Located near the Cai Rang floating market area, Long An Pagoda (also known as Ong Mot Pagoda) is a familiar spiritual destination for local people and tourists when visiting the Mekong Delta.
According to historical records, the pagoda was built in 1927, and has been around for nearly a century. In the early days, the pagoda had a main hall of about 100m2 and a Hau To house of about 150m2, both built with brick walls and traditional tiled roofs.
Through many renovations and expansions, the pagoda's appearance has become more and more spacious but still retains its inherent ancient beauty. In 2008, the pagoda built a large open-air Quan The Am Bodhisattva statue in the campus, becoming a prominent highlight of the pagoda.
Long An Pagoda currently has an area of about 5,000m2. The three-entrance gate is designed in a traditional style with yin and yang tiled roofs, decorated above with the image of "two dragons competing for a pearl" and the Dharma wheel symbol.
Inside the campus is a green space with many ancient trees, tomb towers of previous abbots and Ngu Hanh Nuong Nuong temple, creating a typical peaceful appearance of a Zen land.
Prominent in the middle of the pagoda courtyard is the Quan The Am Bodhisattva statue about 5m high, placed on a lotus pedestal nearly 3m high. In front of the statue, there is an incense burner and a stele engraved with Uncle Dai Bi, which is a place where many Buddhists and tourists stop to worship.
The main hall is built in the Dinh-shaped architectural style, bearing the imprint of Northern Buddhism with the intersection of traditional Vietnamese architecture and Chinese influence. The two-story pagoda roof is tiled with yin and yang tiles, decorated with many dragon, unicorn, phoenix and lotus motifs.
Inside Dai Hung Buu Dien, there is an altar of Tam Thanh Tay Phuong with Amitabha Buddha statue in the center, on both sides are Quan The Am Bodhisattva and Dai The Chi Bodhisattva. There are also altars of Quan Thanh De Quan, Dia Tang Vuong Bodhisattva and many Dharma protection statues.
Not only is it a place for religious activities, Long An Pagoda also organizes many Buddhist festivals such as the Quan Am Via festival, Vu Lan festival, Buddha's Birthday and major full moon days of the year.
Representatives of the pagoda said that for many years, this place has also maintained activities to care for lonely elderly people, support people in difficult circumstances and mobilize Buddhists to participate in environmental protection.
In the Mekong Delta region, the ancient pagoda near Cai Rang floating market not only carries spiritual values but also contributes to preserving the cultural and humanistic values of the locality.
