Walking about half a kilometer past Chúc Thánh Ancestral Temple toward Cửa Suối Hamlet, visitors come upon a three-entrance gate bearing the three characters Phước Lâm Tự. Beyond the gate lies a tree-shaded courtyard leading to a low, wide main sanctuary roofed in yin-yang tiles with a boat-curved ridge adorned with dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns. Smaller and quieter than Chúc Thánh, this temple sees fewer outside tourists, and those passing through its gate are mostly local monks and nuns.
This is Phước Lâm Pagoda (also granted the imperial title Sắc tứ Phước Lâm tự), the second ancestral temple of the Lâm Tế Chúc Thánh lineage on land formerly known as Bàu Ốc (or Trảng Kèo) in Thanh Hà Commune, Điện Bàn Prefecture. Whereas Chúc Thánh Ancestral Temple is where Patriarch Minh Hải composed the lineage transmission poem and where his stupa stands, Phước Lâm is where the second and third generations of the school continued the Dharma vein. Monastics of the lineage visiting Hội An usually pay respects at both sites, finding at Phước Lâm the patriarchs who expanded Chúc Thánh from a single temple into a wider network.
IThe second and third generations of the lineage
The founder of Phước Lâm was Zen Master Thiệt Dinh Chánh Hiển Ân Triêm (1712 to 1796), secular name Lê Hiển. The Buddhist Studies Review (Tạp chí Nghiên cứu Phật học) records that he was born in Bến Đền Commune, Điện Bàn Prefecture, Quảng Nam Garrison, was brought by his parents at age ten to Chúc Thánh Pagoda to enter monastic life, and received full ordination at age twenty. His Dharma name bears the character Thiệt (Thật), the second character in Patriarch Minh Hải's transmission poem, marking the second generation of the Chúc Thánh lineage and the 35th generation of the Lâm Tế school. He was among the first native Vietnamese monks to inherit this Zen lineage founded by a Chinese patriarch. After his passing in 1796, his disciple Patriarch Pháp Ấn Tường Quang Quảng Độ (1739 to 1811, secular name Nguyễn Văn Viên) succeeded as second abbot.
Succeeding as third abbot was Patriarch Pháp Kiêm Luật Oai Minh Giác, secular name Võ Đức Nghiêm (1747 to 1830), a native of Cẩm Phô Village in Hội An. According to the Buddhist Studies Review and the Quảng Nam Buddhism portal, he ordained in his youth under Patriarch Ân Triêm and received the generation character Pháp, marking the third Chúc Thánh generation and 36th Lâm Tế generation. In 1770 he temporarily returned to lay life to lead troops in quelling the Đá Vách rebellion in Quảng Ngãi and was titled General Bình Man, but out of remorse over the bloodshed of war he returned to the pagoda in repentance and voluntarily swept trash at the Hội An market for twenty years (1773 to 1793), earning popular reverence as Patriarch Bình Man Tảo Thị (the Patriarch who quelled rebellion and swept the market). After serving as abbot of Chiên Đàn Pagoda in 1798, he returned to join his senior Dharma brother Pháp Ấn Quảng Độ in restoring Phước Lâm, turning the temple into a major monastic training center of Quảng Nam. The Buddhist Studies Review notes that he commissioned three great bronze bells for Vạn Đức Pagoda in 1818, Phước Lâm Pagoda in 1822, and Hải Tạng Pagoda in 1830. He passed away at the Rat hour on the 10th day of the 11th lunar month in the Canh Dần year (1830) at age 84.
Sources differ regarding the founder. The Hội An heritage dossier states that the pagoda was founded in the early 18th century by Most Venerable Minh Giác of the 35th Lâm Tế generation. By contrast, the Buddhist Studies Review and the Quảng Nam Buddhism portal identify the founder as Patriarch Ân Triêm, the second abbot as Patriarch Pháp Ấn Quảng Độ, and Patriarch Minh Giác as a 36th-generation disciple who restored the pagoda and succeeded as third abbot. Because Patriarch Minh Giác lived from 1747 to 1830, he could not have founded a temple in the early 18th century. The library follows the Buddhist Studies Review while noting the heritage dossier's phrasing for comparison. The founding date varies accordingly, with the heritage dossier giving the early 18th century and Quảng Nam Buddhism and Chốn Thiêng giving the mid-18th century.
