Minh Thanh: a Majestic Pagoda in Pleiku

(VNF) - Minh Thanh Pagoda - one of the biggest and most beautiful pagodas in Pleiku - is located on the hill of South West Pleiku City.

The pagoda is located at 14A Nguyen Viet Xuan Street, Phu Hoi Ward, Pleiku city, Gia Lai Province. About 2 km from the center of the city of Pleiku (Gia Lai), Minh Thanh Pagoda is a Buddhist architectural complex located on the vast rolling hills in the southwest of the city.

This is the pagoda which has the most unique architecture in the Highlands, it is not only the pride of the people in the mountain city, but also is an attraction not to be missed by visitors. (Photo: randomtravelblog.com)

In 1964, the pagoda began to be built by Venerable Thich Giac Dao. Since then, the pagoda has become a place of worship and incense offering of Buddhist in the region. Experiencing the changes of history, the architecture of the pagoda began deteriorating. Thus, in 1997, the pagoda was started to be restored and constructed new sections.

After 10 years of restoration, Minh Thanh pagoda is likes wearing the new shirt with unique and majestic architecture like the main hall of 16 meters high, po mu wooden ceilings (type of wood which is well known in the forests of Highland region).

Especially, the pagoda doors are made of wood with the sophisticated relief of four heavenly kings (Tu Dai Thien Vuong). With a height of 6 m, a thickness of 4 inches, one of the largest doors in Vietnam.

Inside the main hall is the 6m long and 1.2m high Buddhist altar. Four statues of Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Avalokiteshvara eyes with a height of 8 m, 3.5 m long are placed at 4 corners of the hall. The wall is decorated with more than 3,000 statues.

18 Arhat statues made entirely from wood of jackfruit, each is 1.3 m high and weighs nearly 300kg, all of them are gold plated. (Photo: vietnamtripadvisor.org)

In front of the Main Hall, in the two sides of left and right, there are two towers: The bell tower and Thap To khai son (worshipping the ancestor who discovered the area).

At the center of the yard stands the Lien Tri lake, a large lotus pond of nearly 750m2, in the middle of the lake, there is Amitabha statue of 7m high made of white stone with majesty and static standing in between heaven and earth. (Photo: nellyle210 on Instagram)

In front of the lake, there is an incense burner of 4 tons weight and 4.5 meters high. Stepping up 30 stone steps, visitors are surprised at the architectural beauty of the pagoda.

The right side of the complex stands a three-storey tower, where late superior monk Thich Giac Dao (or monk Nam), the founder of the pagoda in 1970 is worshipped. The left hand of the pagoda is the two-story bell tower with two bells, in which the heaviest bell weights 3 tons and the area has an area of thousands of square meters.

The winding dragon on the roof, each piece of fish scale tiles are arranged meticulously, each pattern is carved skillfully. (Photo: Nguyen Lan/panoramio.com)

Not being an ancient work, but with unique architecture, majestic beauty, Minh Thanh Pagoda annually welcomes thousands of visitors coming to go sightseeing and offer incense. In the afternoon sun in the misty mountain town, the echo of the pagoda bell in the distance is as bringing peace to the hearts of visitors to the pagoda.

When the evening falls, Minh Thanh pagoda hidden in the mist creates a glamor fanciful beauty attracting tourists. (Photo: vietnamtripadvisor.org)

The whole Buddhist architectural complex. (Photo: Hoa Carol)

The Tower. (Photo: koohoangthien on Instagram)

Minh Thanh Pagoda - one of the biggest and most beautiful pagodas in Pleiku. (Photo: crazyvietnamese on Instagram)

( Compiled by VNF )