptures in Nôm script could be printed and copied.
Zen Master Hong Hung - Thanh Dao did the temple's second and third renovations in 1909, which made big changes to its design.
During the fight against foreign rule from 1939 to 1945, Zen Master Nhat Dan - Thien Thuan and a number of monks used Giac Lam Pagoda as a base for logistics and as a safe place for many revolutionary activists working in secret in the city.
In 1953, Giac Lam Pagoda received the Bodhi tree and a jade Buddha relic from Venerable Narada Maha Thera of Sri Lanka, presented to the Vietnamese Traditional Buddhist Church. Initially, the jade Buddha relic was temporarily kept at Long Van Pagoda in Dong Nai in a small gold tower. After the completion of the relic tower at Giac Lam Pagoda, the jade Buddha relic was relocated there for veneration.
The architecture of Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh
1. Unique architectural beauty of Southern Pagodas
To this day, Giac Lam Pagoda maintains its architectural charm deeply rooted in the culture and traditional style of Southern pagodas from the past. The temple is designed in the shape of the letter "Ξ" with three horizontal rows interconnected, arranged in a rectangular layout consisting of the main hall, lecture hall, and monks' quarters.
2. Twin gates
The Giac Lam Pagoda's twin gates were finished in 1945. They have two lion statues on each corner, which represent Indian culture and the unique Naga snake god from Khmer Buddhism.
The gates are made in the shape of kneeling figures and have unique stamped designs on them. A story about Prince Quan from the Tang Dynasty is written in Han script on the gates. According to old beliefs, the gates shouldn't face the main hall directly either. This is done to keep evil spirits from getting into the main part of the building.
3. Triple gates
When Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh was first built, it didn't have any triple gates. The temple didn't start building the triple gates that face south until 1955. They are close to Lac Long Quan Street now. Couplets written in Han script are carved into both sides of the pillars. The gates to the temple are always open for people who want to learn about and follow the Buddha's lessons.
4. Giac Lam Pagoda's Roof
The temple's roof is designed in a less common "bánh ít" shape, prevalent in Southern architectural styles, creating a sense of closeness and friendliness towards the locals. The roof has four slopes, straight and lacks the upturned eaves commonly seen in Northern temples. At the peak of the roof lies the "lưỡng long tranh châu" motif, symbolizing reverence and dignity towards Buddhism.
5. Main Hall Area
The area in front of the main hall is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. It is shaped like a rectangle. There is an altar in the middle with images of Amitabha Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Maitreya Buddha. On either side of the altar are statues of Bodhisattva Guan Yin and Great Strength Bodhisattva. The ancestral hall is solemn, and it has three altars, the Amitabha altar, the Assembly altar, and the Triple Gem altar. The shrines are set up in order of decreasing importance.
Giac Lam Pagoda's main hall has four columns that are called "tứ trụ." These columns stand for "reverence for Buddha and gratitude toward ancestors." Another thing is that there are 56 big columns here. Each column is carefully made and has couplets engraved on it as well as gold leaf designs. There are also traditional themes like the Four Sacred Creatures, the Four Nobles, and phoenixes in the rows between the columns.
The inner prayer area inside the main hall of Giac Lam Pagoda is beautiful and luxurious. There are a lot of big figures here, like the Amitabha Buddha, the Shakyamuni Buddha, the Maitreya Bodhisattva, the Great Strength Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva Guan Yin, and the Nine Dragons, all made of bronze. There are two sets of the Eighteen Arhats and two sets of the Ten Yama Kings, which stand out.
There are more than 7,000 discs on the walls of the main hall and the Hong Hung family tower. More than 6,000 of these discs are used to cover the walls of the main hall, and more than 1,000 are used to cover the Hong Hung tower. Most of these colorful discs come from the Lai Thieu pottery kiln in Binh Duong, but some are also brought in from Japan and China. Giac Lam Pagoda is now the "temple with the most decorative discs in Vietnam."
Visiting some impressive structures at the pagoda
1. Three ancient tomb tower areas
The tomb towers at Giac Lam Pagoda were constructed from the early 19th to the early 20th century. These areas serve as places of reverence for Zen masters, venerables, and monks when they pass away, expressing their wish to be buried within the temple premises.
2. Xa Loi Tower of Treasure
This building is shaped like a hexagon and has seven floors. Following the plans made by architect Vinh Hoang, work on this tower began in 1970. But it was put on hold for a while in 1975. In 1993, work on the Xa Loi Tower at Giac Lam Pagoda began again, and it was finished in 1994. The tower is 32.7 meters tall and covers more than 600 square meters. It faces north.
3. Admire ancient artifacts
With 119 Buddha statues, Giac Lam Pagoda is home to some of the most famous ones, such as a wooden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, a bronze statue of a baby Shakyamuni Buddha, the Eighteen Arhats, and the Five Venerables.
It is especially clear from the set of Eighteen Arhats how Buddhism developed in Southern Vietnam and how the Vietnamese people are different from other people. The pagoda also has a lot of beautiful wood carvings, like incense holders, shrines, golden couplets, incense burners, and other old religious items.
Considerations when going to Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh
- Since the pagoda is a holy place, it's best not to wear clothes that are too flashy or not acceptable when you come here. This will help keep the pagoda's peaceful atmosphere.
- Instead of taking too many pictures while you're at the pagoda, you should truly pray for peace and enjoy the peaceful and holy beauty.
- Inside the tower, you can't touch or take anything without permission from the temple staff.
- Do not sit on the seats or step on plants or flowers inside the pagoda. Put your trash in the right places so you don't hurt the earth.
- If you want to film or take pictures at the temple, you should ask the management for permission first.
Hopefully, through this article, you've gained useful knowledge about the history of the formation of Giac Lam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City and its unique beauty. There's still so much more waiting for you to explore, so why wait? Come here as soon as possible!
