Tinh Xa Trung Tam Temple

VIETNAM, Ho Chi Minh City

Tinh Xa Trung Tam means Central Temple. The temple belongs to the Vietnamese Khat Si (Mendicant Sangha) tradition established by Minh Dang Quang. The temple was built in 1965 and became the central office of the Vietnamese Buddhist Khat Si Sangha in 1966. The monks Giac Toan and Giac Phuc renovated the temple in 1980.
Occupying 5,490 sq m, the main buildings of the temple include the temple gate, the main hall, and the Jade Buddha Pagoda. The temple gate has four columns, each of which has a capital shaped as a lotus flower.
The two-story main hall has an unusual style. The lower story is rectangular, while the two-eave upper story consists of two levels, an octagonal structure followed by a square structure with a pyramidal roof. The eaves are turned up at the corners. The Buddha niche is within the upper story of the hall and is in the form of a stupa. The 6 m high niche is built of rosewood and there is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha enshrined within. Eight reliefs on the walls depict the Life of Sakyamuni Buddha by the sculptor Minh Dung. The lower story of the hall consists of a lecture hall housing a niche dedicated to Minh Dang Quang.
The nine-story octagonal Jade Buddha Pagoda was built in 1998 and is 37 m high. The pagoda is a representation of the Noble Eightfold Path and the Nine Grades of Rebirth.