Phật Quang Pagoda (Bình Thuận)

Phật Quang Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Bình Thuận province, built during the Chính Hòa era (1680–1705), more than 320 years ago. The pagoda's original name was Bồ Đề, and it is popularly called Chùa Cát (Sand Pagoda) because in the past, this area was sparsely populated and surrounded entirely by sand stretching to the sea. The pagoda is located in An Hòa hamlet, Vạn Phước canton, An Phước district, Bình Thuận prefecture, now on Trần Quang Khải street, Hưng Long ward, Phan Thiết City, Bình Thuận province. The pagoda possesses a Lotus Sutra (Kinh Pháp Hoa) carved on thị huyết wood—also known as red persimmon wood—from the Lê Trung Hưng dynasty, which is a national treasure of Vietnamese Buddhism. The pagoda has been renovated and restored many times, spanning 18 generations of succession. In 2002, the pagoda was rebuilt, becoming larger and more beautiful with 15 gardens of Buddha statues, but the old pagoda remains intact with many ancient statues and ritual objects. This is also the pagoda with the most dragon decorations—166 dragons—as well as countless bas-reliefs and decorative motifs depicting Buddhist teachings and Vietnamese and Bình Thuận landmarks, all made from 48 tonnes of ceramic shards purchased from northern pottery villages and artistically assembled by craftsmen from Huế.

In 1987, during restoration, the abbot Huệ Tánh discovered a secret chamber beneath the main Buddha statue in the main hall. Inside the chamber were Việt Minh documents and the Lotus Sutra. The Việt Minh documents consisted of 100 booklets titled "Muốn thành cán bộ tốt" (How to Become a Good Cadre), printed on 30 July 1947, measuring 15 x 20 cm, carefully wrapped in areca palm sheath. The pagoda submitted 40 booklets to the ward and 60 booklets to the Provincial Buddhist Representative Committee.

The Lotus Sutra at the pagoda is "The most complete and oldest woodblock-carved Lotus Sutra in Vietnam" (recognised by Vietbook as a record in 2006). This is one of three ancient Lotus Sutras in the world (the other two, from China, are carved on bronze and stone, but over time have become much deteriorated and are no longer complete). The sutra is carved on red persimmon wood, which is both durable and repels insects, snakes, and the like. The sutra is carved in reverse in Chinese characters on 118 wooden boards: 110 boards with 600,000 characters, and 8 boards with illustrations of the Buddha's life. Each board is 0.68 m long, 0.26 m wide, and 0.026 m thick. Based on the inscription in the sutra, "Long Đức tam niên tuệ thứ Giáp Dần, tứ nguyệt thơ nhất nhật khánh tạo" and other notes, the sutra was produced from 1704 to 1732. Over 28 continuous years, Zen masters Minh Dung—dharma name Pháp Không, Khánh Tài—dharma name Thiện Huệ, Thiện Pháp—dharma name Bảo Hương, together with 12 disciples, completed this masterpiece comprising 7 volumes, 28 chapters, and 600,000 characters; summarised in 9 words: "Khai thị chúng sanh ngộ nhập tri kiến Phật" (Open and reveal to sentient beings the Buddha's knowledge and insight). Every character and detail in the illustrations is sharp, vivid, intact, and complete. This is considered the oldest Buddhist sutra in Vietnam, carved before the Buddhist sutra at Bổ Đà Pagoda (Bắc Giang).

In 2002, during reconstruction, three bronze Buddha statues over 300 years old were discovered (one has since been stolen), along with several other ancient artefacts.

The pair of Gia Trì wooden fish (mõ) is made from jackfruit wood from Quảng Bình, crafted by three artisans from Quảng Nam between 1997 and 2004. The wooden fish is 80 cm high and 92 cm wide. The Gia Trì bell, made by Quảng Nam craftsmen, is 1 m high, 1.2 m in diameter, and weighs 400 kg.

Phật Quang Pagoda also preserves the Buddha Chessboard, an interesting means of entertainment and encouragement for practice, brought from France by Venerable Thích Nguyên Minh. The Buddha Chessboard is handwritten in Chinese characters, large in size, and square-shaped. It has a total of 76 squares, arranged in 4 rings and 1 central square, symbolising 5 levels representing the path from the beginning of monastic practice to attaining Supreme Perfect Enlightenment—becoming a Buddha. Each game can have 2 to 6 players, who roll dice to move between squares, from "Initial Aspiration" to "Supreme Perfect Enlightenment". It is both entertaining and a way to train the mind and remind practitioners of the path to true attainment.