Leaving central Đà Lạt and traveling about eight kilometers east past the vegetable farms and greenhouses of Trại Mát, visitors stop before a three-entrance gate (tam quan) whose entire facade glitters with multicolored shards. Stepping into the courtyard, the first sight to catch the eye is a forty-nine-meter dragon curving around a pond, its scales pieced together from broken beer bottles in shades of green and brown. Looking up reveals a seven-story tower, all seven levels likewise covered in ceramic fragments.
Locals call this place Chùa Ve Chai (Glass Bottle Pagoda), naming it after its material rather than its formal title. The official name of the temple is Linh Phước. What makes this place remarkable is not whether it is ancient, but the fact that a traditional craft of Huế artisans, ceramic and porcelain mosaic, was brought up to the plateau and applied across the entire surface of a Buddhist temple.
INames and the craft of ceramic mosaic
This temple carries two names side by side. Linh Phước is the Sino-Vietnamese literary name, meaning efficacious blessing, which appears on the temple plaque and in all official documents. Chùa Ve Chai is the popular vernacular name, inspired by the millions of broken bottle fragments, shattered bowls, and multicolored ceramic shards inlaid across every structure on the grounds. Today the vernacular name is used even more widely than the formal title.
The Chinese characters 靈福寺 at the top of the page correspond to the three syllables Linh Phước Tự, representing the traditional literary name of the pagoda.
Ceramic and porcelain mosaic (khảm sành sứ) is a craft with a distinct origin in Huế. Imperial capital artisans used broken porcelain, colored glass, and pottery shards set into mortar to form dragons, phoenixes, foliage, and decorative panels on palace roofs, gates, and royal tombs. This technique reached its densest expression in late Nguyễn dynasty monuments, where large wall expanses were covered in mosaic. At Linh Phước Pagoda, artisans from Huế working alongside monks, nuns, and lay Buddhists brought that technique to a highland temple and pushed its scale much further, covering nearly every visible surface rather than merely accenting roof ridges and eaves.
The pagoda belongs to Mahayana Buddhism (Phật Giáo Bắc Tông) practiced by the Kinh majority, under the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Its altar arrangement follows the standard Mahayana layout with Śākyamuni Buddha at the center of the main hall, altars to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (Bồ Tát Quán Thế Âm) and Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Bồ Tát Địa Tạng), and a patriarch hall behind. Here, two themes are emphasized far more prominently than in typical temples of the same tradition, namely Avalokiteśvara and Maudgalyāyana rescuing his mother through the eighteen levels of hell, both realized as large-scale architectural installations rather than simple altar statues.
Two common misunderstandings merit clarification from a historical perspective.
First, the name Ve Chai does not mean the pagoda was built out of scrap. The ceramic shards and bottle glass here were selected, washed, cut to size using fire and cold water, sorted by color, and inlaid onto cement cores according to design drawings. It is a disciplined artisanal craft rather than makeshift recycling. The popular nickname records only what meets the eye, not the method of execution.
Second, what visitors see today is not the architecture of 1949. Although the pagoda was first founded that year, its entire current appearance took shape from the major reconstruction launched in 1990 and continued over decades. It is a modern complex built upon an older temple site.
IIFrom a village temple to a multi-decade construction site
The history of the site falls into two distinct periods. The first was a modest village pagoda serving the farming community of Trại Mát in the mid-20th century, passing through four early abbots, namely Venerable Thích Minh Thể from 1951 to 1954, Venerable Thích An Hòa from 1954 to 1956, Venerable Thích Quảng Phát from 1956 to 1959, and Venerable Thích Minh Đức from 1959 to 1985. The second period began when Venerable Thích Tâm Vị became the fifth abbot in 1985 and initiated the major reconstruction of 1990 that continued for decades, rebuilding and expanding the temple across nearly 6,670 square meters.
- 1949Initial foundingThe pagoda was founded in Trại Mát, then an agricultural area outside central Đà Lạt. All sources agree on this founding year.