| Character in Chúc Thánh verse | Chúc Thánh and Lâm Tế generation | Abbot at Phước Lâm Pagoda |
|---|---|---|
| Thật (Thiệt) | 2nd generation, 35th Lâm Tế | Founding Patriarch Thiệt Dinh Chánh Hiển Ân Triêm (1712 to 1796, secular name Lê Hiển) |
| Pháp | 3rd generation, 36th Lâm Tế | Patriarch Pháp Ấn Tường Quang Quảng Độ (1739 to 1811, second abbot) and Patriarch Pháp Kiêm Luật Oai Minh Giác (1747 to 1830, third abbot) |
| Toàn | 4th generation, 37th Lâm Tế | Most Venerable Toàn Nhâm (Toàn Nhân) Vi Ý Quán Thông (1798 to 1883, fourth abbot, convened the 1847 ordination platform at Chúc Thánh and restored Phước Lâm in 1864) |
The abbatial succession at Phước Lâm has remained unbroken. The fifth abbot was Most Venerable Chương Tư Tuyên Văn Huệ Quang (1816 to 1881), who presided as Preceptor Head over the Grand Ordination Platform held at Phước Lâm Pagoda in 1869. The sixth abbot was Most Venerable Ấn Bổn Chí Thành Vĩnh Gia (1840 to 1906, though some sources give 1840 to 1918), who restored the temple in 1891, convened an ordination platform at Phước Lâm, and served as ordination master to National Master Phước Huệ. The Buddhist Studies Review records eleven generations of abbots at the temple (while local dossiers counting into the early 21st century list fourteen generations).
Because Phước Lâm is smaller and stands right next to Chúc Thánh, many visitors assume it is a branch or subsidiary shrine of Chúc Thánh. That is not quite accurate. Phước Lâm maintains its own abbatial lineage and patriarchal stupas and is revered within the school as an ancestral temple (tổ đình). The relationship between the two temples is that of master and disciple across generations, with Chúc Thánh belonging to the first generation and Phước Lâm serving as the seat established by the second and third generations before spreading further.
IITwo hundred and fifty years of continuous transmission
The history of Phước Lâm is a history of successive abbots rather than sudden monumental construction. The pagoda grew gradually through generations of stewardship, with each generation leaving behind a bronze bell, a set of statues, or a restoration.
- 1712Birth of Patriarch Ân TriêmSecular name Lê Hiển, born in Bến Đền Commune, Điện Bàn Prefecture, ordained at age 10 at Chúc Thánh Pagoda.
- Mid-18th centuryFounding of Phước Lâm PagodaPatriarch Ân Triêm founded the pagoda in the Cửa Suối area (former Bàu Ốc, Thanh Hà Commune) according to the Buddhist Studies Review and Quảng Nam Buddhism. The Hội An heritage dossier records the early 18th century.
- 1796Passing of Patriarch Ân TriêmHis stupa was built southwest of the temple. Patriarch Pháp Ấn Tường Quang Quảng Độ succeeded as second abbot, followed by Patriarch Pháp Kiêm Luật Oai Minh Giác as third abbot.
- 1822Casting of the Phước Lâm great bellPatriarch Minh Giác cast the great bronze bell for the temple, one of three bells he commissioned between 1818 and 1830.
- 1847 and 1869Grand Ordination PlatformsIn 1847 Most Venerable Toàn Nhâm Quán Thông (fourth abbot of Phước Lâm) convened a Grand Ordination Platform at Chúc Thánh Ancestral Temple. In 1869 Most Venerable Chương Tư Huệ Quang (fifth abbot) convened a Grand Ordination Platform at Phước Lâm Pagoda.
- 1864 and 1891Nineteenth-century restorationsIn 1864 Most Venerable Toàn Nhâm Quán Thông led a major restoration, followed in 1891 by repairs under Most Venerable Ấn Bổn Vĩnh Gia.
- 1910Early twentieth-century ordination platformSeveral sources record an ordination platform convened by Most Venerable Vĩnh Gia at Phước Lâm with over one hundred ordinands.
- 1965 and 1990Restorations and Patriarchs' HallThe pagoda was restored in 1965, and in 1990 Most Venerable Thích Giải Trọng restored the Patriarchs' Hall and lecture hall.
Regarding heritage designation, the library's index following the Hội An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation records that the pagoda was ranked as a national historical and cultural heritage site in 1991. The Hội An monument dossier notes that the temple was placed on Hội An's protected heritage inventory in 1985 and submitted for formal recognition. The library notes both dates as reflecting two stages of the documentation process.
