The pagoda having the highest bell tower in Saigon

The pagoda having the highest bell tower in Saigon

The temple is more than half a century old, was built in the new architecture and has a 32 m high bell tower.

Xa Loi Pagoda is located at the corner of Ba Huyen Thanh Quan and Su Thien Chieu (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City). The highlight of the temple is a 32 m high bell tower, consisting of seven floors built in 1960, overlooking the Ba Huyen Thanh Quan street.

From its completion until the beginning of the 21st century, this is the tallest bell tower in Vietnam. Later Linh Phuoc Pagoda in Da Lat built a bell tower higher (37.84 m high). However, the bell tower is still the highest in Ho Chi Minh City. Each floor has a Buddha, each with four large planes and four small angles, forming an octagonal shape.

At the top floor is a single storey, inside a two-ton large bell, 1.2 m in diameter, 1.6 m high, cast bronze in Hue according to Thien Mu Pagoda. The famous bell of the bell, known through ancient tales "Bells of relics" compiled by composers of Far East.

The temple was originally called the relics of relics. People used to call off relics, so when the inauguration, the abbot has named the pagoda as the present for the human heart.

Xa Loi Pagoda is the first temple of Saigon built in the new architecture with the top of the road, under the lecture hall. Later, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was built in this way. The lecture hall on the ground floor has 400 seats. Around is the library, rise room, pavilions ...

The main temple is only a large Buddha Shakyamuni, not many Buddhist worship as the ancient temple. Statue created by Bien Hoa Fine Arts College, considered as a model for many Buddha statues in the temple later. In 1969, the statue was rebuilt in gold.

Around the main hall decorated 15 big paintings painted on the wall paint. The painting was made in 1958, depicting the history of Sakyamuni Buddha from birth until he attained enlightenment - into nirvana.

Outside the temple grounds is a Bodhi tree brought from Colombia. Next to the tree is the statue Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was cast in 1958.

Xa Loi Pagoda is also the body of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, was invited to funeral after he burned himself. This action is against the repression of the Buddhist Government of the Republic of Vietnam Ngô Đình Di0m in 1963. Around the pagoda, still hang many photos documented on the event.

The space is not too large, but architecture and history make the relics are one of the prominent pagodas in Saigon, attracting many visitors.