Phật Lớn Pagoda

Phật Lớn Pagoda, with its full name being Thiền viện chùa Phật Lớn (Phật Lớn Pagoda Meditation Monastery), is a renowned pagoda currently located on Cấm Mountain, in Núi Cấm commune, An Giang province, Vietnam.

Phật Lớn Pagoda was built in 1912, on a spacious piece of land on the mountainside, near the summit (at an altitude of 526 metres above sea level). The pagoda is so named because it houses a Buddha statue 1.8 metres tall. At that time, this statue was larger than other worshipped statues in the region. The name also serves to distinguish it from Phật Nhỏ Pagoda (Small Buddha Pagoda) to the east, also on this mountain.

After Mr. Bảy Do (Cao Văn Long), the first person to build and practise at the pagoda, was arrested by the French colonialists, Phật Lớn Pagoda became deserted. It was not until 1914 that the former village chief of An Khánh came to Cấm Mountain, saw the pagoda in a state of ruin, and went to Linh Sơn Pagoda (Sài Gòn) to ask Cò Mi Chấn (Vice President of the Southern Association for Buddhist Studies) to apply for permission to rebuild the pagoda.

Despite all efforts, the authorities did not approve. Mr. Chấn told Mr. Lầu to take the risk and hastily build a thatched hut to shelter the Buddha statue from the rain and sun. Someone secretly reported this to the Châu Đốc provincial chief, and Mr. Lầu was interrogated, while Cò Mi Chấn received an official letter from the province ordering the hut to be dismantled. However, Cò Mi Chấn replied by letter: According to Annamite custom, it is not permissible to let the Buddha sit exposed to the elements like that... The provincial chief sent another official letter, to which Cò Mi Chấn responded: The hut has already been built, I am a Buddhist and fear committing a sin, so I dare not dismantle it!... Thanks to this back-and-forth, the hut was not demolished and the Buddha statue has been well preserved to this day.

Currently (as of July 2008), Phật Lớn Pagoda is being restored on its original site, with its area expanded to 13.6 hectares, including the main hall, bell tower, guesthouses, electricity and water systems, etc., to serve worship activities and visitors coming for pilgrimage or sightseeing.