Pagodas & temples in Quảng Ngãi

Hang Pagoda (its formal name is Thiên Khổng Thạch Tự, meaning 'Heavenly Stone Pagoda', also known as 'Naturally Formed Stone Pagoda') is located in the Lý Sơn special zone, Quảng Ngãi province. It was established during the reign of King Lê Kính Tông by Trần Công Thành, one of the people who settled here, reclaiming land and founding the ancient villages of An Hải and An Vĩnh. It is called Hang Pagoda ('Cave Pagoda') because it is situated inside the largest cave in the cave system of Lý Sơn, formed from the Thới Lới mountain range, with basaltic rock and sheer cliffs nearly 20 metres high. Hang Pagoda was recognised as a national scenic site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism under Decision No. 921 dated 20 July 1994. The pagoda is located about 25 kilometres southeast of Sa Kỳ port. According to the book 'Đại Nam nhất thống chí' by the National History Office of the Nguyễn Dynasty, Hang Pagoda is described as: '... on the east side of the island there is a cave, above the cave is a pagoda with tiled roof, stone beds, stone tables; on both sides of the cave there are wells with clear, fresh water, surrounded by lush trees. When there were sea pirates, the villagers would hide here.' Hang Pagoda originated as a temple of the Champa people worshipping Brahmin deities. Later, when the Vietnamese came to reclaim Lý Sơn at the beginning of the 17th century, the pagoda became a place for Taoist cultivation and later a Buddhist temple. The pagoda courtyard in front of the cave faces the sea. In the middle of the courtyard is a lotus pond with a Buddha statue. Around the courtyard are ancient sea almond trees, hundreds of years old. The cave is 24 metres deep, 20 metres wide, with a ceiling height of 3.2 metres, and an area of 480 square metres. Inside the cave, the central altar is dedicated to Amitābha Buddha, Tathāgata, and Maitreya; the altar to the patriarch Bodhidharma is on the left; there are also altars to the 12 Yama Kings, the three successive founders who served the pagoda (Trần Công Thành, Trần Công Hiền, Trần Công Quân), and the seven founding elders of An Hải village. The altars are crafted from natural stalactites on the cave floor, then further shaped into shrines. Major annual events held at the pagoda include Tết Nguyên Đán (Lunar New Year), Vu Lan Festival, Buddha's Birthday, and the death anniversaries of the founding elders. On these occasions, local people come to perform rituals, recite Buddhist scriptures, and pay homage. Lý Sơn Island consists of five mountains rising from the sea, curved like enormous, extinguished charcoal stoves. Locals say that only four of these have ever erupted, leaving wide mouths filled with basalt. One of these, Thới Lới mountain, has a crater as wide as one square kilometre. The local authorities plan to build a reservoir here to provide water for the entire island during the four dry months each year. First-time visitors may feel a shiver, standing right inside a volcanic crater. Large basalt blocks, once hurled out towards the sea, still lie scattered. Higher up, pagodas nestle deep in the mountain crevices, among sparse vegetation. The people of Lý Sơn cherish and carefully preserve their spiritual world. Every dinh (ancestral hall) and miếu (spirit shrine) is decorated and worshipped according to extremely strict regulations. Early each morning, one might see a fisherman stop his boat before the path leading up to Âm hồn biển dinh (Sea Spirits Hall) to offer a boiled chicken and a plate of fresh fruit, to comfort the wandering souls at sea and pray for a safe voyage that night. The path to Hang Pagoda, a scenic site recognised by the Ministry of Culture and Information, is paved with small round stones, winding through lush green cornfields. In the fields, village girls laugh and chat noisily, but if visitors approach with a camera, they shyly run away or pull their sun scarves up to hide their faces beneath their conical hats. Hang Pagoda lies deep within a massive basalt block shaped as if it were erupting. The pagoda covers 480 square metres and is only 3.2 metres high. Its predecessor was an ancient Cham temple. The Cham statues were taken away by the French in the early 20th century, and the islanders replaced them with Buddhist altars and shrines to the founding elders of the island's three largest clans. Every afternoon, the chanting of fishermen's wives, whose husbands are out at sea, rises and lingers until sunset, filled with melancholy. Inside the pagoda, now and then a cool drop of water falls from the cave's dome, dissolving amid the chanting. Lý Sơn also attracts visitors with its simple eateries serving dishes made from seafood, especially 14 different types of sea snails with curious names such as jumping snail, dune snail, ivory snail, fragrant snail, elephant snail, and more. Visiting the pagoda, gazing at the dormant volcanoes in the middle of the ocean, then stopping at a local eatery to enjoy a plate of freshly caught squid, sipping a small glass of garlic wine, and watching the sunset drift towards the mainland 20 nautical miles away—Lý Sơn in the hearts of visitors at that moment may feel different, even as the melancholy chanting from the pagoda still echoes.

Ông Pagoda (Thu Xà) (its Sino-Vietnamese name is Quan Thánh tự, also known as Đại Tự Quan Thánh) is located in the Thu Xà market town, Tư Nghĩa commune, Quảng Ngãi province; it is 10 km east of the provincial capital of Quảng Ngãi.

Thiên Ấn Pagoda is a pagoda located on the summit of Thiên Ấn Mountain, which is high and has a flat top. It was built at the end of the 17th century, together with a cemetery area and tower-shaped tombs. Thiên Ấn Pagoda was recognised as a national historical site in 1990.

Bac Ai Patriarch Temple stands in the heart of Kon Tum city and is the earliest Buddhist architectural work in Kon Tum and the Central Highlands as a whole.

Khanh Lam Pagoda sits on a primeval hill more than 1,200 m above sea level in the Mang Den eco-tourism area, Dak Long commune, Kon Plong district, Kon Tum province, about 55–60 km northeast of Kon Tum city.

Chùa Phước Lâm is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi (formerly Kon Tum province), Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.

Chùa Đục is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.

Chùa Đục is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.

Chùa Giác Lâm is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.

Chùa Huệ Lâm is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.

Chùa Kim Long is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.

Chùa Quang Bửu is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.

Chùa Tú Sơn is a Buddhist pagoda in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam. Its location comes from OpenStreetMap community data; further details will be added when reliable sources become available.