Phap Hoa Temple

VIETNAM, Ho Chi Minh City

Phap Hoa means Dharma Flower. The temple was established in 1928 by the monk Dao Thanh and repaired in 1932. It was restored during the abbotship of the monk Nhu Niem, who also built the Phap Hoa Pagoda in 1990. The temple is currently the office of the Representative Board of the Phu Nhuan Buddhist Sangha.
The main buildings in the temple include the main hall and Phap Hoa Pagoda. The two-story main hall has the main roof ridge carved with a pearl surrounded by a pair of dragons. There is a veranda on the first story and a colonnaded balcony on the second story, with carvings decorating the balustrades, columns, and the area between the columns. The second story is loftier, and is detailed with pendills and eaves. The main hall contains a statue of a seated Sakyamuni Buddha as well as reliefs of dragons and clouds on the ceiling. Enshrined within the Phap Hoa Pagoda there is a Sakyamuni Buddha statue that is carved of jade. The statue is about 1 m high and is over 100 years old.