Walking along Nguyễn Trung Trực Street in Bình Thạnh between rows of low town houses, you see a pale yellow stupa rising above every roof around it. The stupa has nine stories, each eight-sided, tapering as it climbs. At the foot of the stupa stands a two-story sanctuary that is also eight-sided, along with a wide courtyard where the saffron robes of mendicant monks are always in view.
This is Trung Tâm Vihara (Tịnh xá Trung Tâm), which Saigon residents casually call Trung Tâm Pagoda. The root temple of the Mendicant Buddhist Sect (Hệ phái Khất Sĩ) is Ngọc Viên Vihara in Vĩnh Long, built directly by the Founding Patriarch. Trung Tâm was established later and serves a different role as the common home where the various monastic sub-orders (giáo đoàn) of the sect gather to study, practice, and handle shared affairs.
IThe common home of the Mendicant sect
The Mendicant Buddhist Sect (Hệ phái Khất Sĩ) was founded in southern Vietnam by Patriarch Minh Đăng Quang. Sources give slightly different dates for the start of his preaching, with phatgiao.org.vn recording 1944 and Giác Ngộ Newspaper noting his first public discourse in early 1947. The Patriarch disappeared from public view in 1954. The story of how the Patriarch built the first vihara and the early years of the sect is told in the Ngọc Viên article, so the library does not repeat it here.
As the sect grew into several monastic sub-orders (giáo đoàn), each with its own viharas, a shared central venue became necessary. Construction on Trung Tâm Vihara began in April 1965 to meet that need. Giác Ngộ Newspaper notes that this site served as the central headquarters of the sect from around 1966 to 1981, and to this day it is still called the common home. The words Trung Tâm (Central) in its name express that exact role.
Where the Mendicant sect stands between Mahayana and Theravada
| Point of comparison | Northern Tradition (Mahayana) | Southern Tradition (Theravada) | Mendicant Sect (Khất Sĩ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctrinal source | Chinese Mahayana sutras | Pali Tipitaka | Synthesizes both, compiled in the 69-discourse Chơn Lý |
| Chanting language | Sino-Vietnamese | Pali | Vietnamese |
| Alms round | Mostly do not go on alms rounds | Maintains alms rounds | Maintains alms rounds with begging bowl, one meal a day |
| Monastic robes | Brown or gray daily tunics, kasaya robe for ceremonies | Saffron robes | Three robes (tam y) in yellow-saffron |
| Place of practice | Pagoda (chùa), ancestral seat (tổ đình) | Pagoda, forest monastery | Vihara (tịnh xá), main hall usually octagonal |
Those three traits fit together as one. Synthesis is the foundation, as the Founding Patriarch drew upon both major Buddhist traditions and the sect maintains the principle that Vietnamese Buddhism is not divided into rival sects. Alms-gathering is how that synthesis appears in daily life, where walking with an alms bowl resembles Theravada practice while the monastic code based on the Four-Part Vinaya (Tứ phần luật) stands closer to Mahayana. Octagonal architecture is how that synthesis takes physical form, a sanctuary layout unlike either a traditional Mahayana pagoda or a Theravada temple, whose eight sides represent the Noble Eightfold Path revered by both traditions as the core path.
The founding elder of Trung Tâm Vihara was Elder Thích Giác Nhiên, according to the Phật Giáo Bình Thạnh website. He is an entirely different person from Patriarch Giác Nhiên of Thiền Tôn Ancestral Pagoda in Huế, who belonged to a different lineage and region. The two masters simply shared the same Dharma name. In the Mendicant Elder's name, the word Giác was the common generational character shared by the first generation of disciples of Patriarch Minh Đăng Quang, such as Giác Tánh, Giác Tịnh, Giác An, Giác Lý, and Giác Huệ.
IIFrom a donated plot to the nine-story stupa
The land on which the vihara stands covers 5,490 square meters, donated by a lay Buddhist woman named Diệu Kiến. Initial construction lasted about ten years according to Giác Ngộ Newspaper. The vihara was subsequently renovated and expanded between 1980 and 1984, and in 1998 construction began on the Jade Buddha Stupa (Bảo tháp Ngọc Phật), the structure that defines the profile of the compound today.
- 1923Birth of the Founding PatriarchPatriarch Minh Đăng Quang, secular name Nguyễn Thành Đạt, was born in Phú Hậu Village, Vĩnh Long (Chốn Thiêng gives 1922).
- 1954Disappearance of the PatriarchPatriarch Minh Đăng Quang disappeared on the 1st day of the 2nd lunar month, Giáp Ngọ year 1954.
- 1965Construction begunIn April, construction began on a 5,490-square-meter plot donated by laywoman Diệu Kiến, founded by Elder Thích Giác Nhiên. That same year, Most Venerable Narada (Sri Lanka) presented Jade Buddha Relics to the sect.
