Situated inside the heart of the coastal city of Phan Thiet, Thanh Minh temple used to be a pagoda which was first built by Thanh Minh Group under the reign of emperor Tu Duc in 1876. At that time, the pagoda was dedicated to worship Tieu Dien Dai Si deity. Legend has it that Tieu Dien Dai Si deity is the reincarnation ofAvalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
The pagoda is also a place to worship other deities, gods and predecessors and successors who broke the fresh ground and made great contribution to the area and the locals in all aspects of life. Worshipping is a way for the locals to shows their fully religious belief. Inside Thanh Minh pagoda, there is Ngu Hanh temple worshipping five Holy Mothers of the Universe: Kim (Metal) – Moc (Wood) – Thuy (Water) – Hoa (Fire) – Tho (Earth). This is the religious faith and respect to the Universe in accordance with five basic elements, according to the eastern philosophy.
After a long time of degradation, the pagoda along with Phan Thiet Golf Course were transferred to Rang Dong Group from foreign investors. The Group started restoring and embellishing the old-age pagoda since they realized the cultural and artistic values of the relics.
The restoration work was commenced in October 2015 and completed in October 2016. The newly-restored work can be kept its intact architectures as it was built in 140 years ago. With artistic decorations of wooden pillars, ying-yang tile roof, brick walls, lotus, fishes, and ponds, it creates a tranquility for the pagoda. Pilgrims and tourists started visiting the spot increasingly since the pagoda was recognized as the provincial architectural heritage in February 25th, 2017.
Visitors can visit Thanh Minh pagoda and Ngu Hanh temple from 5:00Am to 21:00PM every day.
My Thien (Source: Binh Thuan Online)
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