Giac Ngo Pagoda stands out as one of the most revered temples in Saigon. Annually, it hosts meditation retreats and Buddhist teachings for devotees from all corners. Let Vntrip guide you deeper into its origins, architecture, and festivities!
Where is Giac Ngo Pagoda located?
Address of Giac Ngo Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City: 92 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ward 3, District 10. With its convenient location, merely 4km from the city center, reaching here is effortless. The pagoda also provides contact numbers for any inquiries. Giac Ngo Pagoda's phone numbers are 08.8309570 and 08.8394121.
Apart from Giac Ngo Pagoda on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Ho Chi Minh City, there are also Giac Ngo Pagoda in Da Lat located in Don Duong, Lam Dong, and Giac Ngo Pagoda in Vung Tau situated on QL55, Lang Dai, Dat Do, Ba Ria - Vung Tau. These are all branches of Giac Ngo Pagoda. In this article, Vntrip will help you focus on learning essential information about Giac Ngo Pagoda in District 10, HCMC!
Giac Ngo Pagoda in District 10, HCMC
Giac Ngo Pagoda in District 10
Origin of Giac Ngo Pagoda
In 1946, the devout Tran Phu Huu, a government official with a desire to guide those destined for enlightenment, embarked on a mission to establish Giac Ngo Pagoda on a 695m2 plot of land. Initially located at 36 Jean Jacques Rousseau Street, later renumbered to 90 Tran Hoang Quan Street, and presently known as 92 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. At its inception, the pagoda boasted a modest main hall accommodating around 80 practicing Buddhists and several small houses interspersed with gravesites.
On May 21, 1956, Tran Phu Huu, now ordained as Venerable Thich Thien Duc, devotedly bestowed the entire land and Giac Ngo Pagoda to the Buddhist Sangha of South Vietnam, under the leadership of Venerable Thich Thien Hoa.
Subsequently, during the 1960s, Giac Ngo Pagoda underwent construction efforts under the guidance of Venerable Thich Thien Hoa, Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Church, founded in January 1964.
Giac Ngo Pagoda was rebuilt during which decade?
On July 30, 2012, Giac Ngoc Pagoda was granted a new construction permit by the Ho Chi Minh City Construction Department. The old pagoda had deteriorated and was inadequate to serve the training and activities of the Buddhists and monks here. The cornerstone laying ceremony for the renovation of Giac Ngoc Pagoda took place on September 16, 2012.
The new construction of Giac Ngoc Pagoda has a total area of 3476m2, including 7 floors and 1 basement for parking. The main hall of the pagoda consists of 2 floors. The first floor has an area of 412m2 and the mezzanine on the second floor has an area of 300m2 with a capacity of about 700 people to perform rituals simultaneously. The third floor of the pagoda is a meditation hall, and the fourth floor is a library. Floors 5, 6, 7 serve Buddhist activities and other religious activities.
The total cost of the new construction of the pagoda is over 20 billion VND and was completed in 2014.
The cornerstone laying ceremony of Giac Ngoc Pagoda in 2012
The teachings and guidance of Giac Ngo Pagoda in the light of
Under the wise leadership of Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, the pagoda embraces the contemporary Buddhist path, practicing the Four Noble Truths, Four Reminders, and Vipassana meditation with a strong emphasis.
The pagoda's directive is to embody and disseminate Buddhist teachings through charitable endeavors, Dharma propagation, and notably, educational initiatives. Regular one-day retreats for peace and tranquility are held every Sunday at Giac Ngo Pagoda. The Triple Gem Initiation Ceremony is organized on major full moon days such as in January, April, July, October, and during Buddhist cultural festivals.
Sunday mornings witness middle-aged and elderly practitioners engaging in spiritual study sessions, while Sunday afternoons are dedicated to youth Buddhist activities.
Moreover, Giac Ngo Pagoda frequently organizes traditional ceremonies (weddings) for Buddhists so that they can lead a happy and peaceful life in accordance with the teachings of Buddha.
The architecture of Giac Ngo Pagoda is characterized by solemnity. In the central hall, there is a statue of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni in meditation. The altar in the front is adorned with various Buddha statues such as Lord Buddha Shakyamuni, the Medicine Buddha, Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, etc.
