Buu Long Pagoda: a peaceful place in Ho Chi Minh City

Have you ever felt tired amidst the busy life in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam? Let give yourself moments of relaxation at Buu Long pagoda. Going to the temple, and meditating will be a great way to forget the troubles. Doing that can make you feel more confident to move on.

Buu Long Pagoda
Buu Long Pagoda | @candycandy_may

Buu Long Pagoda

  • Address: 81 Nguyen Xien street, Long Binh Ward, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
  • Opening hours: 9:00 am – 11:00 am, and 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm for visiting
  • Entrance fee: Free

Buu Long Pagoda is one of the famous destinations in District 9 of HCMC, about 20km from the city centre. The temple has the official name To Dinh Buu Long Monastery. The temple is located on a hill of western Dong Nai River, which attracts many people in Saigon as well as tourists.

Buu Long Pagoda is also known as Xa Loi pagoda because it has many Xa Loi of Buddha and saints. The pagoda was built in 1942, and in 2007 it was restored and built more.

The architecture of Buu Long Pagoda

Buu Long Pagoda is a typical architectural work for the harmonious combination of Thai and Indian culture with the style of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 -1945) in Vietnam.

The temples were built according to the ancient Buddhist culture and have been restored continuously until today. The pagoda includes the main temple, the monk house, the guest house, the temples, the meditation rooms, and some others.

In general, Buu Long Pagoda includes two main areas: the main temple and the surrounding campus. The pagoda was built entirely according to the design of the abbot Thich Vien Minh.

One of its highlight is the main stupa of the pagoda that is the largest in Vietnam, with a height of 56m and four surrounding auxiliary towers. This work was built following the style of Thailand temples with white and brilliant yellow colour.

stupa of buu long pagoda
Gotama Cetiya stupa at Buu Long Pagoda | @_thesauri

The first impression when coming to Buu Long Pagoda is the very large space, and tranquil atmosphere because it is the outskirts of Saigon. In the pagoda area, there is a place to rest and a vegetarian restaurant where you can try the vegan vermicelli and spring rolls with a low price of 20,000 VND per dish.

Because it is in the middle of the natural forests, the wide temple is always in harmony with the surrounding trees. Many people choose this place as a destination for meditation, or simply watching the peaceful scenery, which helps them temporarily forget the hustle life.

Because it is in the middle of the natural forests, the large temple is always in harmony with the surrounding trees. Many people choose this place as a destination for meditation, or simply watching the peaceful scenery, which helps them temporarily forget the hustle life.

Dubbed the temple without incense, visitors to Buu Long only worship and pray, not burning incense in the temple as usual. The majesty and sacredness of the main hall will surely conquer the souls of people who like the peaceful life at first sight.

The temple has quite similar to the architecture in the Golden pagoda in Thailand, so the local people around call it Thai temple. However, Vietnamese culture is still bold in every corner from carved motifs to majestic dragon statues.


The pagoda is always pure with the wind jingle on the top of the towers and the gurgling sound of water from the lake in the main temple area. Thus, you should pay attention to speak quietly and keep the general order when visiting this place.

In particular, visitors can go upstairs and enjoy the panoramic view of the temple but must adhere to the regulations to dress discreetly, not to wear shorts and short skirts.


A day to calm and relax your soul is not enough, but it will partly help you balance in this chaotic life. Do not forget to save the address of Buu Long pagoda for your journey and share it with friends and relatives.