travel-Tu Van Pagoda - a world

A magnificent, mysterious realm of dry coral and shells distinguishes Tu Van Pagoda on the central coast from Vietnam’s many other pagodas. With its distinct origins, the pagoda, located in Cam Ranh Municipality of Khanh Hoa province, has become a popular stopover for many tours from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, the capital of Khanh Hoa.

Tu Van Pagoda was built in 1968 on Ba Thang Tu Street, some 60 kilometres south of Nha Trang. For many years now, monks at the pagoda have been using dead coral and seashells to build many different works, turning the pagoda’s space into a museum of coral and shells.

The first thing visitors encounter is the Thuyen Bat Nha (Prajna Paramitta Boat), resting at the main entrance of the pagoda. According to Buddhist theory, it is the boat navigated by Mitreya Buddha to carry people of great righteousness and generosity across the ocean of misery after death. On the boat’s sails are extracts from the Buddhist book of prayer, which are intended to calm visitors so that they may enter the pagoda with tranquil souls.

Passing through the front gardens, visitors reach the 40-meter-high Bao Tich Tower, built with cemented coral and shells. Hundreds of statues of Buddha and deities are planted on the tower itself, while inside the tower stands a statue of the Goddess of Mercy, with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes on each palm.

Next to the tower is Bat Nha Hoa Vien, a garden full of big shady trees and statues of animals and sea creatures, resting in beautiful harmony with their surroundings.

But what really arouses visitors’ curiosities is the work called Duong Xuong Dia Nguc (Pathway to hell). Still in progress, it takes several years to complete just one kilometre of the winding road leading to a cave that symbolises hell, both constructed using dead coral and seashells.

Before stepping foot on the pathway, it is recommended that visitors light candles and fasten their safety helmets for protection against the cave’s rough ceilings. Once inside, the path is a narrow and windy one, sometimes curling into a spiral shape.

There are 12 gates in the cave that symbolise the 12 layers of hell in Buddhist theory, and at each gate is a description of the sins that a person may commit during his/her lifetime.

Those who do not wish to brave the journey by themselves may ask for guidance from one of the children living nearby, who know the path like the back of their hands. Upon emerging from the cave, don’t forget to give the little guides a tip for their assistance.