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Unique Tibetan Temple in Hanoi

Long Quang Pagoda follows the Vajrayana tantric school, similar to the common temples in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan…

Long Quang Pagoda is located on the land of Vuc village in Thanh Liet commune, Thanh Tri district, so it is also known by the place name Vuc Pagoda. The pagoda is more than 600 years old, overlooking the confluence of the To Lich River. In 2011, the degraded temple was not safe to serve the beliefs of Buddhists, so the temple was restored to have a spacious appearance as it is today.

Tantra in Sanskrit is “Mantra”, which means true words. This practice is a combination of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. Specifically, Long Quang Pagoda follows the powerful Tantric method of Kim Tantric, popular in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.

After being restored, the pagoda has an area of ​​7,000 m2, a spacious campus. According to the abbot, the pagoda was built according to the mandala architecture (the circle, the center of the essence, the core of life) to pray for the peace of the nation, the world, and the people.

Visitors to the temple both worship Buddha and learn about the Vajrayana Tantric method. The ceiling is decorated in a typical Vajrayana style. The motifs are meticulously made with mandala circles, an important symbol in Vajrayana Buddhism.

In the temple, there are 2 compartments, outside is the temple of the three treasures, inside is the ancestral house. The scent of sandalwood is subtle, creating a quiet and majestic atmosphere.

Visitors can go to the roof of the temple to visit the place where the Vajrayana stupa is located. This is also a unique architectural feature that makes the temple unique in Hanoi. Looking from outside Kim Giang Street, visitors can clearly see the grandeur of the stupa.

The stupa is located in the middle of the urban area, creating a highlight when it is possible to see high-rise apartment buildings from here. Inside is a sitting Buddha.

Colorful flag decoration is often seen in countries like Nepal, Bhutan… These flags in Tibetan mean “wind horse”. This is a symbol of the transformation of evil into good, misfortune into auspicious. In addition, it is possible to understand that the 5 colors represent the 5 pearls of wisdom of the Buddha.

The temple grounds are planted with many luxuriant pomelo trees.

Grapefruit flowers bloom in clusters, emitting a mild fragrance, soothing visitors to visit.

In addition, the temple also has many miniatures, especially the statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sitting on a koi fish tank. On weekdays, the temple is open from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. On the full moon week, the temple is open from 5am to 9pm. Daily chanting time from 19:30 to 20:30. Visitors can come to the pagoda to enjoy the unique architecture and pray for peace.

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