Vietnam: Making a pilgrimage to the south

by Ngoc Minh, Saigon Times, Jan 15, 2007

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam -- Every January, many urban-ites make a pilgrimage to show their gratitude for a good year and pray for a new year with good health and smooth work.  Nui Ba (Goddess Mountain) in Chau Doc Town is one of the most popular destinations for a pilgrimage because people think that “The Goddess” has supernatural powers.

<< Tinh Xa Ngoc Vien

Unlike previous pilgrimage tours, when visitors only went to Chau Doc to pray to “The Governess”, Ben Thanh Tourist has organized a two day one night tour to visit the ten ancient pagodas at Phuc Loc Bridge, with beautiful architecture such as Vinh Trang, Buu Lam Co Tu, Tinh Xa Ngoc Vien. Visitors not only visit pagodas, pray for blessing and study Buddhism, but also listen to preaching about Buddhist law.

The first destination is Vinh Trang Pagoda. It is the most well-known pagoda in the South and is an acknowledged national historical and cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The pagoda was built by Bui Cong Dat and his wife in the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1849, Superior Buddhist Monk Thuong Hue Dang sent Giac Lam Pagoda to run this pagoda.  He  enlarged it and named it Vinh Trang. In 1907, Superior Buddhist Monk Chanh Hau restored the pagoda with a combination of Asian and Western architecture, preserving many ancient statues.

Among them is the Eighteen Arhats,  carved by southern artists in the twentieth century.

The second destination is Linh Thuu Pagoda, which is also called Sac Tu Pagoda, built in the eighteenth century near Xoai Hot market, Chau Thanh District in Tien Giang Province. In 1811, Gia Long King renamed the pagoda “Long Tuyen” and in 1841 Thieu Tri King again renamed the pagoda “Linh Thuu”. The main temple is solemnly decorated, many ancient statues have been restored and the doors of the temple are skillfully carved, containing many meaningful panels.

The next destination is Tinh Xa Ngoc Vien (Ngoc Vien Monastery) built in 1948, one of the places forming the school of thought of patron saint Minh Dang Quang. In 1971, the monastery was reinforced, with the main temple in a square shape. This temple holds the Chon Ly (The Truth) scripture, a collection of ten years accumulated preaching lessons of the patron saint.

Tourists will also visit other pagodas, such as the ancient Phuoc Hung Pagoda, opened in 1838 and containing many ancient objects such as a gilded Buddha statue, Buddhism scripture carved in wood, an ancient drum and some nineteenth-century gilded wood panels, and Tinh Xa Ngoc Hoa (Ngoc Hoa Monastery) built in the beginning of the twenty first century in Thien Vieng Ngoc Hanh.

In  Chau Doc Town, pilgrims will visit Huynh Dao Pagoda and Tay An Co Tu. Tay An Co Tu is the best landscape of An Giang Province and the south western area,  and is also an acknowledged national historical and cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The recent architecture was embellished in 1958 by Superior Buddhist Monk Buu Tho, who rebuilt the main temple in a combination of Asian and Indian architectures. The temples in the pagoda have about 200 statues and many panels. Thousands of pilgrims and Buddhism followers are drawn here every year.

The last destination is the Temple of the Goddess in Sam Mountain, the most spiritual place for pilgrims, in Chau Doc Town, An Giang Province. The temple attracts thousands of people from around the country to visit and pray for fortune and happiness. Formerly, pilgrims traveling independently had to jostle with the crowds to visit the pagodas.

The pilgrimage tour departing days are February 24, March 3 and 10 with the price of VND685,000 per guest. For more information, contact Ben Thanh Tourist, tel: 5202 020.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP