About ten kilometers from Châu Đốc along the road toward Tịnh Biên, at the foot of Mount Két (known in Sino-Vietnamese as Anh Vũ Sơn), three historical sites stand close together along the lower slope, namely Thới Sơn Pagoda, Phước Điền Pagoda (Trại Ruộng), and Thới Sơn Communal House. Local residents also call Thới Sơn Pagoda by the names Chùa Phật Thới Sơn or Chùa Phật Lâm Vồ because fifty to seventy meters outside its gate stands a sacred fig tree (lâm vồ) over one hundred and fifty years old, with a trunk wide enough for five or six people to embrace, traditionally said to have been planted by Master Tây An himself during the earliest days of land reclamation. Passing through the simple triple gate, visitors step into a wide brick courtyard facing a low main hall roofed in dark red tiles, while rocky cliffs and forest trees of Mount Két rise right behind the rear veranda.
Like other places of worship in the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương tradition, the pagoda contains no cast bronze or carved wooden Buddha statues. Above the Three Jewels altar in the main hall and the altar to Master Tây An in the rear hall hangs only a large red cloth known as the Crimson Cloth (trần điều), before which stand an incense burner, candlesticks, flower vases, and a cup of pure water. This manner of worship has been preserved since Master Tây An (Đoàn Minh Huyên, 1807 - 1856) established a farm camp here around 1849 - 1851, serving both as a place of spiritual practice and as a reclamation settlement for poor migrants arriving in the Seven Mountains region from across the Mekong Delta.
IWhy Thới Sơn Pagoda is a foundational site of Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương
Between 1849 and 1851, after taking up residence at Tây An Pagoda at the foot of Mount Sam, Master Tây An sent his disciples to lead followers into the wild forest beneath Mount Két to establish farm camps (trại ruộng). Instead of building large monasteries for all-day sutra chanting, he taught followers to combine self-cultivation with plowing fields, clearing hillsides, and planting orchards under the principle of working for one's own livelihood in order to practice the Way. One group was guided by Bùi Văn Thân (known as Tăng Chủ Bùi Thiền Sư) and the other was overseen by his younger brother Bùi Văn Tây (known as Đình Tây). Around these two initial farm camps, settlers gathered in growing numbers and formed the two villages of Hưng Thới and Xuân Sơn, which later merged into Thới Sơn.
The cluster at the foot of Mount Két comprises Thới Sơn Pagoda (formerly the Xuân Sơn farm camp), Phước Điền Pagoda (formerly the Hưng Thới farm camp), and Thới Sơn Communal House dedicated to the local tutelary deity (Thành hoàng Bổn cảnh). Regarding the founding of Thới Sơn Communal House, historical sources record two accounts. The book Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương and the Gazetteer of An Giang state that Master Tây An himself had Thới Sơn Communal House built when the villages were founded, whereas a study in Cần Thơ Newspaper records that the brothers Tăng Chủ and Đình Tây established Xuân Sơn Pagoda in 1859, initially for Buddhist worship before converting it into a communal house for the tutelary deity, which is Thới Sơn Communal House today. Together, the three sites exemplify the 19th-century Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương settlement model combining farm camps for production, pagodas for Buddhist practice, and a communal house for village life.
Articles in Cần Thơ Newspaper and An Giang Newspaper refer collectively to Thới Sơn Pagoda, Phước Điền Pagoda, and Thới Sơn Communal House as the Thới Sơn heritage cluster. Among them, Thới Sơn Communal House was later ranked as a National historical heritage site, while Thới Sơn Pagoda and Phước Điền Pagoda were recognized as provincial historical heritage sites by decision of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee on August 26, 1999 (according to Gazetteer of An Giang, volume 2, published in 2007, page 229).
IIFrom pioneer farm camp to present-day pagoda
- 1849 - 1851Opening farm camps at the foot of Mount KétMaster Tây An brought his disciples to the foot of Mount Két to establish the Xuân Sơn and Hưng Thới farm camps, entrusting them to the brothers Tăng Chủ and Đình Tây along with senior disciples such as Đạo Lập and Đạo Xuyến. Tradition holds that he planted the sacred fig tree outside the gate and raised a pair of buffaloes respectfully called Mr. Thunder (Ông Sấm) and Mr. Lightning (Ông Sét) to help followers haul timber and plow the fields.
