Hải Tạng Pagoda

Hải Tạng Pagoda is an ancient Buddhist temple located on Cù Lao Chàm Island, Tân Hiệp commune, Đà Nẵng city. The pagoda was built in 1758 (the 19th year of the Cảnh Hưng era). It is situated at the foot of the western mountain of Hòn Lao Island, with its back against the mountain and its façade facing a small valley, which is the only rice field on Cù Lao Chàm. Hải Tạng Pagoda worships both Buddhas and deities, serving the spiritual needs of local fishermen and also acting as a place where merchant ships from Buddhist countries could stop to perform rituals and pray. Initially, the pagoda was built about 200 metres northeast of its current location, but later, due to storm damage, in 1848 (the first year of the Tự Đức era), some fishermen and merchants joined forces to rebuild the pagoda at its present site. The pagoda is surrounded by stone walls to keep out pythons and venomous snakes. The tam quan (triple-arched entrance gate) of the pagoda is 5 metres high, 1.5 metres wide, and 6 metres long. The name Hải Tạng: 'Hải' means sea, 'Tạng' refers to the Tripitaka (the Buddhist scriptures), signifying that the pagoda is a place where the vast Tripitaka is gathered like the ocean. Notably, the pagoda still preserves a great bronze bell (đại hồng chung), on which there is a dragon in the style of the early Lê Sơ period, suggesting that the bell may even predate the construction of the pagoda itself. Currently, the pagoda does not have a resident abbot, but is cared for by an elderly couple who tend to the incense and offerings. Hải Tạng Pagoda is also a tourist attraction for those visiting Cù Lao Chàm.