Kwan Yin at Pho Quang Pagoda, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City - Places to Visit in Vietnam
People who travel to Vietnam rarely make it to the suburban Buddhist temples, but if you possibly can, it is really worth the detour.
Many of these temples are large and quite dynamic centres of Buddhist learning. They also often have really fantastic gift shops where you can get all kinds of amazing Buddhist kitsch at bargain prices.
This is an A5 cardboard printed image of the main Kwan Yin statue at Pho Quang temple in Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City. The shop at this temple is by far the best Buddhist shop in the city, and worth the trip alone. Along with the huge Buddhist gift shop, there is a fashion salon selling religious clothing for monks and lay-people, and a vegetarian supermarket! It's a regular mall!
Pho Quang is a large and important temple, and it is currently undergoing extensive renovation.
People flock there to visit and pray at the Kwan Yin grotto. There would appear to be large numbers of serious young lay-people attached to the temple, as there is always a smattering of twenty-somethings at the Kwan Yin shrine reading the sutras or using their rosary. It is nice to see, and until now it has been something I have rarely encountered, though I am noticing it more and more.
Details:
Pho Quang Pagoda (Chua Pho Quang)
643 đường Phổ Quang, phường 2, quận Tân Bình
Ho Chi Minh City
There is some confusion about the exact address because once the temple grounds covered this entire area. In recent years it has been developed and built up. Don't worry - once you are on Pho Quang road someone will be able to direct you to the temple.
About 30 minutes from central Saigon, close to the airport.
There are many aggressive sellers of incense and flowers outside, but just smile and walk past them. Also, there is paid parking outside the gates, but there is free (well, by donation), attended parking if you drive inside.
The shops are on your left immediately as you enter the gate, the Kwan Yin Grotto is on the right.
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