- 1851 - 1859Formation of Hưng Thới and Xuân Sơn villages and expansion into a pagodaSettlers cleared the wilderness to establish Hưng Thới and Xuân Sơn villages along with Thới Sơn Communal House (built during Master Tây An's lifetime according to the book Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương, or converted from Xuân Sơn Pagoda in 1859 according to Cần Thơ Newspaper). After Đình Tây and his brother passed away, the farm camp was renovated into a pagoda, with a lotus pond dug and a row of casuarina trees planted in front.
- 1941 and 1999Major reconstruction in 1941 and provincial heritage rankingThe book Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương records that the pagoda underwent a major reconstruction in the Tân Tỵ year (1941). Through subsequent rebuildings in brick and tile, the pagoda has kept its original Crimson Cloth altar arrangement. On August 26, 1999, it was recognized as a provincial heritage site of An Giang Province.
The story of the buffaloes Sấm and Sét is an oral tradition handed down over generations in Thới Sơn and depicted in a painting inside the pagoda grounds. According to Đặng Văn Son, Deputy Head of the Management Board of the Thới Sơn Pagoda Heritage Site, in an interview with An Giang Newspaper, no early written text documents the origin of the pair of buffaloes, but the narrative reflects the vital role of land clearance and rice cultivation for the first generation of followers beneath Mount Két.
The book Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương by Vương Kim and Đào Hưng (republished on hoahao.org) records the Tân Tỵ year (1941) when the pagoda underwent a major renovation. Regarding reconstructions in the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century, the library notes the current brick-and-tile structure while finding no archival documents detailing each individual renovation year.
IIIShrines-in-front, pagoda-in-back layout and Crimson Cloth altars
Outside the pagoda gate stands an ancient sacred fig tree casting broad shade. In the courtyard before the main hall stand three small shrines dedicated to Vinh Thần along with the Left and Right Outer Mountain Deities (Tả và Hữu ngoại Sơn thần), containing no statues and expressing the synthesis between Buddhism and the worship of land-protecting spirits among pioneer settlers.
The main hall places the Three Jewels altar at the center beneath a stretched red cloth (trần điều), without Buddha statues or painted scrolls, displaying only an incense burner, candlesticks, vases of fresh flowers, and pure water. According to Cần Thơ Newspaper, besides the Three Jewels altar, the pagoda also maintains altars to the Dharma Protectors (Hộ pháp), the Five Peaks and Seven Mountains (Năm non bảy núi), Former Mandarin Deities (Chư quan cựu thần), the Nine Generations and Seven Ancestors (Cửu huyền thất tổ), and the Twelve Worthy Disciples (Thập nhị Hiền thủ, the twelve chief disciples of Master Tây An).
The rear hall venerates Master Tây An with a red Crimson Cloth. Sect records note that the pagoda also preserves a lock of hair and a set of implements including an ebony blade, a hook, a rope, and two wooden harpoons used by Đình Tây to subdue the five-legged crocodile locally called Ông Năm Chèo (some local newspaper accounts note these implements are also mentioned in connection with nearby Thới Sơn Communal House).
IVThe lie of the land backed by Mount Két and opening to the Tịnh Biên plain
Mount Két (Anh Vũ Sơn) is a compact peak with steep cliffs rising about two hundred and twenty-five meters at the eastern edge of the Seven Mountains range. In the mid-19th century, the area at the foot of Mount Két was dense forest and swamp, reachable from Mount Sam only by following a winding forest trail for about ten kilometers. This secluded terrain gave Master Tây An's disciples ample land to clear for rice fields while keeping them out of sight of local colonial and provincial authorities at the time.
Thới Sơn Pagoda sits right against the rocky lower slope of Mount Két. Its back rests against the granite massif covered with old trees and stacked boulders, while its front opens toward the low-lying plain converted into rice paddies and fruit orchards of the former Hưng Thới and Xuân Sơn villages.
Viewed through traditional form-school feng shui, Mount Két serves as the backing pillow mountain (hậu chẩm) sheltering the rear of the pagoda. Because Mount Két is a craggy peak with exposed boulders along its slopes, siting the farm camp on the level ground at the base of the mountain, where thick alluvial soil meets freshwater springs flowing down from the ravines, balances the rugged hardness of the cliff behind.
In front of the pagoda, followers formerly dug a lotus pond and planted a row of casuarina trees. In traditional feng shui layout, a lotus pond right before the courtyard both stored fresh water for daily life and formed a zone of water gathering (thủy tụ) in the bright hall (minh đường), keeping the front space open and cool amid the semi-mountainous Tịnh Biên terrain that turns hot and dry during the sunny season.
