Pilgrimage... to Quang land

Village pagodas in Quang Nam are destinations not to be missed on spiritual tourism journeys. Photo: LTK

Spiritual tourism is increasingly developing and positioning its role and contributing to the development of the “smokeless industry”. In Quang Nam, the potential of this type of tourism is quite large.

Potential

In Quang Nam, if you take a look, you will see many ancient architectures, which can open up opportunities to develop spiritual tourism through visiting famous pagodas. From Cau Pagoda, Vien Giac Pagoda, Long Tuyen Pagoda, Chuc Thanh Pagoda, Ong Pagoda (worshiping Quan Cong), Phuoc Lam Pagoda in Hoi An to Dong Duong Buddhist Institute (Thang Binh) or My Son Sanctuary (Duy Xuyen District)...

Hoi An alone - the ancient town that attracts both Western and Vietnamese tourists - has many spiritual destinations to visit. In addition to the familiar Cau Pagoda, Ong Pagoda with a history of more than 400 years and unique Chinese architecture is a tourist attraction. Stepping in here, a quiet, nostalgic space opens up. The pagoda has a large, airy campus, the most impressive of which is the delicate stone mural.

Meanwhile, Phuoc Lam Pagoda (Cam Ha Ward) was founded by Zen Master An Triem in the mid-18th century and built by To Minh Luong (one of the two first patriarchs to come to Hoi An) in the late 17th century to worship Buddha, and is also a destination not to be missed on a spiritual tourism journey.

Phuoc Lam Pagoda was built in the ancient Asian style, with a "Mon" shaped architecture including a gate, yard, main hall, main hall, and ancestral shrine. The main hall has 3 rooms, 2 wings, and on both sides are 2 tower-shaped bell towers. The main hall still preserves many precious antiques such as the alms bowl set of Patriarch Minh Luong and wood-carved Buddhist scriptures.

Researchers say that Phuoc Lam Pagoda is a religious relic that contributes to enriching Buddhist architecture and the process of spreading the influence of Buddhism in Hoi An.

Another destination is Chuc Thanh Pagoda located in Cam Pho Ward (Hoi An City), founded by Zen Master Minh Hai - Phap Bao around the end of the 17th century.

Chuc Thanh Pagoda is a famous ancient temple in Hoi An, recognized as a national historical and cultural relic. Although it has been restored many times, this place still preserves many artifacts, especially relics of the founder of the Chuc Thanh Zen sect, so it has a particularly important position in the hearts of Buddhists, those who love and want to learn about Buddhism.

In 2019, Dong Duong Buddhist Monastery (Thang Binh) was recognized as a special national monument. This is one of the Buddhist monasteries of the Champa kingdom, one of the largest monasteries in Southeast Asia at that time. This is also a worthy address in pilgrimage tours and spiritual tourism in Quang Nam.

Why should we develop spiritual tourism?

Vietnam's potential for developing spiritual tourism is not only due to its landscape but also due to its culture imbued with national identity and the people's need for noble spiritual values, faith, beliefs and religions.

A corner of Ong Hoi An Pagoda. Photo: L.D.L

The Deputy Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization - Mr. Zoltan Somogyu, once said that in the development trend of world tourism, spiritual tourism continues to be emphasized. The number of spiritual tourists is constantly increasing, in which Vietnam has emerged as a country with great potential for spiritual tourism.

A feasible development picture for spiritual tourism in Quang Nam when possessing many resources.

Nun Hue Lien (member of the Information and Communication Committee of Tien Giang Province's Buddhist Sangha), while participating in charity activities in Quang Nam, led a group to visit My Son Sanctuary. She expressed that the sacredness of this place is what fascinates visitors from far away like her.
Wherever there is sacredness, there can attract people to come back. They come to admire, reminisce about the past, bow their heads to calm their hearts, "review the past to learn the present", practice letting go, and live a more virtuous life.

That is also another value besides the material value that spiritual tourism brings - a profound spiritual value that people come to naturally, as if they have just been told by their ancestors for hundreds of years, for thousands of years...

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