The pagoda, belonging to the Northern tradition, features a solemnly arranged Buddha Hall. The central hall houses the statue of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni in meditation. The front altar is adorned with numerous Buddha statues including Lord Buddha Shakyamuni, the Medicine Buddha, Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, etc.
The pagoda boasts a spacious area with a total of 7 floors and a basement for parking. The interior decoration is simple yet elegant. Inside the pagoda, there are staircases and elevators on both sides for the convenience of Buddhists visiting here.
As you venture deeper into the temple, the inner courtyard unfolds, revealing the rare spaciousness of a temple nestled in the heart of Saigon.
At Giac Ngoc Temple, the architectural elements serving as auxiliary structures are placed atop the main hall, yet kept separate, preserving the hall's serenity and solemnity.
Giac Ngoc Temple—where spirituality meets education.
Giac Ngoc Temple, a sanctuary of both spiritual solace and profound learning.
Giác Ngộ Temple serves as the cornerstone of numerous educational institutions and hosts various courses and short-term retreats for Buddhists.
In 1959, the first private Buddhist school in Saigon – Chợ Lớn was established. Named as Bồ Đề High School – Chợ Lớn, it was situated at Giác Ngộ Temple.
In 1979, Thiên Hòa Buddhist Junior College was founded by Most Venerable Thích Trí Thịnh and located at Giác Ngộ Temple.
Since 1984, Giác Ngộ Temple has been a training ground for monks and lay Buddhists from various regions. Many monks from Giác Ngộ Temple have successfully propagated Buddhism in Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada, etc. In Vietnam, there are currently 5 monks with doctoral degrees in Buddhist studies, 2 monks with master's degrees in Buddhist studies, and numerous monks with bachelor's degrees in Buddhist studies or social sciences. Some monks have served as abbots in various provinces, bearing the important responsibilities of the Buddhist community or teaching at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City.
The temple serves as a hub for editing and publishing numerous Buddhist scriptures. Among them, the Buddhist Path Today library boasts over 200 volumes, with over 100 CD recordings of Buddhist teachings, as well as over 120 CDs of the Vietnamese Tripitaka and over 100 CDs and VCDs on Buddhist music. Additionally, there are thousands of lectures by Thich Nhat Tu available at the temple's bookstore.
Some retreats and classes at Giac Ngoc Temple
Giac Ngoc Temple regularly hosts short-term retreats for Buddhist followers or those with affinity for Buddhism, aiming to guide individuals towards goodness following the Buddha's teachings.
The short-term retreats held annually at Giac Ngoc Temple include: days of mindfulness retreat, children's retreat, meditation retreat, lotus bud compassion retreat (ages 3 to 12), retreat for cultivating affinity through renunciation, Vipassana meditation retreat, and youth-oriented Buddhist retreat.
The Buddha teachings consist of three levels: Fundamental Buddhism, Advanced Buddhism, and the Intermediate Sutra class.
Besides being a place of worship, the temple offers free language classes for Buddhists including Chinese classes, Mandarin, Japanese, and Khmer. You can also sign up for English or Korean classes at Giac Ngoc temple.
Additionally, there are free skill classes available such as MC training, Vietnamese Calligraphy, Yoga for Health, and Disease-Free Living class.
The monastic retreat for cultivating connections at Giac Ngoc Temple.
Schedule of Meditation Retreats at Giac Ngoc Pagoda in 2020
The schedule for meditation retreats and teachings at Giac Ngoc Pagoda in 2020 is as follows:
Vipassana Meditation Retreats (Sundays, twice a month). Open to all. Scheduled from 6 AM to 5 PM.
