Linh Son Pagoda in Dalat

Nestled in a gently sloping hill amidst a bustling Dalat City, Linh Son Pagoda is much like another world where people just hear sounds of rustling pine leaves and of wooden bells.

The way to the pagoda is different from others with some horse gnawing grass, unlike with noisy streets below with much traffic.

Seen from the outside, the pagoda is a simple Asian architectural work although it is the seat of the Buddhist Management Board in Lam Dong Province and a Buddhist school. In comparison with other pagodas in the city, Linh Son is not as beautiful and poetic as Truc Lam Zen Monastery or as old as Linh Quang Communal House and Van Hanh Zen Monastery.

However, with elegant furnishings like a red-tile roof that looks striking amid the evergreen pine trees, and a pair of dragons in two gables, the pagoda attracts many pilgrims and visitors everyday.

The sanctum of the pagoda is highlighted with four big pillars decorated with parallel sentences written in Chinese. In the sanctum, there is a statue of Buddha sitting on a lotus flower made of bronze in 1952. It is 1.7m high and weighs 1,250 kg.

On the right of the building is the huge bell weighing 450kg and hung on the wooden frame. Behind is the temple of the Ancestors house dedicated to Dharma Buddha and the monks who died.

Many species of flowers and stone installations are also worth taking a look at. (Source: SGT)