- Early 1950sFirst completionSources record different dates for the initial completion, with Wikipedia citing 1950 and other accounts citing 1951, 1952, or 1953. During this period the temple was small and did not yet have its mosaic appearance.
- 1990Major reconstructionA complete rebuilding launched under the fifth abbot, Venerable Thích Tâm Vị, with the craftsmanship of Huế artisans and contributions from Buddhists near and far. From this point on, the pagoda took on its ceramic mosaic form.
- 1999Casting of the great bellA massive bronze bell was cast and hung inside the tower. Sources record its weight at 8,500 kg, with height cited at 4.3 m or 4.38 m and rim diameter at 2.33 m or 2.34 m depending on the source.
- 2008Recognition of Linh ThápThe seven-story stupa on the grounds was recognized by the national record organization as the tallest pagoda bell tower in Vietnam.
- 2010Bodhisattva statue made of strawflowersA statue of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva in the front courtyard was assembled from strawflowers (hoa bất tử), the signature dried flower of Đà Lạt, for the 2010 flower festival. Specific figures for this statue vary across sources, as detailed in the architecture section.
- Subsequent yearsAvalokiteśvara hall and eighteen-levels-of-hell tunnelAn indoor hall housing a thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Avalokiteśvara statue, a tunnel complex depicting Maudgalyāyana seeking his mother through eighteen levels of hell, and large ironwood carvings were added in later years.
A note on sources is necessary. Because Linh Phước Pagoda is not a state-ranked heritage monument, there is no official heritage dossier from cultural management authorities to cross-check against. Most statistics about the pagoda come from press reports and national record-book filings covering eleven Vietnamese records held by the temple, which explains why numerical figures vary more widely here than at state-documented heritage sites.
IIILong Hoa Viên, Linh Tháp, and diverging figures
Covering nearly 6,670 square meters, the pagoda compound is not arranged along a secluded linear axis like traditional northern Vietnamese temples, but opens outward into multiple focal points, each a standalone structure. This layout suits the hillside terrain and serves the mosaic medium well, as glazed shards need open light to catch color.
The front courtyard garden, also called Hoa Long Viên, featuring a dragon curving around a pond with a body 49 meters long and 1.3 meters wide, its jaws sheltering a statue of Maitreya Buddha. Its fins and body are pieced together from 12,000 beer bottles according to most sources, though some travel guides cite 50,000 bottles.
The main worship hall measures 33 meters long, with width recorded at 12 meters or 27 meters across sources. Two rows of ceramic-inlaid dragon columns run the length of the hall beneath mosaic reliefs depicting the life of Śākyamuni Buddha and scenes from the Lotus and Amitābha sutras.
A seven-story stupa standing before Long Hoa Viên, recorded at 37 meters tall in many sources and 36 meters in others. Recognized since 2008 as Vietnam's tallest pagoda bell tower, it houses the great bell inside.
Cast in 1999 and weighing 8,500 kg, with height recorded at 4.3 m or 4.38 m and rim diameter at 2.33 m or 2.34 m. Its surface is cast with inscriptions and motifs following Mahayana temple bell conventions.
An Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva statue erected in 2010 from dried strawflowers, weighing about 3 tons. Sources record its height at 17 or 18 meters, flower count at 600,000 or 650,000 blossoms, construction time at 20 or 36 days, and workforce at about 30 artisans alongside 300 or 600 Buddhists.
An underground tunnel complex about 300 meters long recreating scenes of Maudgalyāyana Bodhisattva searching for his mother through the eighteen levels of hell to illustrate karmic cause and effect and filial piety.
Also noteworthy are the 4.9-meter gilded Śākyamuni Buddha statue in the main hall, the indoor hall enshrining a giant thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Avalokiteśvara surrounded by hundreds of smaller statues, and an exhibition area displaying gemstones, antique porcelain, and monumental woodworks carved from sao wood, including statues of Bodhidharma and the Peacock King, a twelve-zodiac table set, a massive wooden platform bed, and a trâm-wood root carved with Buddhist scriptures.