IIIDouble-tiered roofs and historic artifacts
The Hội An heritage dossier describes the pagoda as following a Môn-character layout (chữ môn), with the three-entrance gate in front, a scroll-shaped screen wall pierced with a moon window and two stele pavilions flanking the east and west of the main courtyard, and the main sanctuary in the center flanked at both ends by bell towers (while Quảng Nam Buddhism views the enclosed quadrangle of the front main sanctuary, rear Patriarchs' Hall, and East and West side halls as a Quốc-character layout). Measuring 12 meters wide and over 15 meters long, the main sanctuary was crafted by carpenters from Kim Bồng carpentry village in Hội An. Its roof is built in the double-tiered style (chồng diêm, two stacked roof tiers), with a boat-shaped ridge, curved gable eaves, and yin-yang roof tiles ornamented with phoenixes, dragons, and unicorns.
This roof form is shared by many ancient pagodas around Hội An, contrasting with Huế temple roofs by being lower, broader, and more restrained in porcelain inlay. It suits a windy coastal sandy terrain because the low profile resists storms, the stacked roof neck vents heat, and the yin-yang tiles drain heavy rain rapidly.
The Buddhist Studies Review records that Patriarch Minh Giác cast the great bronze bell of Phước Lâm in 1822. The heritage dossier notes that the temple preserves the bronze bell along with a bronze chime and incense burners.
A distinctive ritual percussion instrument singled out in the heritage dossier, carved in the shape of a bodhi fruit rather than a fish.
Statues of Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, Mahasthamaprapta, and the Eighteen Arhats. Chốn Thiêng notes that many of these statues were commissioned by Most Venerable Vĩnh Gia.
The heritage inventory lists four wooden horizontal plaques and three pairs of wooden parallel couplets. Chốn Thiêng adds that the temple also preserves woodblocks and antique porcelain.
What stands out at Phước Lâm is its continuity. The bronze bell of the third abbot, the ordination platforms of the fourth and fifth abbots, the statues of the sixth abbot, and the 20th-century Patriarchs' Hall all coexist within one compact compound. Each generation contributed something new without erasing the work of predecessors.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
This section presents the library's reading through the lens of traditional feng shui rather than statements from temple steles or official dossiers. Available sources do not record what geomantic method Patriarch Ân Triêm used when choosing the site, so the library states this distinction clearly for readers.
The Hội An heritage dossier records that the pagoda faces southeast. Situated in Cửa Suối Hamlet on the same elevated sandy ridge north of Hội An as Chúc Thánh Ancestral Temple, the two temples of the same lineage stand only half a kilometer apart yet face different directions, with Chúc Thánh facing southwest and Phước Lâm facing southeast. This shows that temple builders here adapted to the local micro-terrain rather than imposing a fixed compass direction.
In traditional site reading, a southeast orientation welcomes cool summer sea breezes and morning sunlight while turning the back of the building northwest against cold winter winds. Across an open sandy plain without sheltering mountains, this practical choice keeps the halls cool in summer and sheltered in winter.
The hamlet name Cửa Suối (Stream Mouth) recalls a small watercourse flowing past the site. In feng shui terms, a gentle stream crossing in front conducts and retains qi while supplying year-round fresh water for a monastic community.
Finally, the Môn-character layout with the main sanctuary in the center, two side halls on the flanks, and the three-entrance gate in front creates a courtyard open toward the front yet enclosed on three sides. Qi entering from the southeast settles before the main sanctuary and is held by the flanking halls, suiting a place that welcomes pilgrims while preserving monastic stillness.
VPatriarchal memorial day and annual observances
The principal annual observance at Phước Lâm is the memorial day of Patriarch Minh Giác, when monks of the Chúc Thánh lineage across Quảng Nam gather at the ancestral temple. The biographical record on the Quảng Nam Buddhism portal explicitly states that Patriarch Pháp Kiêm Minh Giác passed away at the Rat hour on the 10th day of the 11th lunar month in the Canh Dần year (1830), and the 2019 memorial ceremony was held on December 5 in the solar calendar, corresponding to the 10th day of the 11th lunar month of the Kỷ Hợi year (while in 2022 Dharma descendants held the commemoration on the 13th day of the 11th lunar month).
