Vietnam National Temple: Explore the most majestic architecture in Saigon
Vietnam Quoc Tu is one of the sacred and pure temples in Ho Chi Minh City. Please join me in exploring this temple through the article below.
Besides the delicious cuisine, Saigon tourism also attracts tourists from all over by famous sightseeing spots. Among them, Vietnam National Temple is a place visited by many tourists to sightsee and offer incense to pray for peace
Some details about Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda
Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda Address: 3/2 Street, Ward 12, District 10, Saigon If you are looking for a spiritual tourist destination in the "City named after Uncle Ho", please refer to Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda. So where is Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda? This pagoda in Saigon is known as the pagoda with the tallest tower in Vietnam with 13 floors, 63m high. Coming here, visitors will certainly be impressed by the unique and majestic architecture of the temple. Besides, a peaceful, quiet space also helps you feel more relaxed and comfortable
History of temple construction
In 1964, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha unified to build Vietnam National Pagoda on a campus of more than 4 hectares. Since then, the temple has experienced many important milestones. As follows:
In 1975: the pagoda was requisitioned to build Ky Hoa amusement park and Hoa Binh theater 1988: Venerable Tu Nhon - abbot of the old Vietnam National Temple applied for ownership back In 1993:
Venerable Tu Nhon's petition was resolved, the pagoda's area was reduced to 3,712 square meters.
In 1993: the project was restored with many items
2014:the restoration process from 1993 was completed November 2017: the temple was officially inaugurated
Architecture of Vietnam National Pagoda
The image of Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda is a harmonious combination of tradition and modernity. The exterior design of the pagoda is imbued with the ancient traditional style of the North of our country with two main color tones including red brown and yellow. The porch is built from natural stone, creating an ancient, sparkling beauty that is quite strange. Meanwhile, the inside of the temple is designed in a modern style. 
The main hall has a ceiling light system that is elaborately and meticulously decorated, and between the light boxes is a lotus flower symbolizing the spread of Buddhism. The items of this pagoda were built on a 3,700m2 campus, including Tam Quan gate, Bao Tower, main hall, Quach Thi Trang orphanage, Southern University, worship hall and Buddha statues.
The temple's scale includes 1 basement and 4 floors. In particular, each floor is used for a separate purpose. Specifically:
Basement: area is 7,850m2, used for parking
1st floor: total area is 730m2 with a capacity of about 1,000 seats, expanded corridor for 3,000 people
2nd floor: 885m2 wide, used as office
3rd floor: has an area of 580m2 with 15 monk rooms
4th floor: includes the suffix and main hall, Buddha worship area of 1,081m2
Special features of Vietnam National Temple
The temple is a religious building built to commemorate the non-violent struggle for religious equality of Buddhism in 1963. Some special marks of this building include
The main hall houses a bronze statue of Sakyamuni Buddha weighing 35 tons and 7.5 meters high. This is a bronze statue placed in the largest main hall in Vietnam.
The pagoda has a bell weighing about 3 tons and nearly 3 meters high - the largest bell in our country.
The campus of Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda is very large, with many statues related to Buddhism such as
Rituals and religious activities at the temple
Every year, the pagoda welcomes many monks, nuns, and Buddhists from all over to participate in major activities and holidays, especially the Vietnam National Temple's birthday celebration. This place is fully equipped with necessary equipment to serve major Buddhist holidays. To meet the cultural practice needs of the people, Vietnam Quoc Tu organizes Dharma preaching activities lasting from 7 - 16 hours every Sunday. Some activities during the Dharma preaching session include reciting Buddha's name, listening to Dharma, chanting sutras, receiving food, quiet meditation, sitting meditation, and Dharma talks.
Some notes to keep in mind
Because the pagoda is a sacred place, requiring quiet and solemnity, visitors should pay attention to the following issues: Avoid laughing and talking too loudly Dress politely, discreetly, neatly, do not use clothes that are too short or offensive when entering the temple Do not arbitrarily touch or move furniture in the temple Do not break tree branches, do not litter, and comply with other temple regulations