The largest structures here revolve around Avalokiteśvara, Kṣitigarbha, and Maudgalyāyana, reflecting clear doctrinal themes. Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva listens to the cries of sentient beings to bring relief, so her image is placed both on an open outdoor platform and inside a grand hall. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva and Venerable Maudgalyāyana are associated with delivering beings from the underworld and filial devotion to parents. The eighteen-levels-of-hell tunnel is a visual narrative of karma and filial piety, continuing a long storytelling tradition found in Vietnamese temple paintings and sculptures.
Regarding the numerical discrepancies, the library states them plainly. For the same strawflower statue, popular sources give differing figures for height, blossom count, days of work, and participants, just as they vary on the width of the main hall, the height of the tower, and the number of bottles in the dragon. The library records these parallel figures rather than picking one as definitive. Most discrepancies likely arise from different measurement scopes or from periodic maintenance and flower replacements over time.
IVThe lie of the land and facing direction
This section presents the library's reading through the lens of traditional geomancy, not content copied from temple steles or internal records. The distinction is stated clearly so readers can separate documentary fact from spatial interpretation.
First is elevation and topography. Trại Mát lies on the Lang Biang Plateau at an elevation of roughly 1,500 meters, forming an agricultural valley nestled among pine hills. In traditional land reading, highland terrain is straightforward to read because the hills are physically present rather than inferred as in flat river deltas. The hill behind serves as the rear cushion (hậu chẩm) supporting the back, the flanking ridges form the Azure Dragon and White Tiger arms (tay long tay hổ) embracing the sides, and the vegetable-and-flower valley floor opening out in front acts as the bright hall (minh đường). A temple complex set within such a frame is considered sheltered from wind without being hemmed in, a condition classical manuals call storing wind and gathering qi (tàng phong tụ khí).
Regarding facing direction, the three-entrance gate opens onto Tự Phước Street near National Highway 20, while the main worship halls step back into the sloping hillside. On hillside terrain, a temple's orientation is largely dictated by the natural slope before a compass is even consulted, as builders level a terrace along the contour and align the structures accordingly. This is standard practice in highland pagodas, contrasting with the strict north-south axial alignment of northern delta temples.
A third feature worth reading is the dragon in Long Hoa Viên. In geomancy, the term dragon vein (long mạch) refers to an undulating mountain ridge coursing like a dragon's body, an abstract metaphor for terrain. Here that metaphor is turned into a physical object, a forty-nine-meter dragon coiling around water right at the entrance. Read by traditional conventions, this is a way of using form to evoke qi, and placing a dragon around water fits traditional cosmology, where the dragon governs water.
Finally, there is the material. Ceramic and porcelain shards are fired clay, which belongs to the Earth (Thổ) phase that has passed through kiln fire, the Fire (Hỏa) phase. Because Fire generates Earth in the five-phase cycle, a temple standing on hillside soil and clad entirely in fired ceramic can be read as Earth reinforced by Fire. This is a geomantic reading rather than the builders' stated intent, as they likely chose the material for its craft tradition and its durability against highland mist.
VObservances by the lunar calendar
The pagoda follows the shared liturgical calendar of Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhism calculated by the lunar calendar. This article lists only the fixed annual dates without specific hours, as chanting schedules vary by year and season.
