Vũng Tàu | Long Hải Viếng chùa ở Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu - Find a pagoda hidden away from the main...

Viếng chùa ở Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu - Find a pagoda hidden away from the main paths and enjoy the sunrise or sunset..

Pagodas are several tiered towers that are prevalent throughout eastern countries, which include India, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and of course, the focus of this article, the pagodas that are found in Vietnam.

These towers characteristically have multiple stories (having seven or nine tiers is common for Vietnamese pagodas) with beautifully designed eaves. The design and shape of the pagodas found in Vietnam will be further discussed later in this article.

Origins of the Pagoda.
It is thought that pagodas originated in India though many would believe, due to the name, that it was first created in China. The predecessors of the pagoda, called stupa, were first created in India. This concept of a tiered structure then passed through China, which eventually made its way to Vietnam approximately 1300 years ago. Though the general idea of the many tiers still remains, the shape of the stupa differs greatly from the pagodas that can be seen standing in Vietnam today.

The stupa, which can be translated to 'tuft of hair' or 'pile or mound' in Sanskrit, were used as relics that would generally be placed over the ashes of holy individuals, including Buddha. A stupa is generally a seven-tiered system, of which each tier is a different shape that represents a different element. The idea of having the representation of the nine elements, though not done through various shaped tiers, may also be seen in Hophap pagoda, which are nine-story pagodas in Vietnam. Similarly, seven-story pagodas, which are also fairly common.

As aforementioned, the stupa was used as an important relic in Buddhism, which has had a great deal of influence in Vietnam. Some of the Buddhist temples that are found in Vietnam today will feature a pagoda, in particular, one that contains the seven tiers or nine tiers. The number of stories is significant in that, as does the stupa, the tiers can represent the seven elements are as follows: earth, water, fire, wind, void, sky, heaven. The bottom story of the pagoda will represent earth, working its way up to the top story representing sky.










Structure of the Pagoda
The structure of the pagoda is both amazing and important to their still-standing structures today. All pagodas are made out of wood, an important feature since it adds to their flexibility.

Viếng chùa ở Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu - Find a pagoda hidden away from the main paths and enjoy the sunrise or sunset..