Tây An Temple is a notable Buddhist temple in southern
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, near the town of
Châu Đốc
Châu Đốc is a city in An Giang Province, bordering Cambodia, in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2013, the city had a population of 157,298, and cover an area of .
The city is located by the Hậu River (a branch of the Mekong Rive ...
in
An Giang Province
An Giang () is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the Mekong Delta, in the southwestern part of the country.
Geography
An Giang occupies a position in the upper reaches of the Mekong Delta. The Hậu Giang and Tiền Giang branches o ...
in the
Mekong Delta, known for its historic and architectural features.
History
The temple was built by the Governor of An Giang, Doãn Uẩn, in 1847. The temple is located near
Sam Mountain, five kilometres from Châu Đốc. The ''Đại Nam nhất thống chí'', the official chronicles of the
Nguyễn dynasty that ruled Vietnam at the time noted that the temple stood on a mountain overlooking the town and the province, praising its scenery and vibrancy.
In the past century and a half, the temple has been renovated many times, two of which stand out above the others. In 1861, Thích Nhất Thừa renovated the main hall and the patriarch hall at the rear. In 1958, Thích Bửu Thọ raised funds to refurbish the main hall, the front of the temple and erect a three-storey tower. The temple's architecture fuses Indian styles with local motifs.
At the front near the triple gate is a statue of the bodhisattva
Avalokiteshvara. On the front pavement are two elephants statues, a black one with two tusks and a white one with six tusks. Inside the main hall are approximately 200 statues of
Buddhas, bodhisattvas,
arahant
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
s,
atulas ,and
devas, mostly made of wood. All of these date back to the 19th century and were crafted by local artisans from An Giang and nearby
Đồng Tháp Province.
The rear of the temple has various stupas dedicated to deceased monks. One of the most notable is that of Tây An Master, Đoàn Minh Huyên (1807–1856) from
Sa Đéc
Sa Đéc is a Provincial city in Đồng Tháp Province in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam. It is a river port and agricultural and industrial trading center. The Sa Đéc economic zone consists of Châu Thành, Lai Vung and Lấp Vò ...
. He was notable for his travels in the Mekong Delta, expounding the
dharma from 1849 onwards, before spending his last years at the temple.
Tây An hosts traditional Buddhis festivals on an annual basis, the full moon of the first lunar month, the full moon of the tenth lunar month and the twelfth of the eighth lunar month, the death anniversary of the Tây An Master. During these festivals, in addition to the first four lunar months of the year, the temple attracts a large number of pilgrims from all locations.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tay An Temple
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1847
Buddhist temples in Vietnam
Buddhist temples in An Giang Province
1847 establishments in Vietnam