Turning off Nguyễn Xiển Street, the approach to the monastery climbs a tree-covered hill. At the summit stands a white stupa complex on a square base with a central main spire, four smaller spires at the four corners, and gilded bronze finials rising into the sky, fronted by a semicircular lotus pond. Wind blowing up from the Đồng Nai River sets hundreds of small bells around the stupa ringing. Inside the main hall and around the stupa, not a single stick of incense is burning.
This is Bửu Long Ancestral Monastery (Thiền viện Tổ đình Bửu Long), a monastery of Vietnamese Theravada Buddhism (Phật Giáo Nam Tông Kinh), the Theravada tradition practiced by ethnic Vietnamese. Members of the lineage call it an ancestral monastery (tổ đình) because it served as the residence of Most Venerable Hộ Tông from 1958 until the end of his life, and remains the place where his annual memorial ceremony is held.
IThe monastery of Most Venerable Hộ Tông
Most Venerable Hộ Tông, known in Pali as Vansarakkhita and born Lê Văn Giảng in 1893, was one of the pioneers who introduced Theravada Buddhism to ethnic Vietnamese practitioners. He co-founded Bửu Quang Pagoda in 1938, whose story is covered in the Bửu Quang entry. He passed away on the 26th day of the 7th lunar month of the Tân Dậu year (1981) at the age of 88. According to Giác Ngộ newspaper, his memorial ceremony is held every year at Bửu Long. The library records monastics by their practice and temple building rather than ecclesiastical titles.
The person who laid the first foundation here was lay practitioner Võ Hà Thuật, a disciple of Most Venerable Hộ Tông. In 1942 he built a meditation hermitage on the hill spanning about 11 hectares. In 1958 he offered the entire property to his teacher, and from that point the hermitage became a monastery. According to Thanh Niên newspaper and Chốn Thiêng, in 1965 he himself took monastic ordination under Most Venerable Hộ Tông with the Dharma name Venerable Lão Tâm, and after his passing in 1969 a memorial stupa was erected on the southeastern hillside of the grounds. In 1992 the monastery established an additional Theravada nunnery.
Three Vietnamese Theravada temples, three distinct roles
| Temple | Year | Role within the lineage |
|---|---|---|
| Bửu Quang Pagoda, Gò Dưa | 1938 | Root temple of the lineage, site of the first Sīma boundary consecration in 1940 |
| Kỳ Viên Pagoda, inner city | 1947 | Urban Dharma propagation center housing relics of the Buddha |
| Bửu Long Monastery, Long Bình | 1942, monastery from 1958 | Hillside monastery associated with Most Venerable Hộ Tông, renowned for its stupa |
Vietnamese Theravada Buddhism upholds the Pali Tipiṭaka and the Pali bhikkhu monastic code, venerating only Shakyamuni Buddha. What distinguishes it from Khmer Theravada Buddhism is community and language rather than doctrine, as the monastics here are ethnic Vietnamese and Dharma talks and scripture translations are in Vietnamese. Because this tradition does not use a lineage transmission poem (kệ truyền thừa), each bhikkhu receives a Pali name from his preceptor at ordination, which Vietnamese speakers pair with a translated meaning. Vansarakkhita, combining vansa (lineage) and rakkhita (protected), translates into Sino-Vietnamese as Hộ Tông (Protector of the Lineage). A fuller explanation of the two Theravada streams appears in the Bửu Quang entry.
A newspaper article once described Bửu Long as having architecture like Angkor Wat, leading many visitors to assume it is a Khmer temple. It is not. Bửu Long is a monastery of ethnic Vietnamese practicing Theravada Buddhism. Its multi-spired, pointed-roof form belongs to the broader Buddhist architectural heritage of Suvannabhumi, the mainland Southeast Asian region as a whole, rather than Cambodia alone. Hà Nội Mới newspaper further notes that the decorative carvings here blend in traditional Vietnamese aesthetics of the Nguyễn dynasty.
