Cây Mai Pagoda

Cây Mai Pagoda, also known as Mai Sơn Tự (Mai Mountain Pagoda) or Mai Khâu Tự (Mai Mound Pagoda), was situated on Mai Mound, formerly part of Gia Định. During the French colonial period, the pagoda was dismantled, leaving only the nearly flattened Mai Mound, located at the corner of Hồng Bàng and Nguyễn Thị Nhỏ streets in Minh Phụng ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

The name Cây Mai Pagoda was given after a species of southern plum blossom, also known as bạch mai or mai mù u, scientific name Ochrocarpos siamensis var. odoratissimus, belonging to the mangosteen family (Guttiferae, now called Clusiaceae).

According to Đại Nam nhất thống chí, the pagoda was located in Phú Giáo village, Tân Long district (Tân Bình prefecture, Gia Định province), on a high mound with seven plum trees, their sparse shade and faint fragrance making it an ideal spot for those seeking scenic excursions. In ancient times, Ân Tôn Pagoda (or Ân Tông) was established on the summit of the mound.

Trịnh Hoài Đức (1765–1825), one of the Gia Định tam gia, described the pagoda’s scenery as follows:

"Thirteen and a half miles south of the citadel, a high mound rises, with many southern plum trees, their trunks aged, but when in bloom there is no snow, only leaves sheltering the fragrance. The flowers, born of spiritual essence, cannot be transplanted elsewhere. On the mound stands Ân Tông Pagoda, where sutras are chanted at night and a great bell is struck in the evening, its sound echoing through the mist like the world of Thứu Lĩnh Mountain. A clear stream flows around the mound’s base; in the cool afternoons, girls row boats to pick lotuses. On fine days, scholars and poets bring wine and ascend the mound to recite poetry beneath the blossoms, their verses imbued with fragrance—a truly splendid site for visitors."

This mound was formerly the pagoda tower of Cambodia, with foundations still visible. In the year Bính Tý, the 15th year of Gia Long (1816), a monk repairing the pagoda unearthed many large tiles and bricks, and two square gold leaves, each a tấc (about 40 cm) per side, each weighing three đồng cân, engraved with ancient images of the Buddha riding an elephant—perhaps relics placed by a Cambodian monk to consecrate the tower?

During the French colonial period, Trương Vĩnh Ký (1837–1898) added:

"...It was formerly a Cambodian pagoda, surrounded by ponds used for boat races to honour the Buddha. The pagoda was restored by the Vietnamese. Under Emperor Minh Mạng, when Nguyễn Tri Phương (1800–1893) came south with Phan Thanh Giản (1796–1867), he had a pavilion with an upper storey (Phương đình) built."

The exact year Cây Mai Pagoda was built is unknown, but based on the phrase "In the year Bính Tý, the 15th year of Gia Long (1816), a monk repairing the pagoda unearthed many large tiles and bricks..." by Trịnh Hoài Đức, the pagoda was renovated that year. According to Nguyễn Hiền Đức, it is likely that during the reign of Emperor Thiệu Trị (1841–1847), Ân Tông Pagoda had to be renamed Mai Sơn Pagoda due to "naming taboo" (the emperor's name was Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông).

Before the French threatened Đà Nẵng in the year Mậu Ngọ (1858), Cây Mai Pagoda and Mai Mound were gathering places for composing, enjoying, and disseminating literature among many poets, including members of the Bạch Mai Poetry Society, such as Phan Văn Trị, Bùi Hữu Nghĩa, Nguyễn Thông, Trần Thiện Chánh, Tôn Thọ Tường, Hồ Huân Nghiệp, and Trương Hảo Hiệp...

In 1859, the French redirected their attack to Gia Định citadel. Nguyễn dynasty troops from Định Tường and Vĩnh Long were ordered to reinforce, gathering around Cây Mai Pagoda. The French attacked, the Vietnamese troops were defeated and retreated to Định Tường.

In July 1860, Acting Rear Admiral Page, who replaced Vice Admiral Rigault de Genouilly, ordered troops to occupy several temples and pagodas to establish forts, called the "Ligue des Pagodes" (Line of Pagodas), stretching from Thị Nghè to Phú Lâm, including Khải Tường Pagoda (Pagode Barbé), Hiển Trung Temple (Pagode des Mares), Kiểng Phước Pagoda (Pagode des Clochetons), and Cây Mai Pagoda (Pagode de Caï-maï)... These served as bases for launching attacks on the Đại đồn Chí Hòa, defended by General Nguyễn Tri Phương.

Besides this role, the French also sought to hold Cây Mai Pagoda to protect the largest rice storage in Vietnam at the time. French Navy Lieutenant Léopold Pallu later wrote:

"Since June 1860, the Annamese troops aimed to isolate the French from the Chinese city (Chợ Lớn), where rice was stored for export from Saigon port. With considerable force, the enemy (Vietnamese troops) dug a double tunnel at the northern corner of Kỳ Hòa citadel, creating a long trench separating Cây Mai fort from the Chinese city, intending to isolate us and force us to abandon the fort (Cây Mai). The key was to hold this position to retain the Chinese market... The fortification of the pagoda for defence began immediately..."