The library notes that no published survey provides an exact compass degree reading for the main axis of Thới Sơn Pagoda, so this reading of the lie of the land focuses on the relationship between the Mount Két massif behind and the open fields in front.
VThe First Full Moon festival and the Seven Mountains pilgrimage route
Every year, the largest festival at Thới Sơn Pagoda takes place on the 14th and 15th days of the first lunar month (the First Full Moon). This is an occasion to make offerings to the Three Jewels, commemorate Master Tây An, and pray for peace in the new year. In addition, on the death anniversary of Master Tây An on the 12th day of the eighth lunar month, pilgrims visiting Tây An Pagoda at Mount Sam regularly continue on to Thới Sơn to pay respects at all three sites in the cluster, namely Thới Sơn Pagoda, Phước Điền Pagoda, and Thới Sơn Communal House.
A familiar stop for followers visiting Thới Sơn Pagoda is the tomb area of the two pioneer chief disciples, Đình Tây (Bùi Văn Tây) and his elder brother Tăng Chủ (Bùi Văn Thân), located near the pagoda. Worship at the pagoda preserves the unadorned simplicity of the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương tradition, where visitors offer only incense, fresh flowers, and pure water while keeping a quiet atmosphere.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Khóm Sơn Tây, phường Thới Sơn (phường Thới Sơn cũ, thị xã Tịnh Biên cũ), tỉnh An Giang
- Getting there
- The pagoda stands at the foot of Mount Két in Sơn Tây Quarter, Thới Sơn Ward (formerly Thới Sơn Ward, former Tịnh Biên Town), An Giang Province. From Châu Đốc Ward (former Châu Đốc City), follow National Highway 91 toward Tịnh Biên as far as the Nhà Bàng area, then turn onto Provincial Road 948 toward Mount Két for about three kilometers to reach the Thới Sơn heritage cluster.
- Coordinates
- 10.6025, 105.0123
The pagoda follows the pure offering custom of the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương tradition, using only incense, fresh flowers, and clean water, without burning votive paper or presenting meat offerings.
Thới Sơn Pagoda lies very close to Phước Điền Pagoda (Trại Ruộng), Thới Sơn Communal House, and the trailhead up Mount Két, allowing visitors to walk or ride a motorbike through the entire cluster in a single morning.
During the First Full Moon festival (14th - 15th days of the first lunar month) and the death anniversary of Master Tây An (12th day of the eighth lunar month), large crowds gather along the road to Mount Két, so arriving early in the morning helps avoid the midday heat.
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?Quick Questions
Why is Thới Sơn Pagoda also called Chùa Phật Lâm Vồ and why does it have no Buddha statues
The name Chùa Phật Lâm Vồ comes from the sacred fig tree (lâm vồ) over one hundred and fifty years old standing in front of the pagoda gate, traditionally said to have been planted by Master Tây An. Because the pagoda belongs to the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương tradition, it follows the teaching of Studying Buddhism and Cultivating Human Virtue (Học Phật Tu Nhân), setting aside outward forms and neither casting statues nor hanging religious paintings. Above the Three Jewels altar hangs only a red cloth (trần điều) symbolizing a pure mind and harmony.
How do Thới Sơn Pagoda and Phước Điền Pagoda differ
Both originated from farm camps founded by Master Tây An and his disciples at the foot of Mount Két around 1849 - 1851 in connection with the two early villages of Hưng Thới and Xuân Sơn. Over time, those two farm camps developed into two distinct pagodas standing near each other in Thới Sơn Ward, namely Thới Sơn Pagoda (the Xuân Sơn farm camp) and Phước Điền Pagoda (the Hưng Thới farm camp, popularly called Trại Ruộng Pagoda).
What is the legend of the buffaloes Sấm and Sét at Thới Sơn Pagoda
According to local oral tradition in Thới Sơn, during the earliest days of clearing land beneath Mount Két, Master Tây An raised two remarkably strong and intelligent buffaloes that obeyed only his commands and were respectfully called Ông Sấm (Mr. Thunder) and Ông Sét (Mr. Lightning) by villagers. The pair helped haul timber to build the farm camps and plow wild land into rice fields.
When was Thới Sơn Pagoda ranked as a heritage site
According to the Gazetteer of An Giang (volume 2, published in 2007, page 229), Thới Sơn Pagoda was recognized as a provincial historical heritage site by decision of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee on August 26, 1999, at the same time as Phước Điền Pagoda and Thới Sơn Communal House (Thới Sơn Communal House was later elevated to a national heritage site).