Taking the train to Trai Mat to visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda in the chilly cold of the central highlands city of Dalat is an exciting adventure for those who seek the sanctuary of a worshipping place and the unique architecture of Asian pagodas.
Linh Phuoc pagoda is located at 120 Tu Phuoc - Ward 11 which is in the northeast, 8km from the city center.
The pagoda was built in 1949 and finished in 1952. It had being managed by 4 Buddhist monks, including Mr. Thich Minh The (1951-1954), Mr. Thich An Hoa (1954- 1956), Mr. Thich Quang Phat (1956-1959) and Mr. Thich Minh Duc (1959-1985).
Since 1985, Mr. Thich Tam Vi has managed this pagoda and it had a big restoration in 1990.
The remarkable feature of the pagoda is the Dragon- shaped design made from the broken pieces of glasses in accordance to the design of Khai Dinh's Tomb in Hue. In the main temple, there is a statue of Thich Ca Buddhist with the height of 4.9m, sitting under the root of Bodhi tree. Beside the pagoda, we can see a 49m Dragon flying around the garden.
In front of the sanctum, there is Da Bao tower with 27m height. On two sides of the tower, bell and drum are put. In the tower, there are some statues of Quan The Am Bodhisattva.
On the right of the tower, they arrange place for worshipping, houses for monks staying and flower garden. It has Van Thu gate and Long Hoa garden on the left, also pool, bonsai and 49m dragon. The scabs of dragon are made from 12,000 empty bottles. The head of dragon is 7m high.
Especially, the pagoda has a 36- meter tower in the yard which contains a 8,500 - kilo bell in it. The bell is 4.38m high and its diameter is 2.34m. It is carved with 4 words "Linh Phuoc Tu Chung" and many statues, pagodas and patterns such as Mot Cot pagoda (in Ha Noi city), Thien Mu pagoda (in Hue city), Linh Phuoc pagoda (in Dalat city), Bo De Dao Trang tower (in India), etc.