| Lunar date | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1st and 15th days of each lunar month | Repentance and sutra chanting | The two most regular monthly observances at Mahayana pagodas, when lay Buddhists gather to chant sutras, venerate the Buddha, and perform repentance rites. |
| 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Thượng Nguyên Festival (First Full Moon) | Also known as Tết Nguyên Tiêu, the major new-year prayer service for peace and one of the three principal full-moon observances of the year. |
| 15th day of the 4th lunar month | Buddha's Birthday (Lễ Phật Đản) | Commemorating the birth of Śākyamuni Buddha, the most important annual festival of Mahayana Buddhism in Vietnam. |
| 15th day of the 7th lunar month | Vu Lan and Trung Nguyên Festival | The festival of filial piety associated with Maudgalyāyana Bodhisattva rescuing his mother from suffering, directly resonant with the eighteen-levels-of-hell installation on the grounds. |
| 19th day of the 2nd, 6th, and 9th lunar months | Three feast days of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva | Commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and renunciation of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, observed with particular solemnity here given the prominence of the Bodhisattva's monuments. |
| 15th day of the 10th lunar month | Hạ Nguyên Festival (Tenth-Month Full Moon) | The final major full-moon observance of the year, traditionally linked to thanksgiving after the harvest. |
| 8th day of the 12th lunar month | Śākyamuni Buddha's Enlightenment Day | Commemorating the Buddha's awakening under the Bodhi tree, marked by a dedicated liturgical service. |
Beyond these scheduled observances, the pagoda draws large crowds during the early spring New Year season, when families in Đà Lạt and neighboring provinces maintain the custom of visiting temples at the start of the year.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Số 120 đường Tự Phước, khu Trại Mát, phường Xuân Trường - Đà Lạt (phường 11, thành phố Đà Lạt cũ), tỉnh Lâm Đồng
- Getting there
- The pagoda is located at 120 Tự Phước Street, Trại Mát area, Xuân Trường - Đà Lạt Ward (formerly Ward 11, Đà Lạt City), Lâm Đồng Province, about 8 km east of central Đà Lạt along National Highway 20. In addition to road transport, a short heritage railway line runs from Đà Lạt Station to Trại Mát Station, which lies within walking distance of the pagoda.
- Coordinates
- 11.9443, 108.4995
Visitors are expected to observe several local rules. Dress modestly, remove hats when entering the main hall, and maintain silence during chanting sessions. Do not touch or lean against the mosaic surfaces, as ceramic shards have sharp edges and the mortar bed can loosen under pressure. Do not climb onto the dragon body in Long Hoa Viên. Because the spiral staircase inside Linh Tháp is narrow, visitors should ascend and descend in one-way traffic. The eighteen-levels-of-hell tunnel is dimly lit and low-ceilinged, so guests should walk in a single direction without lingering in narrow passages.
Nearby places in the library
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?Quick Questions
Are Linh Phước Pagoda and Chùa Ve Chai the same place
Yes. Linh Phước is the formal Sino-Vietnamese name inscribed on the temple plaque and in official records, while Chùa Ve Chai (Glass Bottle Pagoda) is the popular name inspired by the millions of bottle fragments and ceramic shards inlaid across the complex. The popular name is now used even more frequently than the formal title, including on road signs.
When was Linh Phước Pagoda built
The pagoda was founded in 1949 and first completed in the early 1950s, with sources citing 1950, 1951, 1952, or 1953. However, the entire ceramic-mosaic complex seen today took shape from the major reconstruction begun in 1990 under the fifth abbot, Venerable Thích Tâm Vị, and expanded over subsequent decades.
What is the dragon at Chùa Ve Chai made of and how long is it
The dragon body in Long Hoa Viên is 49 meters long and 1.3 meters wide, coiling around a pond at the entrance and sheltering a statue of Maitreya Buddha. Its fins and scales are inlaid with 12,000 beer bottles according to most sources, while some travel guides cite up to 50,000 bottles.
How tall is the bell tower at Linh Phước Pagoda and what is inside
Linh Tháp has seven stories, recorded at 37 meters tall in many sources and 36 meters in others, and has been recognized as Vietnam's tallest pagoda bell tower since 2008. Inside hangs a great bronze bell cast in 1999 weighing 8,500 kg and measuring 4.3 m or 4.38 m in height.
When was the strawflower Bodhisattva statue made
The Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva statue was erected in 2010 using dried strawflowers native to Đà Lạt and weighs about 3 tons. Sources vary slightly on the exact figures, citing a height of 17 or 18 meters, 600,000 or 650,000 blossoms, and 20 or 36 days of work by about 30 artisans and 300 or 600 Buddhists.