Ton Thanh Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Long An with an ancient and unique architectural style. This famous pagoda also exists through many immortal sentences and poems, has been preserved in history books for many generations. For these reason, it attracts not only many Buddhists come to pray but also tourists.
General information about Ton Thanh Pagoda
Ton Thanh Pagoda (Vietnamese: chùa Tôn Thạnh, chùa means pagoda) was originally named Lan Nha, built by Buddhist Monk Vien Ngo in 1808, who also had many contributions to the community. After his dead, the local people around Long An decided to build a worship tower in the grounds of Ton Thanh Pagoda. That’s why this pagoda is also called Tang Ngo Pagoda (means Monk. Ngo Pagoda) or Ong Ngo Pagoda (means Mr. Ngo Pagoda).
Tower worship Monk Vien Ngo
This pagoda not only bears a profound Buddhist mark but is also a place of heroic historical significance. During 3 years (1859 – 1861), Vietnamese poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu lived; worked as a medical practitioner and opened classes to teach young people. He also wrote many novels. One of his immortal novels, Vǎn tế nghĩa sĩ Cần Giuộc (Eulogy for the Righteous People of Cần Giuộc) and later, completed the famous narrative poem – Lục Vân Tiên.
In 1997, Ton Thanh pagoda was ranked a national historical relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam. Currently, the pagoda is a spiritual, cultural, and historical tourist destination not only for people from Mekong Delta but also others.
How to get to Ton Thanh Pagoda?
Currently, Long An province does not have an airport in the region, so the most convenient way to get to Ton Thanh Pagoda is to go to Ho Chi Minh city first. After landing at Tan Son Nhat airport, you can use the airport shuttle service to move to your next destination.
Because from Ho Chi Minh to Can Giuoc district is only about 30km, traveling by bus or motorbike is convenient. If traveling by bus, you can catch a bus at the Eastern bus station and the Western bus station with ticket prices ranging from 100,000 – 140,000 VND/person. Or you can also rent a motorbike and travel to Long An. The current motorbike rental price in Ho Chi Minh is only about 100,000 – 120,000 VND/motorcycle/day.
Don’t forget about booking private car to Long An with a driver option as the driver can pick you up from the airport, easy to stop on the way for sightseeing and relaxing.
Ancient beauty of Ton Thanh pagoda
According to historical records, Ton Thanh Pagoda has “magnificent, golden pillars” that were famous in the ancient and pure land of Saigon. Over many years, Ton Thanh Pagoda has been remodeled and a number of new buildings have been built, but still has not lost its ancient features.
Curved roof architecture and yin and yang tiles – these are traditional forms of ancient pagodas in Vietnam
The long road leading to the pagoda passes through a large gate named “Ton Thanh Pagoda” built in 1960; on both sides of the road are rows of ancient trees, making visitors feel peaceful and leave behind the noise of the city to enter a pure spiritual place.
The overall architecture from front to back includes: Front yard facade, Main hall, Lecture house, East corridor, West corridor with tiled roofs and brick walls.
A look from the outside of main hall
The main hall has a fairly modest area but preserves many valuable and meaningful artifacts of history, culture and art through the four-shaped columns in the main hall, Buddha statues from the early 19th century, horizontal parallel sentences with Chinese characters painted in red and gold.
The altar in the middle of the pagoda
The most valuable is the 110cm tall statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, cast in bronze.
Currently, in the grounds, there is a stele commemorating poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu, erected in 1973. The second stele was just erected in June 1998 praising the merits of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Chieu and commemorating the day the pagoda was recognized as a monument. National historical and cultural achievement on November 27, 1997.
Useful information
- Location: Thanh Ba hamlet, Mỹ Lộc commune, Cần Giuộc district, Long An province.
- Best for: Family, couple, solo
- Entrance: Free
- Other tourist spots nearby: Rạch Cát Fort, A Hundred Columns House.
Source: collected by An
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