- 1980Renovation and expansionRenovated and expanded between 1980 and 1984 to a design by architect Nguyễn Hữu Thiện, overseen by Most Venerable Giác Phúc and Most Venerable Giác Toàn.
- 1998Stupa construction begunOn September 10, 1998, construction began on the Jade Buddha Stupa, designed by architect Trần Tuấn Anh (Chúc Lạc).
- 1999Stupa inaugurationThe stupa was inaugurated over two days on October 9 and 10, 1999 (the 1st and 2nd days of the 9th lunar month, Kỷ Mão year), just over a year after work began.
- 2007Record recognitionOn May 31, 2007, the stupa was officially recognized as the tallest stupa of the Mendicant Buddhist Sect in Vietnam.
Regarding lineage succession, the library has not found a published generational transmission verse for the Mendicant Buddhist Sect, so generation numbers are not assigned to its abbots here. The library records only monastic names without organizational titles. At present, the abbot of the vihara is Most Venerable Thích Minh Thành, according to the Phật Giáo Bình Thạnh website.
IIIOctagonal main hall and the Jade Buddha Stupa
The vihara follows the distinctive architectural pattern of the Mendicant Buddhist Sect, centered on an octagonal main hall. At Trung Tâm, the sanctuary has two stories designed by architect Nguyễn Hữu Thiện. The upper floor is the main shrine venerating Buddha Shakyamuni, encircled along its eight walls by eight relief panels sculpted by artisans Minh Dung and Hai Long, each measuring 2.2 by 4.5 meters and depicting milestones in the life of the Buddha. The lower floor serves as a lecture hall. Walking a single circuit around the eight sides of the upper hall takes a visitor through the entire life of the Buddha.
Rising 37 meters across nine octagonal stories with a base diameter of 7.2 meters, designed by architect Trần Tuấn Anh. Recognized as the tallest stupa of the Mendicant Buddhist Sect in Vietnam.
According to Giác Ngộ Newspaper, floors 1 to 4 house the Tripitaka in Vietnamese, Chinese, Pali, and English. Floor 5 hangs a 1,200-kilogram great bell cast by artisan Nguyễn Văn Sở in Huế. Floors 6 and 7 enshrine relics of senior monks, Patriarch Minh Đăng Quang, and his ten first disciples. Floor 8 honors the Three Baskets of the Dharma. Floor 9 enshrines a statue of the Buddha, the Jade Buddha Relics gifted by Elder Narada in 1965, and sacred soil brought in 1994 from the four holy Buddhist sites in India.
The upper floor venerates Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by eight reliefs of the Buddha's life, while the lower floor serves as a lecture hall for retreats and study courses.
A free traditional medicine clinic, alongside a scripture distribution room, forming part of the vihara's everyday service.
The number 37 is no accident. The thirty-seven factors of enlightenment (ba mươi bảy phẩm trợ đạo) are the thirty-seven practices leading to awakening, grouped into seven sets, namely the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (4), the Four Right Efforts (4), the Four Bases of Spiritual Power (4), the Five Faculties (5), the Five Powers (5), the Seven Factors of Awakening (7), and the Noble Eightfold Path (8). Together they total thirty-seven. Building the stupa 37 meters high turns the entire path of practice into vertical height, while the octagonal shape of every story recalls the final group, the Noble Eightfold Path, which every Mendicant vihara inscribes into the footprint of its main hall.
Some people refer to the Jade Buddha Stupa as the tallest stupa in Vietnam. That is inaccurate. What was recognized in 2007 is that it is the tallest stupa of the Mendicant Buddhist Sect in Vietnam, while across the country there are taller Buddhist stupas belonging to other traditions. Nor does the name Ngọc Phật (Jade Buddha) mean the stupa is built of jade, as it refers to enshrining the Jade Buddha Relics (Ngọc Xá Lợi Phật) gifted by Most Venerable Narada in 1965 on its topmost floor, while also echoing the word Ngọc commonly used in the names of Mendicant viharas.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
This section presents the library's reading through the lens of traditional geomancy (phong thủy), not something recorded in the texts of the vihara or the sect. The Mendicant Buddhist Sect does not base its doctrine on geomancy. Its octagonal main hall and stupa follow the sect's own symbolic conventions rooted in the Noble Eightfold Path and the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment. The paragraphs below offer a comparative reading for visitors familiar with traditional Vietnamese land-reading.
The vihara stands in the former Bình Thạnh area north of downtown Saigon, a flat tract once crisscrossed by canals emptying into the Saigon River. There is no mountain behind it to lean on, nor a wide river directly in front. On such flat urban ground, traditional land-reading often looks for support in a tall structure raised by human hands.