IIFrom a hillside hermitage to the great stupa
For its first sixteen years, this site was the hermitage of a lay practitioner. From 1958 it became the monastery of a bhikkhu, and the way of life of Most Venerable Hộ Tông, who had studied the Dharma in Cambodia and strictly observed the Pali Vinaya, became the rule of the entire monastery. Following his passing, Most Venerable Viên Minh succeeded as head of the monastery in 1982 and, having trained as an architect before ordination, designed and oversaw a multi-stage restoration and expansion, from the patriarch hall in 1993, the Bodhi Buddha site in 1995, the refectory in 2000, and the main hall in 2004 to the stupa begun in 2007.
- 1893Birth of Most Venerable Hộ TôngBorn Lê Văn Giảng, later known by the Pali Dharma name Vansarakkhita.
- 1942Hermitage builtLay practitioner Võ Hà Thuật, a disciple of Most Venerable Hộ Tông, built a hermitage on the hill.
- 1958Becomes a monasteryLay practitioner Võ Hà Thuật offered the hermitage to Most Venerable Hộ Tông to establish a monastery. The elder resided here from then on.
- 1961Bodhi tree plantedVenerable Narada of Sri Lanka gifted a Bodhi sapling propagated from the original tree in India where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
- 1981Passing of Most Venerable Hộ TôngPassed away on the 26th day of the 7th lunar month of the Tân Dậu year, aged 88. His memorial ceremony is held annually at the monastery.
- 1992Nunnery establishedThe monastery established an additional Theravada nunnery, according to Thanh Niên newspaper.
- 2005Parinirvana Buddha siteAccording to Chốn Thiêng, the Parinirvana scene was built with a reclining Buddha statue 8 meters long and weighing about 50 tons, following the Bodhi site restoration in 1995 and the ascetic Bodhisattva grotto in 2002.
- 2007Groundbreaking of the stupaConstruction of Gotama Cetiya Stupa began on August 1, 2007. Sources record different completion years, as noted below.
Where sources differ. Regarding the major restoration led by Most Venerable Viên Minh, Chốn Thiêng and Thanh Niên newspaper date the process from 1982 when he succeeded as head of the monastery and rebuilt each structure in stages, whereas Giác Ngộ newspaper gives 2007. Regarding Gotama Cetiya Stupa, phatgiao.org.vn and Chốn Thiêng state that it was completed in 2013 after six years of construction, whereas Hà Nội Mới newspaper gives 2007, the same year construction began. Regarding the height of the stupa, Phật Tử Việt Nam records a height of 56 meters, Chốn Thiêng records 70 meters, and Thanh Niên newspaper specifies a height of about 70 meters above sea level.
IIIGotama Cetiya Stupa and the grounds
Gotama Cetiya means the stupa of Gotama Buddha, that is, Shakyamuni Buddha. Built on a base of about 2,000 square meters with a capacity of over 2,000 people, it comprises a seven-story central stupa surrounded by four smaller stupas at the four corners, with white-painted walls and gilded bronze spires. According to Thanh Niên newspaper, the upper story of the central stupa enshrines relics of the Buddha and of Arhats, while hundreds of wind chimes hang around the summit. In 2019, the US magazine National Geographic included the monastery among the 20 most distinctive Buddhist architectural works in the world.
Named Birth (Đản Sinh), Enlightenment (Thành Đạo), Turning the Dharma Wheel (Chuyển Pháp Luân), and Parinirvana (Niết Bàn), representing the four major milestones in the Buddha's life.
A half-moon pond embracing the front of the stupa and reflecting the white structure in its water.
Gifted by Venerable Narada of Sri Lanka in 1961, propagated from the original Bodhi tree in India. The grounds also include the Bodhi Buddha site, restored in 1995.
A reclining Buddha statue carved of granite, 8 meters long and weighing about 50 tons according to Chốn Thiêng, erected in 2005 and surrounded by 10 carved stone lamp pillars modeled after King Ashoka's pillars in India.
