Published:  08:52 Saturday - August 13, 2016

Long Son pagoda is a highlight destination in Nha Trang and considered as a symbol of Nha Trang with the largest white Buddha image. So, everybody comes to visit Long Son pagoda when traveling to Nha Trang.

• Thach Long Pagoda or Stone Dragon Pagoda

The pagoda is located at the foot of Trai Thuy Mountain, it is 400 meters to the west of the railway station. Originally, Long Son Pagoda is called Dang Long Tu (Dang Long Pagoda).

Built in 1886 in the style of Taoist architecture, Long Son Pagoda has been home to many high-ranking Buddhist monks. In 1900, after a devastating cyclone, the temple was terribly damaged and had to be moved to the nowadays location. In 1936, Long Son Pagoda was renamed and became the headquarters of the Buddhist Association in Khanh Hoa Province. It was renovated and expanded again in 1940 before being destroyed during Vietnam War in 1968. After that, attempts have been made to rebuild the construction, but the temple has not been fully restored until recently.

Today, Long Son Pagoda boasts beautiful and unique turn-of-the-century Taoist architecture characterized by the embellishment of mythical animals and sculptures of Taoist gods. It is also a working monastery complete with a school for monks in its grounds. An impressive three-tier roofed entrance, decorated with mosaic dragons, leads to the large temple grounds decorated by potted topiary.

Behind the temple, 152 steps lead to the main attraction of Long Son Pagoda, the 24-metre tall white Buddha image seated on a lotus throne. Around the corner, there is a large reclining Buddha whose back panel features a bas-relief representation of the monks and nuns who died in the late 1950s while protesting against the corrupt US-backed Diem regime. From the platform at the base of the white Buddha, visitors can enjoy a bird’s eye view of Nha Trang and the sea beyond.