At Trung Tâm, that tall structure is the stupa itself. A 37-meter tower standing amid low town houses acts as an artificial guardian mountain (trấn sơn), an anchor giving the whole compound a point of support. Read in geomantic terms, a stupa draws qi upward from below, and nine is the highest yang number among the first ten numerals, traditionally favored for structures meant to reach skyward.
The eight-sided main hall works in the opposite direction, facing no single compass point exclusively but opening evenly to all eight directions around a central axis. One vertical stupa acting as a pillar and one octagonal hall spreading outward around its center create a standing-and-resting pairing, which the library reads as a balance between reaching upward and gathering inward. For members of the sect, of course, those two structures are first and foremost two visual sermons on the Buddhist path rather than geomantic devices.
VObservances and monastic practice
As the common home of the sect, Trung Tâm Vihara is where the monastic sub-orders regularly gather for major annual ceremonies. The ritual calendar follows the lunar months in keeping with the general custom of the Mendicant Buddhist Sect.
| Lunar date | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1st day of the 2nd month | Commemoration of the Founding Patriarch | Annual memorial of Patriarch Minh Đăng Quang, when monks and nuns from viharas across the sect gather to offer incense |
| 15th day of the 4th month | Buddha's Birthday (Phật Đản) | Celebrates the birth of the Buddha |
| Three rainy-season months | Rains retreat (An cư kiết hạ) | Monks remain in one residence for three months of intensive study and meditation |
| 15th day of the 7th month | Pavarana (Tự tứ) and Vu Lan | Monks conclude the rains retreat with the Pavarana ceremony, while lay Buddhists observe the festival of filial piety |
On ordinary days, the lecture hall on the lower floor of the main sanctuary hosts study courses and retreats, while the Tuệ Tĩnh clinic provides free medical care to the poor. The resident monks keep the mendicant way of life, taking a single meal a day before noon and living and studying in communal harmony. In the middle of a bustling metropolis, that daily discipline is what keeps this place a true mendicant vihara rather than merely a tall monument.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Số 21 đường Nguyễn Trung Trực, phường Bình Lợi Trung (phường 5 quận Bình Thạnh cũ), Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
- Getting there
- The vihara is located at 21 Nguyễn Trung Trực Street, Bình Lợi Trung Ward, in the area of former Ward 5, Bình Thạnh District, Ho Chi Minh City. The tall stupa is visible from afar and guides you right to the gate.
- Coordinates
- 10.8116, 106.6868
This is an active vihara where monks reside and study, so visitors should respect its rules. Dress modestly and walk and speak quietly inside the main hall and while viewing the eight relief panels. The monks take their meal before noon, so if you arrive around midday, please wait until the assembly has finished eating. Access to the upper stories of the stupa depends on the vihara's schedule at a given time, so please ask a caretaker first.
Nearby places in the library
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?Quick Questions
Which Buddhist sect does Trung Tâm Vihara belong to
It belongs to the Mendicant Buddhist Sect (Hệ phái Khất Sĩ), founded in southern Vietnam by Patriarch Minh Đăng Quang. Begun in 1965, the vihara is known as the common home of the sect and formerly served as its central headquarters. The original root vihara of the sect is Ngọc Viên Vihara in Vĩnh Long.
How tall is the Jade Buddha Stupa at Trung Tâm Vihara
It is 37 meters tall with nine octagonal stories and a base diameter of 7.2 meters. Construction began on September 10, 1998, and the stupa was inaugurated on October 9 and 10, 1999, and in 2007 it was recognized as the tallest stupa of the Mendicant Buddhist Sect in Vietnam.
Why is the Jade Buddha Stupa 37 meters tall
The number 37 represents the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment (ba mươi bảy phẩm trợ đạo), the thirty-seven practices leading to awakening, comprising the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts, Four Bases of Spiritual Power, Five Faculties, Five Powers, Seven Factors of Awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path. The octagonal shape of each story recalls the Noble Eightfold Path.
How does the Mendicant sect differ from Mahayana and Theravada
The Mendicant sect synthesizes the teachings of both Mahayana and Theravada and chants scriptures in Vietnamese. Monks and nuns wear the three saffron robes, carry alms bowls, and eat one meal a day before noon like Theravada monastics, while observing the Four-Part Vinaya close to the Mahayana tradition. Their temples are called tịnh xá (viharas) and typically feature an octagonal main hall.
How do Trung Tâm Vihara and Ngọc Viên Vihara differ
Ngọc Viên in Vĩnh Long is the first vihara, built by the Founding Patriarch himself in 1948 as the ancestral seat. Trung Tâm in Saigon was begun in 1965, after the Patriarch's disappearance, to serve as the common home where all the monastic sub-orders of the sect gather.