Tucked on a palm-tree covered hill in Khe Sanh Street, 5km from the center of Dalat City, Thien Vuong Co Sat Pagoda is a popular site for visitors fascinated by the Chinese architecture and stillness of the sanctuary.
It was built in 1958 by monk Tho Da, a Buddhist dignitary and member of Chinese Society, to follow Chinese Hue Nghiem Buddhism and was renovated in 1989.
The pagoda consists of three yellow buildings, of which Quang Minh Buu Dien sanctum is the main body of the pagoda.
It is 12m high and is built in a quadrangle with each quadrant 15m wide. There are statues of the three saints Tay Phuong Buddha, Bodhisattva Kwan Yin and the Great Bodhisattva. They are 4m high, weigh 1.5 tons and were imported from Hong Kong in 1958 by the Bonze Superior Tho Da. There are also statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, which are 2.6m high each and made of concrete.
At the back of the pagoda is a peaceful pine forest, enhancing the calmness of this monastic place. On the peak of the hill is an effigy of Sakyamuni Buddha which is 10m tall and sits on lotus flowers.
From the viewpoint on the hill, visitors can hear the wind blowing through the pine braches and view the red-tiled roofs of houses located beneath the shade of the pine trees or mimosa flowers along the sloping roads.
The reason this particular pagoda arouses much of its curiosity, though, is a turning table set in the Quang Minh Buu Dien. The table is made of wood and has three legs. The thing is if one person puts their hands on the table it stays still but if two people do so, it will turn around.
(Source: SGT)
