The Southern Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Can Tho

“Mingling with the atmospherics and the dust of a mundane life, Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery (Thiền viện Trúc Lâm) still seems to cover itself with grace and peace. Pure and simple, that is all it has when the image comes to mind. It coincides with the life of the city, and contemplates the succeeding of numerous generations in Cần Thơ, growing and returning to dust.

It must have been three years since its first establishment on 17th May 2014. Despite having a short time of existence, Trúc Lâm still bears the typical architecture that a place of Buddhism worshipping should have.  The whole monastery is a land area of approximately 38 016 square meters and it is, until the present, the largest monastery in Cửu Long Delta. The head temple is a complex of re-known oriental architecture with the eight-roof-tile pattern virtualizing Trần Dynasty art nouveau. The design, to be described, is way-near-to-perfection, a remarkable combination of old and new, of religious epitome and de rigueur formality.

Beside the head temple, the four-roof-tile temple complex is also a noticeable design with the architecture which resembles Lý’s pattern. The Bell Tower, also known as Đại Hồng Chung, is 1.5 tons in weight and bears many resemblances to Keo Pagoda’s bell tower in Thái Bình. One of the most outstanding features of Trúc Lâm Monastery is the bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha sitting and holding a flower.

As a whole, the monastery has mostly of its designs in common with that of others’ such as Trúc Lâm Monastery in Huế City. However, it is still a much-to-be-proud construction to Cần Thơ city and its citizens who often come to find the peace that is left in their souls.” – Trang Nguyen

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Photos by Nhi Nguyen
Words by Trang Nguyen