Recalling this period, Nguyễn Hiền Đức wrote:

"From the time the French occupied Cây Mai Pagoda as a military post, Vietnamese insurgents secretly set up an outpost at Phụng Sơn Pagoda (Gò Pagoda) to observe French troop movements at Cây Mai fort..."

Cây Mai fort was once a battleground between Vietnamese insurgents and invading French forces. It may also have been a place of detention and interrogation for captured Vietnamese resistance fighters... According to legend, after Cây Mai Pagoda was demolished for use as a fort, restless spirits haunted and disturbed the soldiers... the French could not quell them. Eventually, a French officer sought help from Dharma teacher Huệ Nhơn and monks from Giác Viên Pagoda to perform requiem rites at the fort, after which the spirits ceased their disturbances. The fort commander was so impressed that he requested the Governor of Cochinchina to confer the title of Hòa thượng (abbot) on the monk. Thus, Dharma teacher Huệ Nhơn was called "Hòa thượng Tây phong" (the Western-appointed abbot) by contemporaries.

Later, the couple Huỳnh Thoại Yến requested permission from the French authorities to relocate the pagoda to the foot of Mai Hill and invited Zen master Liễu Tánh, dharma name Bảo Chất (1835–1893), to serve as abbot... Around 1909–1910, due to urban planning needs, the pagoda had to move again to the Bà Hom area...

Currently, Mai Mound remains a military barracks, and on the mound there is only a small miếu (shrine) beside an ancient plum tree (see photo).

On the 1815 map of Gia Định province by Trần Văn Học, this pagoda is marked with a name half in Chinese, half in Nôm: "Cây Mai Tự".

In the poem "Gia Định phú", a Nôm poem listing nearly all the place names in Gia Định, composed before the French arrived, Cây Mai Pagoda is also mentioned:

"How refined is the image of the Abbot of Cây Mai Pagoda." (line 26)

In Nam Kỳ phong tục nhơn vật diễn ca by Nguyễn Liên Phong:

"Châu thành, a land of history and heroes,

Near Mai Pagoda fort, lotus ponds abound..."

Excerpt from Sài Gòn năm xưa by Vương Hồng Sển:

According to the French article "Souvernirs historiques" by Trương Vĩnh Ký, "Cây Mai Pagoda was once a Khmer pagoda, surrounded by ponds used for boat races during Buddhist festivals."

Based on these brief but very important documents, and upon careful consideration, we know that the Cây Mai area was indeed a strategic point for the ancient Khmer. For boat races (ghe ngo), the water surrounding Cây Mai Fort would not have sufficed. The race stretch had to be several kilometres long for thousands of boats to compete. Thus, the race must have extended to the waters of Chùa Gò (Phụng Sơn Tự) or even further; moreover, along the Sài Gòn–Mỹ Tho road, I recall a Thổ person telling me this was "Sre pren" (dry rice field). In my opinion, before becoming a mound field, could this have been the site of Khmer boat races? Investigation shows the waterway from Cây Mai Pagoda connected to the canal formerly called Lò Gốm canal, which was partly filled in during the construction of the new Chợ Lớn area... When the French began building the Chợ Lớn urban area, this region still had many canals and ponds. Therefore, the French authorities in Cochinchina had the Cây Mai mound levelled for landfill... so today, almost no trace of Cây Mai mound remains. On the former site of Cây Mai Pagoda, a small am (hermitage) has been erected. Unfortunately, this place is now a military camp, making it difficult for the public to visit or worship there...

In 1940, Cây Mai Fort was used by the French to detain suspected German nationals. During the nine-year resistance, many underground operatives were imprisoned in secret cells here. Under American rule, it became an intelligence officer training centre...

Currently, Phụng Sơn Pagoda still enshrines some ancestral tablets of monks from Cây Mai Pagoda. The plum tree planted by monk Huệ Minh in 1909, originating from Cây Mai Pagoda, still thrives there.

The scenery of the pagoda and the plum tree became a theme for many poets. Besides the Bạch Mai Poetry Society mentioned above, there were also Trần Bích San, Nguyễn Xuân Ôn, and Trịnh Hoài Đức.

In "Sài Gòn năm xưa", Vương Hồng Sển wrote:

According to Mr. Trịnh Hoài Đức, Cây Mai Pagoda’s formal name was "Thứu Lãnh Tự" and "Cây Mai Pagoda was sometimes called Mai Sơn Tự, sometimes Thứu Lĩnh Tự..."

Similarly, in "Gia Định xưa và nay", Huỳnh Minh wrote:

"Above is a high mound, the site of Cây Mai Pagoda, named Thiếu Lĩnh Tự..."

In fact, Cây Mai Pagoda never had the name "Thứu Lãnh Tự" or "Thiếu Lĩnh Tự" because Trịnh Hoài Đức only said "like the world of Thứu Lĩnh Mountain", that is, Vulture Peak or Linh Sơn in India, where the Buddha Shakyamuni once preached the Lotus Sutra...

Some, upon hearing the word mai in names like Cây Mai Pagoda, Mai Mound, or Bạch Mai Poetry Society, often think of the yellow mai (Ochnaceae family) or white mai (a hybrid of yellow mai). This is a coincidence of names, as the mai species on Mai Mound is mai mù u, belonging to the mangosteen family, and is thus quite different.