Vietnam Pagodas

Trường Thọ Pagoda

TP. Hồ Chí Minh(Chùa Trường Thọ)

Overview & history

Trường Thọ Pagoda is an ancient pagoda belonging to the Lâm Tế Zen school; it is currently located at 53/524 Nguyễn Văn Nghi Street, Gò Vấp District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

History

The founder and the year of construction of Trường Thọ Pagoda are currently unknown; it is only estimated to have been built in the 18th century.

Initially, the pagoda was located in Hòa Mỹ hamlet (now the Đa Kao – Thị Nghè area), under Bình Trị canton, Bình Dương district, Tân Bình prefecture, Gia Định citadel.

In 1859, the French army captured Gia Định. After that, the pagoda was moved to Gò Vấp at its current location.

Since its establishment, the pagoda has successively borne the following names:

-Vĩnh Trường Pagoda.

-Sắc Tứ Pháp Vũ Tự (敕 賜 塔 宇 寺, abbreviated as Pháp Vũ Pagoda), a royal title granted during the reign of Emperor Gia Long (exact year unknown).

-Sắc Tứ Trường Thọ Tự (敕 賜 長 壽, known as Trường Thọ Pagoda), a royal title granted during the reign of Emperor Tự Đức (exact year unknown).

The pagoda has been renovated many times, most recently in 1994-1995. Its current appearance is the result of renovations at the end of the 19th century.

Precious Antiquities

Trường Thọ Pagoda still preserves many valuable ancient artefacts, such as:

-Two "sắc tứ" royal decree plaques granted to the pagoda by Emperor Gia Long and Emperor Tự Đức.

-A statue of Amitābha Buddha (Phật A Di Đà) made of jackfruit wood (1.8 m tall, without a pedestal).

-A set of Di Đà Tam Tôn statues (Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara [Quán Thế Âm], Mahāsthāmaprāpta [Đại Thế Chí]) made of wood (0.9 m tall, 0.5 m wide). These are the three oldest statues in the pagoda.

-A set of Eighteen Arhats (Thập Bát La Hán) statues made of terracotta covered with lacquer (0.57 m tall, base 0.15 m tall, 0.43 m wide).

-A set of Ten Kings of Hell (Thập Điện Diêm Vương) statues made of jackfruit wood (0.67 m tall, 0.33 m wide).

In addition, the pagoda also has a great bronze bell (1.10 m tall, 0.62 m in diameter) engraved with two lines of raised Chinese characters: "嘉 定 城新 平 府 平 洋 縣 平 治 總 和 美 村永 祥 寺 檇 夆 (Gia Định citadel, Tân Bình prefecture, Bình Dương district, Bình Trị canton, Hòa Mỹ hamlet, Vĩnh Tường pagoda Tuy phong)", and: "戊 辰 年 九 月 二 十六 日 (26th day of the 9th month, Year of the Dragon [Mậu Thìn])."

Currently, Trường Thọ Pagoda has been recognised as a national-level "Historical and Cultural Site".

References

Nguyễn Hiền Đức, History of Buddhism in Đàng Trong. Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House, 1995.

Websites listed in the "notes" section.

Photos

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Visiting tips

  • Dress modestly; remove hats and keep quiet inside the main hall.
  • Incense, flowers and offerings are usually sold right outside the gate; light an odd number of sticks (1 or 3).
  • Most pagodas open from early morning to evening and are free to enter (some major sites charge a small scenic fee).
  • Full-moon days, the 1st of the lunar month and Tet are very crowded; visit on weekday mornings for a quiet experience.
  • Ask permission before photographing inside shrines; do not touch statues or altar objects.

Read more & references

Useful links to learn more before your visit:

Location

Coordinates: 10.82845, 106.68407

🧭 Directions on Google Maps

References

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