Xa Loi Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City

Xa Loi Pagoda, or Chua Xa Loi, is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1956, and became a center of resistance to South Vietnam's unpopular president Ngo Dinh Diem's anti-Buddhist regime. Xa Loi Pagoda became well known for the three monks who immolated themselves in protest. This and subsequent actions galvanized public opposition against President Diem, leading eventually to a coup that resulted in his assassination in 1963.
 Xa Loi Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City Author: Nguyen Thanh Quang (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Today Xa Loi Pagoda is serene. There is little traces of the past tumultous events that made it such a significant fragment of the nation's history. The temple has a seven-tier tower that reaches a height of 49 ft (15m). On the walls of the temple are painted panels depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha.
The living quarters of the monks are on the upper floor of the main two-storey building. The main prayer hall is minimalist in deco, devoid of furnishings, pillars and censers, so that the visitor's attention is drawn to the gigantic seated Buddha statue behind the solitary altar in the hall.
Location
Xa Loi Pagoda is located at 89 Ba Huyen Thanh Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
 Buddha statue of Xa Loi Pagoda Author: DoktorMax (public domain)
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