In a Vietnamese beach town, waves of serenity soothe one’s soul

The Long Son Pagoda, built in 1886, is a famous spiritual destination in Khanh Hoa Province, south central Vietnam. The pagoda was once known as Dang Long Tu. Today locals refer to it as the pagoda with white statues of Buddha.

The 3,000 square meters pagoda is located at the foot of the Trai Thuy Hill on Hai Muoi Ba Thang Muoi (23/10) Street. It has a typical Eastern Asian architectural layout, surrounded by different varieties of trees and plants.

Two dragon statues are handrails on stairs leading to the pagoda’s main building.

The main building has a total area of over 1,500 square meters. According to the rule here, visitors must wear long pants when coming in the main building in order to show respects towards Buddha.

A sitting bronze Buddha, 1.6 meters tall and weighing 700 kilograms, also graces the main building.

Visitors have to climb 193 stairs to reach the top of the hill.

A reclining Buddha statue, built in 2003, is placed on the 44th stair. The statue is 17 meters long and five meters tall. Behind the Buddha is a relief depicting 49 disciples chanting the Buddha's name.

Kim Than Phat or the white Buddha statue, sits atop the Trai Thuy Hill. Built in 1963, this 24-meter tall statue is one of the largest outdoor Buddha statues in Vietnam. 

At the base of the statue are statues of seven monks, including Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, who immolated themselves to protest the oppression of Buddhists by the U.S.-propped Ngo Dinh Diem regime in 1963.

Reliefs of two guardian deities on either the side of the door to the structure that holds the Kim Than Phat statue.

Inside, there are smaller portraits and carvings of the Buddha. This section was added in 1975 when the building of the Kim Than Phat statue was completed.

Together, the pagoda is a sanctuary of peace and quiet, soothing the minds and souls of both the devout and respectful visitors.