Xa Loi Buddhist Temple

Xa Loi Buddhist Temple is a modern pagoda on Bà Huyện Thanh Quan Street in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. The temple’s name, Xá Lợi, is the Vietnamese term for śarīra, or sacred Buddhist relics. Construction on the pagoda began in August 1956. Architects Nguyễn Văn Dương and Đỗ Bá Vinh designed the structure. The temple complex covers an area of 2,500 square meters. Its modern design places the main worship hall on an upper floor. A lecture hall and offices occupy the ground floor.

A prominent seven-story bell tower stands within the temple grounds. The tower rises 32 meters, ranking it among the tallest in Vietnam. The temple inaugurated the tower in 1961. Each of its seven octagonal floors venerates a different Buddha. A large bronze bell hangs on the highest floor. This bell weighs two tons and was modeled after the bell at Thiên Mụ Pagoda in Huế. The tower is a major landmark of the temple.

The main hall features a large, gilded statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. Artists from the Biên Hòa School of Fine Arts originally crafted the statue. A series of 15 large painted panels decorates the walls. These panels depict the life of the Buddha from his birth to his entry into nirvana. A jade tower shaped like a bodhi leaf sits high above the main statue, enshrining the sacred relics for which the temple is named.

Xa Loi Pagoda holds significant historical importance in the city. It served as the headquarters for the South Vietnam Buddhist Association. The temple became a center of Buddhist resistance during the 1963 political crisis. Forces loyal to President Ngô Đình Diệm raided the pagoda in August of that year. This event solidified the temple’s role as a key site in the country’s modern history.