Liên Trì Pagoda

Liên Trì Pagoda is a pagoda located in Hamlet 2, Hòa Thuận Commune, Buôn Ma Thuột City, Đắk Lắk Province, with boundaries from Km 372 to Km 376, situated beside National Highway 14 on the road from Buôn Ma Thuột City to Gia Lai Province.

The pagoda is structured in the 'Tam' (三) character layout, a style of pagoda with three parallel buildings, commonly referred to as the Lower Pagoda, Middle Pagoda, and Upper Pagoda.

The entrance to the pagoda is the triple-arched gate (tam quan). Passing through the tam quan, the main path (Nhất chánh đạo) leads into the Buddhist world. The main pagoda complex begins with the front hall (tiền đường), where lay Buddhists sit to chant sutras, cultivate the mind, and develop insight in order to build a compassionate heart following the Buddha's path. The Buddha altar is located in the central chamber of the pagoda, which is set back, creating a harmonious structure for the main hall.

As the pagoda's doors are always open to all sentient beings and the place of worship is never obstructed, this area is called the upper hall (thượng điện). On either side of the pagoda, there are often two corridors, and at the rear is the hậu house (nhà hậu). The hậu house is usually dedicated to worshipping the pagoda's founders, the Mother Goddess, and those who have contributed to the pagoda; it also serves as accommodation for the sangha, guest house, and kitchen.

The entire pagoda complex includes the tam quan gate, Quan Âm Hall (Bảo điện Quan Âm), main hall (chánh điện), and ancestral hall (nhà thờ tổ). The tam quan gate has three arched doorways, with the main and side gates on either side, and four lines of Han-script couplets. Beyond the tam quan is the pagoda courtyard, which is often decorated with ornamental pots and miniature landscapes (hòn non bộ) to enhance the natural beauty of the pagoda. The courtyard is spacious, featuring statues of the Buddha and various deities, and a small pond immediately to the right upon entering.

From the courtyard, the first architectural layer is the main hall (Chánh điện), covering an area of 1,048 m² and built solidly. The Quan Âm Hall is hexagonal, with six columns decorated with entwined dragons and clouds. To reach this area, one must ascend more than 210 steps. In the ceremonial hall (nhà bái đường), there are several guardian statues, as well as a drum and bell placed on either side of the building.

In the centre of the ceremonial hall is the incense altar (hương án), the main place for offering incense. Typically, visitors to the pagoda offer incense here. Running parallel to the main hall and connecting it to the hậu house are two corridor wings, forming a three-chambered building. Beyond the main hall, following the corridor, one reaches the tăng house (nhà tăng đường, also called nhà hậu đường or nhà tổ), where ancestors, successive abbots, and departed spirits are worshipped.

Before 1975

From 1955, the policy of relocating people to new economic zones in the South and establishing settlement areas in Đắk Lắk was, in essence, a means to isolate revolutionary elements in the South after the Geneva Agreement, implemented by the Ngô Đình Diệm regime. People from the provinces of Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên – Huế, Quảng Nam, and Bình Định gradually settled in the area known as Buôn Kroa settlement, later renamed Đạt Lý Commune, Buôn Ma Thuột District, Đắk Lắk Province, and today Hòa Thuận Commune, Buôn Ma Thuột City, Đắk Lắk Province, with boundaries from Km 372 to Km 376 on both sides of National Highway 14, on the road from Buôn Ma Thuột to Gia Lai.

The majority of the population followed Buddhism, with nearly half the remainder being Catholics and adherents of other religions.

In the early years, when the land was vast and sparsely populated, the entire commune had only one pagoda, named Nam Thiên Pagoda (with most lay Buddhists from Quảng Nam and Thừa Thiên – Huế).

From 1963, the Ngô Đình Diệm government implemented the Strategic Hamlet Programme, dividing the commune into smaller areas to prevent Communist guerrilla attacks and uprisings. Đạt Lý Commune was divided into four strategic hamlets, and Nam Thiên Pagoda was outside the strategic hamlets, making it very difficult for Buddhists to visit the pagoda, especially at night.

At the end of 1963, the Ngô Đình Diệm family regime was overthrown. Buddhists from the Nam Bình and Nam Sơn areas under Nam Thiên Pagoda, including notable lay members such as Đặng Bảo, Phạm Xuân Gia, Nguyễn Khâm, and Lê Kim Sức, jointly petitioned the Representative Board of the Đắk Lắk Provincial Buddhist Association to establish a new pagoda. Venerable Thích Minh Đức, chief representative of the Đắk Lắk Provincial Buddhist Association, upon visiting the proposed site and seeing a vast lake in front of it, named the new pagoda Liên Trì Pagoda. Thus, Liên Trì Pagoda was established. The land for the pagoda, covering 12,000 square metres, was donated by Buddhists Đặng Cháu, Hoàng Cháu, Trần Vầy, and Catholics Là Hoàng Tạ and Lê Địch.

With the agreement and encouragement of the Provincial Buddhist Association's Representative Board, and with the enthusiastic dedication of the lay Buddhists—some contributing labour, others materials, skills, and resources, from sawing timber to carpentry and masonry—the pagoda was completed after several months, with a cement foundation, wooden walls, and corrugated iron roof. The aspirations of hundreds of Buddhists were fulfilled at the inauguration ceremony on 19 June 1964 (Year of the Dragon), attended by the full Provincial Representative Board, Buddhist lay leaders from near and far, and marking the official recognition of Liên Trì Pagoda by the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam at that time. This achievement provided hundreds of Liên Trì Buddhists with a place for worship after years of hardship and toil for their livelihoods.

Alongside the construction of the pagoda, the Liên Trì Buddhist Family (Gia đình Phật tử Liên Trì) was also established from the earliest days of construction, founded by Lê Kim Thái. After nearly a year of activity, it was officially recognised as part of the Vietnamese Buddhist Family by Decision No. 0078/HDĐ/QĐ dated 9 May 1965 of the Đắk Lắk Provincial Buddhist Family Executive Board.

In March 1970, construction began on the Liên Trì Bodhi Middle and Primary School, which was put into use in June 1970.

In 1971, Venerable Thích Quán Chơn was appointed by the Đắk Lắk Provincial Buddhist Association as abbot of Liên Trì Pagoda and concurrently principal of the Liên Trì Bodhi Middle and Primary School until March 1975.

After 1975

The successful organisation of the First Congress of the Đắk Lắk Provincial Buddhist Delegates marked a new era for Buddhism in Đắk Lắk Province. Liên Trì Pagoda has continued to develop and has received increasing attention from the city People's Committee.

1964 - 1965: Lay member Phạm Xuân Gia;

1966 - 1970: Lay member Châu Tú;

1971 - 1973: Lay member Đặng Bảo;

1974 - 1975: Lay member Nguyễn Xuân Lang;

1975 - 1977: Lay member Lê Xuân Lang;

1978 - 1980: Lay member Trần Chấn;

1981 - 1983: Lay member Châu Hộ;

1984 - 2012: Lay member Lê Xuân Lang;

Term 2012-2017: Venerable Thích Hải Trung was appointed abbot and concurrently chief representative.