Quan Am Phat Dai, also known as Nam Hai Avalokitesvara, is the name of a pagoda belonging to the Northern Buddhist sect; currently located in Nha Mat ward, Bac Lieu city, Bac Lieu province. This is a prominent spiritual and cultural work of the province, with an 11-meter-high statue of Avalokitesvara, standing in the middle of an open space overlooking the East Sea.
General information about Quan Am Phat Dai in Bac Lieu
At first, Quan Am Phat Dai was just a simple thatched house on a small plot of land by the sea, worshiping Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva with the wish to pray for peace for fishermen going to sea, and to protect those fishing far from shore to return home safely. At that time, there was a lot of mud, mangrove forests. In 1973, Venerable Thich Tri Duc rebuilt the pagoda and the 11-meter-high statue of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. The statue is located overlooking the sea and was built in 2 years, completed in 1975.
In 2004, the Bac Lieu provincial government granted permission to expand and level the land where the pagoda is located. Thanks to that, a number of items were gradually built thanks to the contributions of believers and visitors.
In early 2013, construction was still underway on an area of about 3 hectares, and only about 30 important items had been completed, such as: new construction of the ceremony yard; 6m high Buddha platform, Lam Ti Ni garden, garden of 32 incarnation statues, guest house, rest house, exhibition area…
Main hall
Coming to Quan Am Phat Dai Pagoda, the first thing that impresses you is the extremely large space due to its location near the sea. Before entering the pagoda, you will see the majestic Triple-Gate area.
Triple gate at Quan Am Phat Dai
Next is the Heaven Gate area, followed by the majestic Hang Long – Phuc Ho screen and 32 Bodhisattva statues in many different forms. Going deeper is the main hall area and the flagpole up to 49 meters high.
Festivals in Quan Am Phat Dai Pagoda
Every year, on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of the third lunar month, Bac Lieu organizes the Quan Am Nam Hai festival. This is one of the largest Buddhist festivals in the province with unique cultural values, the attraction of spiritual cultural activities, the festival is considered one of the important highlights of Bac Lieu tourism.
Bearing a strong national religious identity, at the same time containing many colors of the local culture of the South, which has existed and developed for a long time in this land, it is a festival of cultural beliefs and folk culture that meets the cultural and social needs and spiritual life of the people.
Many Buddhists and tourist also come to visit Buddha on the holiday.
Accordingly, on this occasion, thousands of Buddhists, tourists, monks and nuns and people from all over the world come here to immerse themselves in the very special sacred and spiritual festival atmosphere such as: sermons, flower offering rituals, flower lanterns to Buddha, Quan Am procession, lion and dragon dance, art performances,…
Not only on the main festival days, on traditional holidays and weekends, the number of tourists coming here is always bustling.
Source: collected by An
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