Built in 2002, recreating the six years of ascetic practice undertaken by Prince Siddhartha before his enlightenment.
Suvannabhumi means the Golden Land. According to Theravada chronicles, King Ashoka sent the two elders Sona and Uttara to bring the Dharma to Suvannabhumi, and the Theravada countries of Southeast Asia all identify with that land. Building the stupa in the Suvannabhumi style places Bửu Long within the shared visual lineage of neighboring Theravada lands. Meanwhile, the five spires, with one central tower and four corner towers named after the four milestones of the Buddha's life, recall the four sacred pilgrimage sites that the Pali scriptures encourage Buddhists to venerate at least once, namely the places of his birth, enlightenment, first discourse, and passing into Parinirvana.
One detail that speaks clearly of the practice here is that the monastery burns no incense. Hà Nội Mới newspaper notes that this custom has been kept for more than sixty years. Visitors join their palms, bow, and offer flowers without lighting incense sticks. This practice aligns with the Theravada tradition, which does not emphasize burning incense, and keeps the main hall and stupa free of smoke.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
This section presents the library's reading through the lens of traditional Vietnamese geomancy (phong thủy), not something recorded in the monastery's own texts. Theravada Buddhism does not teach geomantic site selection, and the library has no source indicating that lay practitioner Võ Hà Thuật or Most Venerable Hộ Tông consulted geomancy. The compass orientation of the main hall is likewise unrecorded in the sources consulted by the library, so the library does not state one. The paragraphs below simply offer a comparative reading for readers familiar with traditional Vietnamese ways of reading land.
At Bửu Long, the first feature to notice is hill and river. The monastery sits on a hill along the eastern edge of the former Thủ Đức area, looking down toward the Đồng Nai River. In a city consisting mostly of flat ground, having an elevated site for support behind and a wide river in front is rare. Traditional geomancy calls this configuration backed by mountain, facing water (tựa sơn hướng thủy), with solid backing behind and water gathering (thủy tụ) in front. Here the mountain is only a low hill, yet the configuration holds.
The second feature is forest. Most of the roughly 11-hectare campus is covered in trees. The Pali scriptures recount how bhikkhus in the Buddha's time regularly chose forests as places for meditation, and the later Theravada tradition has preserved the custom of forest monasteries set apart from residential neighborhoods. Traditional geomancy views dense woodland as a cover that gathers qi and shelters a hilltop from wind. Though rooted in two different traditions, both perspectives point to the same setting here.
The third feature is the semicircular lotus pond in front of the stupa. In traditional Vietnamese temple and communal house architecture, a half-moon pond before the main hall serves as a water bright hall (minh đường) that retains qi before the principal structure. Placing a pond of this exact traditional shape in front of a Suvannabhumi-style stupa marks a meeting point between two architectural traditions, echoing Hà Nội Mới newspaper's observation on the cultural synthesis at this monastery.
VFull-moon observances and monastic routine
The monastery's liturgical calendar follows the shared lunar observance cycle of Theravada Buddhism, together with one observance specific to Bửu Long, the memorial day of Most Venerable Hộ Tông. The full-moon days form the axis of the year because, according to the Pali scriptures, the major events of the Buddha's life all took place under a full moon.
| Lunar date | Observance | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 15th of the 1st month | Māgha Pūjā | Commemorates the gathering of arahants without prior appointment to pay homage to the Buddha, when he taught the Ovādapāṭimokkha |
| 15th of the 4th month | Vesak | The largest observance of the year, commemorating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and Parinirvana |
| 15th of the 6th month | Āsāḷha Pūjā, entering Vassa | Commemorates the Buddha's first discourse and marks the start of the three-month rains retreat (an cư) |
| 26th of the 7th month | Memorial of Most Venerable Hộ Tông | Anniversary of his passing in the Tân Dậu year (1981), an observance specific to this monastery |
| 15th of the 9th month | Pavāraṇā, concluding Vassa | Monks conclude the rains retreat and invite one another to point out any faults |
| Within the month after Vassa | Kaṭhina robe offering | Lay practitioners offer robes to bhikkhus who have completed the three-month rains retreat |
On ordinary days, the monks chant in Pali alongside Vietnamese translations, practice meditation, and take their meal before noon. Around late morning there is a meal-offering ceremony where laypeople come to offer food to the sangha. The nunnery established in 1992 serves as the residence and study center for Theravada nuns.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Số 81 đường Nguyễn Xiển, phường Long Bình (phường Long Bình cũ, thành phố Thủ Đức cũ), Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
- Getting there
- The monastery is at 81 Nguyễn Xiển Street, Long Bình Ward, on the territory of the former Long Bình Ward of the former Thủ Đức City, Ho Chi Minh City, near the National Historical and Cultural Park and the bank of the Đồng Nai River.