| Lunar date | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 10th day of the 11th month | Memorial of Patriarch Minh Giác | Monks and nuns of Chúc Thánh lineage temples gather to offer incense and chant sutras in memory of the third abbot. |
| Full moon of the 4th month | Buddha's Birthday | Celebration of the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha according to Northern Buddhist tradition. |
| Full moon of the 4th to 7th month | Three-month rains retreat (An cư kiết hạ) | Three months of intensive monastic residence and study in accordance with Vinaya discipline. |
| Full moon of the 7th month | Vu Lan Festival | Festival of filial piety and monastic Pavarana day concluding the rains retreat. |
The eleventh lunar month in Hội An is thus a month of two patriarchal memorials within the same lineage, honoring Patriarch Minh Hải at Chúc Thánh (on the 7th day of the 11th month) and Patriarch Minh Giác at Phước Lâm (on the 10th day of the 11th month). Walking from one pagoda to the other takes only a few minutes, yet traces consecutive generations of a single Dharma stream.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Thôn 2 (thôn Cửa Suối cũ), phường Hội An Tây (xã Cẩm Hà cũ, thành phố Hội An cũ), thành phố Đà Nẵng
- Getting there
- The pagoda is located in Hamlet 2 (former Cửa Suối Hamlet), Hội An Tây Ward, Đà Nẵng City (formerly Cẩm Hà Commune, Hội An City), about 500 meters beyond Chúc Thánh Ancestral Temple.
- Coordinates
- 15.8924, 108.3236
Phước Lâm is an active ancestral temple where monastics reside and study, so visitors should observe temple etiquette by dressing modestly, removing hats before entering the main sanctuary and Patriarchs' Hall, and walking and speaking quietly around the East and West halls. Please admire the antique bronze bell, chime, wooden fish, and statues without touching them or striking the bell. Because the Patriarchs' Hall enshrines successive abbots, please ask permission from the resident monks before entering.
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VIIContribute To This Page
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?Quick Questions
Who founded Phước Lâm Pagoda in Hội An?
The Buddhist Studies Review and Quảng Nam Buddhism record that the founder was Patriarch Thiệt Dinh Chánh Hiển Ân Triêm (1712 to 1796, secular name Lê Hiển), of the second generation of the Chúc Thánh lineage. The Hội An heritage dossier names Most Venerable Minh Giác, but Patriarch Minh Giác was born in 1747 and served as the third abbot (after Patriarch Ân Triêm and Patriarch Pháp Ấn Quảng Độ).
Which Zen lineage does Phước Lâm Pagoda belong to?
It belongs to the Lâm Tế Zen school, Chúc Thánh branch, serving as the second ancestral temple of the lineage in Quảng Nam. The original ancestral seat is Chúc Thánh Pagoda, about 500 meters away. The Dharma names of abbots at Phước Lâm follow the exact sequence of characters Thiệt, Pháp, Toàn, Chương, and Ấn in the Chúc Thánh verse.
Who was Patriarch Minh Giác?
Patriarch Pháp Kiêm Luật Oai Minh Giác, secular name Võ Đức Nghiêm (1747 to 1830), ordained under Patriarch Ân Triêm in the third generation of the Chúc Thánh lineage. After leading troops to quell the Đá Vách rebellion in Quảng Ngãi in 1773, he voluntarily swept the Hội An market for twenty years in repentance (earning the title Patriarch Bình Man Tảo Thị) before returning as third abbot of Phước Lâm Pagoda and casting bells for Vạn Đức, Phước Lâm, and Hải Tạng pagodas.
What is distinctive about the architecture of Phước Lâm Pagoda?
Arranged in a Môn-character plan (with an enclosed Quốc-character core), the main sanctuary measures 12 meters wide and over 15 meters long, built by Kim Bồng village carpenters with a double-tiered roof, boat-shaped ridge, and yin-yang tiles. It preserves an 1822 bronze bell, a bronze chime, a bodhi-fruit-shaped wooden fish, statues of the Eighteen Arhats, and wooden plaques and couplets.
Is Phước Lâm Pagoda a branch shrine of Chúc Thánh Pagoda?
Not quite. Phước Lâm is an independent ancestral temple (tổ đình) with its own multi-generational abbatial succession. Its relationship with Chúc Thánh is that of consecutive generations within the same lineage, with Chúc Thánh associated with First Patriarch Minh Hải and Phước Lâm associated with second-generation Patriarch Ân Triêm and third-generation Patriarchs Pháp Ấn and Minh Giác.