- Session 61: January 12, 2020 (corresponding to December 18, 2019 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 62: February 9, 2020 (corresponding to January 16, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 63: February 23, 2020 (corresponding to February 1, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 64: March 8, 2020 (corresponding to February 15, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 65: March 22, 2020 (corresponding to February 29, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 66: April 5, 2020 (corresponding to March 13, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 67: April 19, 2020 (corresponding to March 27, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 68: May 3, 2020 (corresponding to April 11, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 69: May 17, 2020 (corresponding to April 25, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 70: May 31, 2020 (corresponding to April 9, 2020 in the lunar calendar) (Leap)
- Session 71: June 14, 2020 (corresponding to April 23, 2020 in the lunar calendar) (Leap)
- Session 72: June 28, 2020 (corresponding to May 8, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 73: July 12, 2020 (corresponding to May 22, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 74: July 26, 2020 (corresponding to June 6, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 75: August 9, 2020 (corresponding to June 20, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 76: August 23, 2020 (corresponding to July 5, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 77: September 6, 2020 (corresponding to July 19, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 78: September 20, 2020 (corresponding to August 4, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 79: October 4, 2020 (corresponding to August 18, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 80: October 18, 2020 (corresponding to September 2, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 81: November 1, 2020 (corresponding to September 16, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 82: November 15, 2020 (corresponding to October 1, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 83: November 29, 2020 (corresponding to October 15, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 84: December 13, 2020 (corresponding to October 29, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 85: December 27, 2020 (corresponding to November 14, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 86: January 10, 2021 (corresponding to November 28, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 87: January 24, 2021 (corresponding to December 12, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
- Session 88: February 7, 2021 (corresponding to December 26, 2020 in the lunar calendar)
Experience the serene tranquility of the Ngày An Lạc meditation retreat. Open to middle-aged and senior individuals, our monthly gatherings offer a day of introspection and mindfulness from 6 AM to 5 PM.
- Session 86: 01-05-2020 (equivalent to the 11th day of the 12th lunar month)
- Session 87: 19-01-2020 (equivalent to the 25th day of the 12th lunar month)
- Session 88: 02-02-2020 (equivalent to the 9th day of the 1st lunar month)
- Session 89: 01-03-2020 (equivalent to the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month)
- Session 90: 29-03-2020 (equivalent to the 6th day of the 3rd lunar month)
- Session 91: 26-04-2020 (equivalent to the 4th day of the 4th lunar month)
- Session 92: 24-05-2020 (equivalent to the 2nd day of the 5th lunar month) (Leap)
- Session 93: 21-06-2020 (equivalent to the 1st day of the 6th lunar month)
- Session 94: 19-07-2020 (equivalent to the 29th day of the 5th lunar month)
- Session 95: 16-08-2020 (equivalent to the 27th day of the 6th lunar month)
- Session 96: 13-09-2020 (equivalent to the 26th day of the 7th lunar month)
- Session 97: 11-10-2020 (equivalent to the 25th day of the 8th lunar month)
- Session 98: 08-11-2020 (equivalent to the 23rd day of the 9th lunar month)
- Session 99: 06-12-2020 (equivalent to the 22nd day of the 10th lunar month)
- Session 100: 03-01-2021 (equivalent to the 21st day of the 11th lunar month)
- Session 101: 31-01-2021 (equivalent to the 19th day of the 12th lunar month)
Discover the wisdom of youth through our Phật-directed retreats. Geared towards adolescents and students, our monthly Sunday sessions run from 6 AM to 5 PM, offering insights and teachings from Buddhist philosophy.
- Session 69: 16-02-2020 (equivalent to the 23rd day of the 1st lunar month)
- Session 70: 15-03-2020 (equivalent to the 22nd day of the 2nd lunar month)
- Session 71: 12-04-2020 (equivalent to the 20th day of the 3rd lunar month)
- Session 72: 10-05-2020 (equivalent to the 18th day of the 4th lunar month)
- Session 73: 07-06-2020 (equivalent to the 16th day of the 4th lunar month) (Leap)
- Session 74: 05-07-2020 (equivalent to the 15th day of the 5th lunar month)
- Session 75: 02-08-2020 (equivalent to the 13th day of the 6th lunar month)
- Session 76: 30-08-2020 (equivalent to the 12th day of the 7th lunar month)
- Session 77: 27-09-2020 (equivalent to the 11th day of the 8th lunar month)
- Session 78: 25-10-2020 (equivalent to the 9th day of the 9th lunar month)
- Session 79: 22-11-2020 (equivalent to the 8th day of the 10th lunar month)
- Session 80: 20-12-2020 (equivalent to the 7th day of the 11th lunar month)
- Session 81: 17-01-2021 (equivalent to the 5th day of the 12th lunar month)
Every Saturday, we host the Lotus Compassion Meditation Retreat for young beginners (aged 3-5) and juniors (aged 6-12) from 2 PM to 4:30 PM.
Our Monastic Life Conversion Retreat occurs twice in 2020, each spanning 7 days.
- Session 01: April 26th to May 2nd, 2020
- Session 02: September 26th to October 2nd, 2020