- Coordinates
- 10.8789, 106.835
The monastery does not burn incense, so please do not bring incense sticks inside, and instead join your palms to bow or offer flowers. Remove your shoes before entering the main hall and before stepping onto the stupa platform. In accordance with the Pali Vinaya, women do not touch bhikkhus directly, and when making offerings they place items down in front of the monks. The nunnery and meditation huts are monastic living quarters and are not open to unannounced visitors.
Nearby places in the library
VIIContribute To This Page
Contribute photos, information or video for Buu Long Pagoda
Góp ảnh, thông tin hoặc video cho Thiền viện Tổ đình Bửu LongEveryone is welcome to enrich this page: a photo you took, a detail the page misses, a short video. Every contribution is read and answered.
Thầy Ưng Khiêm mời cộng đồng cùng làm giàu trang này. Ảnh chụp tận nơi, một chi tiết lịch sử chưa được nhắc, một đoạn video ngắn: mọi đóng góp đều được đọc và trả lời.
No community contribution yet. You could be the first. Chưa có đóng góp nào từ cộng đồng. Bạn có thể là người đầu tiên.
?Quick Questions
Which Buddhist tradition does Bửu Long Pagoda belong to?
It belongs to Vietnamese Theravada Buddhism (Phật Giáo Nam Tông Kinh), the Theravada tradition practiced by ethnic Vietnamese. The monks uphold the Pali Tipiṭaka, chant in Pali alongside Vietnamese translations, and venerate only Shakyamuni Buddha. It is not a Khmer Theravada temple, even though both streams share the same scriptures and monastic code.
Who founded Bửu Long Pagoda?
Lay practitioner Võ Hà Thuật, a disciple of Most Venerable Hộ Tông, built a meditation hermitage here in 1942. In 1958 he offered the hermitage to Most Venerable Hộ Tông to establish a monastery, and in 1965 he himself was ordained as Venerable Lão Tâm. Most Venerable Hộ Tông resided at Bửu Long until his passing in 1981, which is why members of the lineage regard it as an ancestral monastery (tổ đình).
What is inside the stupa at Bửu Long Pagoda?
Gotama Cetiya Stupa consists of a seven-story central stupa and four corner stupas named Birth, Enlightenment, Turning the Dharma Wheel, and Parinirvana, built on a base of about 2,000 square meters in the Suvannabhumi architectural style with white walls and gilded bronze spires. The upper story of the central stupa enshrines relics of the Buddha. Construction began in 2007.
Is Bửu Long Pagoda related to Angkor Wat?
Its multi-spired, pointed-roof silhouette reminds many visitors of Angkor Wat, but that form belongs to the broader Suvannabhumi Buddhist architectural tradition across mainland Southeast Asia. Bửu Long is a Vietnamese Theravada monastery rather than a Khmer temple, and its decorative carvings also incorporate Vietnamese artistic motifs of the Nguyễn dynasty.
Why does Bửu Long Pagoda not burn incense?
The monastery has maintained an incense-free custom for more than sixty years, according to Hà Nội Mới newspaper. The Theravada tradition does not emphasize burning incense, so visitors pay respects by joining their palms, bowing, and offering flowers. This custom also keeps the main hall and stupa free of smoke.