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Monkey Pagoda

"Behind our hotel is a statue of Christ, larger than that of Rio de Janeiro. Maybe worth climbing that mountain! It was difficult to find the way from the first time. Actually we had walked right but not far enough to know and see that the entrance was just behind the corner. So we did a nice tour.
And it is difficult to ask the way of the Vietnamese. They cannot speak English. You just open your mouth when they wave their hand in the air waving that they don't understand us.
Finally we find the statue of Christ. It doesn't seem that big. How big would it be in Rio de Janeiro?"

The mountain and pagoda

          The road to Monkey Pagoda at Vung Tau is attractive. - As you go down the winding road, one side looks out to the immense sea, the other side is the Ky Van mountain, which thrones above you all year round.
The Zen Monastery Truc Lam Chan Nguyen (the Monkey Pagoda) at the foot of the Ky Van Mountain (near Vung Tau) There were monkeys since ancient times when the temple was a small wooden hut. In 1987 the monk returned Thich Thong Luan back to meditate and practice here.
Here is the quiet space for meditation and beautiful nature. The scene in Truc Lam Chan Khong Monastery can enchant anyone entering this majestic and poetic monastery. Here the soul can achieve true peace, and all that is mixed with the blue of the sea and the sky and green of the forest behind it. The green of the mountains and the forest is emphasized by the large hall. Behind the pagoda are rocks in different shapes such as snakes, turtles ... in the traditional colors of Buddhism. The monastery has a cherry blossom forest that is very beautiful in the spring.

The Pagoda

The temple has a simple architecture with a meditating Shakyamuni Buddha on a lotus. In the pagoda you will be impressed by the purity and the meditation space between the mountains. The Chanh-Dau building (district house) was built 9 years ago and is spacious and has the same architecture as the Dalat Truc Lam Monastery. The bell tower, drum tower and two large oil lamps are placed on either side of the temple grounds. Behind the Great Hall are huge natural stones; a true masterpiece. Each stone weighs tens of tons in strange animal shapes. The word Buddha is carved in the largest stone blocks of the temple. Poems by Zen master Chan Nguyen engraved on the elephant stone block.

The special thing about the pagoda is the existence of hundreds of monkeys on the site. For that reason, the temple is also called Chua Khi (Monkey Pagoda). The monkeys hang out not only in the pagoda, but also around the green trees and stone statues. Twice a day, around 9.30-10.00 AM and 3.30-4.00 PM, the monkeys come to the pagoda and search for food.

The friendly monkeys

A monk told me, "The proper name of the pagoda is a Chan Nguyen temple named after the Zen master, but because he raised many monkeys, the pagoda is known as the Monkey Pagoda." These smart animals had wild life in the mountains; then the monks started feeding the monkeys. Until this was a habit, they came to the foot of the mountain every day to eat and have fun on and around the pagoda. In the beginning there were only a few dozen and now there are already almost 200 monkeys.
Tourists come here, who often bring bananas and fruit to feed the macaques before admiring beautiful scenery.
Little sims have been built on the slopes for the monks to meditate.

You will find the Truc Lam Chan Nguyen Zen Monastery very peaceful. It is a pure meditation place, because you feel the peacefulness of the mountains and of the natural forest. In particular, you will love watching the sweet, naughty monkeys. This place is sure to leave you with many fond memories.