Bốn Mặt Pagoda

Bốn Mặt Pagoda, also known as Preah Buone Preah Phek, Wat Nei Rei, Wat Ba Rai, Wat Prha Buông Mút, Wat Buôl - Pres - Phek, or Wat Prés on Prés Buôl Prés Phék in Khmer, is an ancient pagoda within the Khmer pagoda system in Cần Thơ city. Built at the beginning of the 16th century and having existed for nearly 500 years, the pagoda still retains its overall original structures, including the Tam Quan Gate (triple-arched entrance), Main Hall (Chánh điện), Sala house (a Khmer communal hall), burial area, refectory, and monks’ quarters, all featuring the distinctive Angkor-Khmer architectural style typical of the southwestern region of Vietnam.

This site is a cultural destination in Cần Thơ, with its characteristic designs and activities for Buddhist practice, culture, education for local children, and monthly entertainment. Every year, the pagoda grounds also host many traditional festivals of the Khmer people in Cần Thơ.

To this day, there is still much debate about the history of the pagoda’s founding. However, one of the most commonly recounted versions is that in the early 16th century, while reclaiming wild land for cultivation and agricultural development, local people accidentally discovered a stone Buddha statue with four faces facing the four directions, each direction featuring five different Buddhas. It was believed to be a good omen, so in 1537, the local people joined together to build a pagoda to worship this Four-Faced Buddha statue. Initially, the pagoda was constructed from bamboo and leaves; later, it was gradually restored and solidly built until it became what it is today.

Bốn Mặt Pagoda is built on a 6.5-hectare plot of land, located in Phước Thuận hamlet, Thuận Hòa commune, Cần Thơ province. It is about 6 km northwest of the centre of Phú Lợi ward.

The Tam Quan Gate is the first structure of Bốn Mặt Pagoda, designed with three round towers, each five storeys high. The towers are embossed with images of important figures in Khmer beliefs, including the wind god Reahu, the serpent deity Naga, and the divine bird Garuda. Within the pagoda grounds, there is a statue of a pair of nine-headed Naga serpents, over 20 metres long. According to Buddhist legend, the Naga serpent sheltered Shakyamuni Buddha from the rain, and in Khmer culture, it is seen as a symbol of peace, prosperity, warding off evil spirits, and guiding the way to the heavens. The corridors, pagoda roofs, and walkways all feature images of the Naga serpent, reflecting the connection between Khmer culture and Buddhism.

The main hall of Bốn Mặt Pagoda in Sóc Trăng covers an area of 225m2, built from traditional Khmer materials such as straw, sand, and clay, then painted with gold to decorate, creating a distinctive sound when tapped. The main hall roof is designed in three tiers, with a central pointed tower housing the four-faced deity Maha Prum—the creator god in Brahmanism. The main hall is opened into two chambers forming four faces facing east, west, south, and north, an architectural arrangement oriented towards the four directions of the universe according to Hinduism.

The roof edges and corners are sculpted with Khmer dragon motifs, below which are Keynor (Kinnari) bird-bodied celestial maidens. Statues of the divine bird Garuda, with ruby in its mouth, stand beneath the junctions of the roof and columns, symbolising the strength supporting the Main Hall. Inside, the stone Four-Faced Buddha statue associated with the pagoda’s founding legend, existing for 500 years, is worshipped in the front chamber of the main hall facing west. Behind the front chamber is an area worshipping 40 other Buddha statues. In 2020, an ancient stone statue believed to be of the god Vishnu was discovered in the Giếng Tiên (Fairy Well) area near Bốn Mặt Pagoda; this statue was later brought by locals into the pagoda for worship.

Bốn Mặt Pagoda in Cần Thơ has been restored and had many additional structures built over time. Most notable is the Mách Cha Linh pond with a 20-metre high tower, inside which is a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha sitting on a coiled Naga serpent with its hood spread to shelter the Buddha. Around the pond are sculptures of the Four-Faced Buddha and the twelve Khmer zodiac animals: ten animals are the same as those of the Vietnamese, while the cat and buffalo are replaced by the rabbit and cow in the Khmer tradition. These are prominent symbols of Southern Khmer Buddhism. Surrounding the pagoda is a complete system of auxiliary structures for religious practice: sala house, cremation area, stupa, refectory, monks’ quarters, dining hall, etc.

Additionally, Bốn Mặt Pagoda is famous for its two Giếng Tiên (Fairy Wells)—the Ông Well at the front and the Bà Well at the back of the pagoda—related to a legend about the custom of digging wells between a village’s sons and daughters in the past. Near the well is a Heaven Worship Altar, a familiar place of worship for local people.

In accordance with Khmer tradition, Bốn Mặt Pagoda is not only a place for Buddhist practice but also a distinctive cultural centre with unique features such as a library and an exhibition room for artefacts. In addition, Bốn Mặt Pagoda serves as a place for teaching children, community charity activities, resolving certain disputes among local residents, as well as a gathering and rehearsal place for ngũ âm (five-tone) musical groups, traditional singing and dancing troupes, Shdăm dance, and as the meeting place for the pagoda’s ghe Ngo (Khmer longboat) club. Every month on the full moon day, Bốn Mặt Pagoda often organises various cultural activities and festivals.

Every year, the Khmer people in Cần Thơ gather at Bốn Mặt Pagoda to attend traditional festivals such as Buddha’s Birthday, the robe-offering ceremony, the sticky rice ball offering ceremony, the flower offering ceremony, as well as folk festivals such as the New Year Festival (Chol Chnam Thmay), the Moon Worship Festival (Ok Om Bok), the Ancestor Worship Festival (Sene Dolta), the Coconut Worship Festival (Thac Kon), and more.

On 11 August 2017, the former Sóc Trăng Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1935/QĐ-UBND, classifying Buôl Pres Phek Pagoda as a provincial-level architectural and artistic heritage site.

On 20 September 2017, Bốn Mặt Pagoda received the certificate recognising it as a provincial-level historical and cultural heritage site.