Vạn Đức Pagoda

Vạn Đức Pagoda is currently located at 502 Tô Ngọc Vân Street, in Quarter 55, Tam Bình Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This is one of the two major pagodas of Thủ Đức City. Vạn Đức Pagoda is one of the large-scale religious architectural works in Ho Chi Minh City. In addition to its aesthetic value, the structure is also a model for the art of form-making in modern architecture.

Vạn Đức Pagoda is located about 15 km from the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, and about 2 km from Thủ Đức Market. This pagoda originated from an old house donated by a well-off family and then converted into a pagoda. According to documents, when the First Indochina War broke out, fearing the opposition would establish a base here, in 1946, the French colonial authorities ordered that people could no longer live on Cấm Mountain. Therefore, the monk Thích Thiện Quang (upper Thiện lower Quang, 1895–1953) had to lead his disciples down the mountain, temporarily staying at a Buddhist layperson's house in Tri Tôn, and then (at the beginning of 1947) went to practice at Linh Bửu Pagoda in the Cầu Bông area (now part of Saigon)....

On the morning of the 26th day of the 11th lunar month, Year of the Snake (Quý Tỵ, 1953), that monk peacefully passed away and was taken by his disciples to be buried at the family cemetery of Mrs. Ba Hộ (name Nguyễn Thị Tánh, dharma name Diệu Tuyết) in Thủ Đức (before 1975 a district of Gia Định Province, now part of Ho Chi Minh City). On the full moon of the first lunar month, Year of the Horse (Giáp Ngọ, 1954), a disciple of monk Thiện Quang, monk Thích Trí Tịnh (upper Trí lower Tịnh; 1917–2014) from Linh Sơn Pagoda (Vũng Tàu) returned to attend the memorial ceremony and visit the grave of his revered teacher (because during the funeral, Thích Trí Tịnh was in retreat and could not attend).

On this occasion, Mrs. Ba Hộ made a vow to donate the entire land and the large house located on it to monk Trí Tịnh. This house originally belonged to Mr. Nguyễn Văn Do, the sixth paternal uncle of Mrs. Ba Hộ. After Mr. Sáu passed away without heirs, Mrs. Ba, as his direct niece, inherited the property. After receiving the house and land, on the 16th day of the 3rd lunar month that year, monk Trí Tịnh had workers renovate the house into a pagoda (keeping the original state, only adding to the front to resemble a pagoda, with the front for worshipping the Buddha and the back for worshipping the Patriarchs), and named it Vạn Đức Pagoda.

In 1955, monk Trí Tịnh established the Cực Lạc Liên Hữu Association here, encouraging everyone to recite the Buddha's name and aspire for rebirth in the Pure Land. In 1956, monk Trí Tịnh added the Tổ house (ancestral hall). In 1957, the monk continued to build the communal work house, kitchen area, lecture hall, monks' quarters, etc., and by 1958 it was completed. At the beginning of the summer retreat in 1959, simultaneously with organising the An cư kiết hạ (summer retreat), and lecturing on the Lotus Sutra with Commentary, monk Trí Tịnh had the Quan Âm Hall constructed.

In 1963, as the pagoda (originally an old house) had seriously deteriorated, it had to be completely renovated, and the project began on the day commemorating Amitabha Buddha (17th day of the 11th lunar month, Year of the Cat, Quý Mão, 1963). Since 1990, Most Venerable Thích Trí Tịnh (promoted to Most Venerable in 1973) successively renovated the lecture hall (1990), monks' quarters (1991), kitchen area (1992), Quan Âm Hall (after completing the Phù Thi Stupa)... In addition, the Most Venerable also successively built new structures such as: Phù Thi Stupa (1993, for enshrining the body of Most Venerable Thích Trí Tịnh), library, Buddha Recitation Hall, etc. By the Year of the Monkey (Giáp Thân, 2004), Most Venerable Thích Trí Tịnh began a major renovation of the main hall and the Tổ house...

Vạn Đức Pagoda, founded by Most Venerable Thích Trí Tịnh, is situated on a spacious plot, constructed of reinforced concrete, brick walls, and bored pile foundations. The pagoda floor and altars are all clad in grey granite. Some main features include:

The Tam quan (three-entrance gate) and open-air Quan Âm Hall: The Tam quan is built with three storeys, roofed with traditional blue glazed tiles, with stylised lotus flower patterns on the ends of the roof ridges, and the top decorated with the motif of 'two dragons flanking the Dharma wheel'. Beyond the Tam quan is a large courtyard planted with ornamental trees, bonsai, etc., to create a scenic landscape. On the left side of the courtyard is a shady bodhi tree. Opposite this tree is a lotus pond, with an open-air Quan Âm Hall in the centre.

The main hall of Vạn Đức Pagoda is 43.5 metres high, and from a distance resembles a nine-storey tower and two smaller five-storey towers, but inside there are only two main floors.

The upper floor is the inner sanctum for Buddha worship, with many windows, an external balcony, and inside are enshrined statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Three Buddhas of the Three Times. Surrounding are four layers of balconies resembling tiers of white clouds, and each pillar is a wind window in the shape of the word 'Buddha'. On both sides of the balcony are two staircases leading up to the inner sanctum. Standing out in the inner sanctum's architecture is the bas-relief of the bodhi tree and the scenery of the Ni Liên Thiền River. On the rear wall of the main hall is a bas-relief made of cement, surrounded by carvings of Dharma-protecting deities.

The ground floor is the lecture hall, used as a place for Dharma talks for lay Buddhists; against the central wall is an altar to Patriarch Bodhidharma carved from white marble and the memorial tablet of Most Venerable Thích Thiện Quang.

Vạn Đức Pagoda has been recognised by the Vietnam Records Book Centre as the pagoda holding two records as of 2014:

The tallest main hall in Vietnam,

The largest bas-relief of a bodhi tree in Vietnam

Thích Trí Tịnh, "Biography of Most Venerable Thích Trí Tịnh" printed in the book Hương sen Vạn Đức. Phương Đông Publishing House, 2006.

Venerable Hoằng Tri, "A Few Notes on the History of Vạn Đức Pagoda" and "Biography of Most Venerable Vạn Linh" printed in the Commemorative Volume on the Renovation of Vạn Đức and Vạn Linh Pagodas (abbreviated as Commemorative Volume). General Publishing House of Ho Chi Minh City, 2006.