Visit the land of temples

The old Soc Trang province (now Can Tho city) is known as a locality with a large Khmer ethnic population. This community has brought a unique culture from beliefs, architecture, customs, habits, music, cuisine, etc. This place has a cultural exchange, becoming an attractive destination for tourists to learn, experience, make pilgrimages, and travel spiritually.

Som Rong Pagoda

In Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces, there are almost all bus routes to this land. This is a locality with many Khmer pagodas built in Southern Buddhist architecture bearing the mark of the century, a prominent place that tourists cannot miss when coming here is Som Rong Pagoda.

In Khmer, the full name of the pagoda is Wat Pătum Wôngsa Som Rong. Built in 1785, the pagoda was originally just a simple thatched roof supported by bamboo pillars. Over nearly 300 years, the ancient pagoda has been restored, rebuilt and embellished to become a unique architectural work combining art and religion, a symbol of the extremely sophisticated and unique architectural level of the Khmer people. It can be mentioned the three-door architecture, the gate is embossed with reliefs such as the sacred bird Krud, the sacred snake Naga, above the gate are 5 towers symbolizing Mount Meru, where 5 gods often reside. When entering the pagoda gate, walking under the shady trees, I could not help but be overwhelmed by the majestic reclining Buddha statue right in the central courtyard.

Sophisticated and unique Khmer architecture at Som Rong Pagoda

This is a 63m long, 22.5m high statue of Buddha Sakyamuni entering nirvana, considered the largest reclining statue in Vietnam. In addition, visitors can visit the Stupa, the Main Hall and the Sala Assembly Hall. The gray-white stupa has 4 sides with 4 entrances, in the center is a statue of Buddha Sakyamuni sitting on a lotus pedestal, extremely majestic and solemn.

As a place to practice traditional rituals, study and organize important festivals such as Chol Chnam Thmay, Sen Dolta, Kathina Robe Offering Ceremony, Moon Worship Festival,... the pagoda is a place closely associated with spiritual life, close to the Khmer community.

On the journey to explore the land of pagodas, another place not to be missed is Bat Pagoda (also known as Ma Toc Pagoda or Mahatup) with a history of more than 400 years. Nestled among the green canopy of ancient trees, the ancient pagoda with traditional architecture seems even more solemn. Not only is it a place where Buddhist events take place, with the harmonious combination of spiritual addresses and natural landscapes, the Bat Pagoda campus has gradually become an ecological space that attracts visitors from near and far.

The ancient cajeput and oil trees in the pagoda are home to thousands of bats, creating a unique feature that is hard to find anywhere else. However, since the fire at the pagoda in 2007, the number of bats has decreased due to hunting and abandonment. However, when you come here, the mysterious stories about bats and the five-toed pig graves in the pagoda still strangely attract you. In 1999, Bat Pagoda was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic.

Bat Pagoda shines among the cool green forest

Buu Son Pagoda is also a famous place in the land of pagodas, better known as Clay Pagoda, built in the early 20th century by the Ngo family. This place is famous for thousands of statues and pillars made of clay. With an area of ​​only about ^400m2 , the pagoda has a simple and rustic architectural style.

Although not associated with festivals or cultural events, the pagoda still attracts a large number of visitors from all over the world to make pilgrimages and visit because of its unique features. Here, in addition to sightseeing, visitors can also hear thrilling stories about the 4th abbot who renovated and expanded the pagoda to its current appearance - monk Ngo Kim Tong.

According to legend, when he was young, he was seriously ill and could not be cured no matter how hard he tried. He was taken to the temple to pray, take medicine, and meditate, and gradually recovered. After that, he became a monk and became a unique clay sculptor without any formal education. The large and small Buddha statues, sacred animals, the Da Bao tower, the Lien Hoa throne, etc. have become works of extremely unique historical, artistic, and religious value.

And the most prominent are probably the four pairs of giant candles weighing about 200kg, 2m high, which have made the name of this temple. Each candle is estimated to be able to burn continuously for 70 years. Next to it is a pair of candles with smaller size and height that can still burn continuously for half a decade.

And it would be a mistake to come to this land and miss the Khmer Museum. Located in a quiet corner in the middle of the city, each exhibit is displayed as if telling its own story. The audience takes turns enjoying the Du Ke stage and listening to the Ro Bam melody. Unique musical instruments from the pentatonic orchestra and the ceremonial music set are ready to be played to signal the festival season.

Soc Trang cuisine is diverse, when coming here, visitors cannot miss the famous snakehead fish noodle soup. The broth is cooked entirely with fresh coconut water, bringing a sweet taste combined with the flavor of fermented beef sauce. This is a dish that bears the mark of cultural exchange between the three ethnic groups Kinh - Hoa - Khmer. In addition to snakehead fish and shrimp, the noodles are also served with roasted pork and vegetables such as banana blossom, bean sprouts, chives, basil leaves, etc. Just one taste, visitors will surely remember the unique flavor so that whenever they have the chance, they will want to return to this place.

Perhaps the places introduced have one thing in common: the value of time. Culture is always the soft power of a nation, and experiential trips are always necessary for each person to find the beauty of the culture of each region./.

Hien Duong

Source: https://baolongan.vn/tham-dat-chua-chien-a202774.html