At the forum on "Vietnam - India cultural and economic exchange" in New Delhi on August 3, 2023, the Temple of Sam Mountain has been honored by the Union of UNESCO Associations in Vietnam and GTTCI - Global Trade & Technology Council of India as a typical spiritual tourism destination in the Asian-Pacific region.
The typical spiritual tourism destination in Asia - Pacific region is an award organized by the Vietnam Union of UNESCO Associations and the Global Council of Trade and Technology of India (GTTC India), this prize is evaluated according to UNESCO criteria to recognize development efforts in preserving the spiritual values and cultural beauty of Vietnam in the development of sustainable spiritual tourism.
Temple of Ba Chua Xu at Sam Mountain is a famous relic in Sam Mountain, attracting millions of people every year to worship and visit. Pilgrims and tourists not only come from neighboring provinces but also from provinces as far away as the East and Central regions, creating an exciting and crowded festival season in Sam mountain for many months.
At first, Ba Chua Xu Temple was simply built of bamboo and leaves, lying on a low-lying land, with its back to the mountain cliff, the main hall overlooking the vast fields. After many restorations, Ba Chua Xu Temple is more spacious. In 1870, the temple was rebuilt with pieces and roofed with tiles, attracting visitors from all over the world to worship and believe. In 1972, the temple was newly built, massively and splendidly according to the ancient oriental architecture. The multi-storey curved roof is covered with green tiles, the walls are covered with glossy ceramic tiles imported from abroad, the precious wooden door frames are carved with elaborate and fine art patterns. The main hall is high and wide, airy, both majestic and cozy. The statue of Ba Chua Xu is placed in the middle of the front, wearing a colorful crown, a robe embroidered with dragon and phoenix and glittered purls. Most visitors come to offer incense to pray for fortune, to express their gratitude to Lady Xu.
The award aims to recognize the efforts to preserve and develop the beauty of Vietnam's cultural and spiritual tourism in the sustainable development of Ba Chua Xu Temple, Sam Mountain, Chau Doc city, and at the same time contribute to the education of cultural values in general and spiritual cultural values in particular, preserving and further promoting the cultural values of the nation./.
News by Nguyen Hao - Translation by Thi Huynh