Lady Buddha Statue (Tuong Phat Ba) is one of the most well-known tourist attractions in Da Nang. It’s within Linh Ung Bai But Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula, the largest temple of the city. With a height of 67 meters (approx 220 ft), this is one of the tallest buddha statues in the country. Due to its huge size, impressive sculpturing art, religious meaning, and beautiful location, lots of people come here everyday to pray and sightsee. Now let’s HoiAn Day Trip Company tell everything that you need to know about Lady Buddha in Da Nang.
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Must Knows about Lady Buddha Statue in Da Nang
– Location/address: Linh Ung Son Tra Pagoda, Hoang Sa road, Tho Quang ward, Son Tra district
– Vietnamese name: Tuong Phat Ba Da Nang, Tuong Phat Quan Am Da Nang
– Other name(s): Goddess of Mercy Da Nang, Guan Yin Statue of Da Nang, Giant Buddha Da Nang, Big Buddha Da Nang
– Opening hour(s): 6 AM to 9 PM everyday
– Years of construction: 2004 to 2010
– Height: 67 meters (219,8 ft)
– Reason(s) to visit: one of the tallest Lady Buddha statues of Vietnam, awe-inspiring panoramic view, lots of monkeys
– Time to spend: 30-45 mins
– Best time to visit: morning, late afternoon-evening, sunny days
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/lady-buddha-da-nang-vietnam
– Tour guide: contact +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapps/line/zalo)
– Food & drink: yes available
– Shopping: yes available
– Fact: The giant Lady Buddha statue at Da Nang is one of Vietnam’s tallest Buddha statues today
Lady Buddha Statue Da Nang on Map
Better to Know about Lady Buddha (Goddess of Mercy)
Lady Buddha (or Quan The Am in Vietnamese, Avalokitesvara in Indian, Guan Yin in Chinese, Goddess of Mercy in English) is one of the most popular and most favourite bodhisattvas in Vietnam. ‘Quan The Am’ means (The One Who) Perceives the Sounds of the World. In the country, this bodhisattva is also often called ‘Mother Quan Am’ because she symbolizes mercy, compassion and understanding which represent mothers.
In the Marble Mountains, particularly Metal Mountain, Quan The Am Pagoda and its annual festival are dedicated to Lady Buddha who is believed to appear here in the 1950s. The festival is the largest traditional festival in Da Nang city, and a national intangible cultural heritage.
History of Lady Buddha Statue in Son Tra Peninsula (Monkey Mountain)
Constructing the Lady Buddha Statue of Da Nang started on 4th August 2004, at the same time with Linh Ung Bai But Pagoda. Its location is the top of a 100-meters-high hill by the sea, about 10km northeast of Da Nang city downtown. From here, she will look to the city and the ocean, to bring happiness and peacefulness to local people and safety to fishermen.
Back in history, in the first half of the 19th century, local fishermen saw a Lady Buddha statue on a beach of Son Tra Peninsula. After that, they built a small temple to worship her and come to pray for safe travels once they go to the sea and catch fishes. The beach where it’s found, is called ‘Bai But’ that means ‘buddha beach’ (today, this beach is at the foot of the hill where the giant Lady Buddha stands). To continue the tradition, Thich Thien Nguyen monk (1945-2016) suggested constructing a large-scale Lady Buddha statue (and temple) in the peninsula. Previously, he, with the city president, built another pagoda at Ba Na Hills. It also had one Guatama Buddha looking to the city from the hilltop, rising to 27 meters.
This statue was crafted by two famed Vietnamese sculptors: Thuy Lam and his student, Chau Viet Thanh. Mr Thuy Lam was born in 1945, in Tan Chau city of An Giang province (Mekong Delta region). Lam’s father was an interior designer who designed intricate decorations inside the Tay Ninh Holy See, the holiest place for all Caodaists. His mother was one of descendants of Gia Long king, the founder of the Nguyen dynasty at Hue. With a love of art, he quit his job as a teacher and then studied in the Gia Dinh University of Fine Arts in Saigon (today Ho Chi Minh city). Here, he met Le Van De (1906-1966), a talented Vietnamese painter who taught him a lot. In 1976-1977 (after the Vietnam war), a poet introduced him to work at a Buddhist temple where he decorated it by statues, paintings,…and learnt about Buddhist culture and Buddhism. From that time to present, this skillful and thoughtful sculptor created giant buddhas, such as the biggest Maitreya Buddha Statue of Asia at Nui Cam Mountain, An Giang in 2003 (33,6 meters tall, 600 tons weigh) or Golden Sakyamuni Buddha Statue at Van Hanh Pagoda, Da Lat (23 meters tall), or huge Lady Buddha statue at Da Nang. Thich Thien Nguyen monk who suggested building this statue, said that Lam had amazing hands and passion for sculpting buddhas or ‘borned to make buddha statues’.
While building Da Nang’s Lady Buddha Statue, builders saw the glory behind it many times. They believe that the Buddha is already here and bless them for a peaceful and happy life as well as safety at work. The first time they saw was at around 11 AM on 16th August 2008. After that, there were 6 other times they catched the moment and photographed it. Although it’s unfinished, many local people came to pray already because they heard about the glories. Experts said that it’s just a natural phenomenon (due to the atmosphere, statue’s painting layer), nothing about religions.
On 30th July 2010, Lady Buddha Statue at Linh Ung Bai But Pagoda was inaugurated and opened to the public. With a height of 67 meters, it became the tallest buddha statue in Vietnam at that time.
Meaning & Iconography of Lady Buddha Statue in Da Nang
The Lady Buddha of Da Nang is depicted to be a young and beautiful Vietnamese woman who stands on a lotus bloom (35m in diameter) floating on the clouds. She wears a necklace, no shoes, a white & long flowing robes, holds a vase on left hand, and does a special gesture by right hand. She looks or glances down, to continue watching the world (all hearing, all seeing). Here are the meaning of each element:
– lotus bloom: one of holy flowers in Buddhism, associated with purity, spiritual awakening, and faithfulness.
– vase: containing pure water capable of relieving suffering (without a willow branch)
– necklace: representing the royalty or elegance
– gesture: signifies the moment when the Buddha puts the wheel of learning in motion
– the dot/point on Lady Buddha’s forehead: indicates enlightenment or wisdom
What to Expect in Lady Buddha Statue in Da Nang
Inside the Lady Buddha Statue of Da Nang, there are 17 floors and each floor has 21 buddha statues. For that reason, its structure is called ‘buddha in buddha’. In the highest floor (the head), the Lord Buddha is worshipped. The ground floor is the only one that opens to prayers and visitors (others are for monks only). On the outer wall of this floor, there are exquisite stone (marble) paintings depicting different scenes about the Lady Buddha. All of them are carved by artisans at Non Nuoc Village.
Visitors must take off shoes and wear long pants, to go to the Lady Buddha. Free items to cover are available to use if forget.
On the extensive yard in front of Da Nang’s Lady Buddha Statue, visitors and groups of visitors can stand and take pictures. Not far away, there is a small pond with a statue of Maitreya Buddha (‘Laughing Buddha’) who sits on the dragon. Here, incense urns, donation boxes, lamps, and any other objects, are made of marble. Local people pray and give offsprings to the buddha in this spot, and inside her. Two nearby dragons are also marble sculptures, each holds a pearl in the mouth and spits the water. This action signifies good luck, happiness and prosperity in Vietnamese culture, just like the water show at Dragon Bridge in the city downtown.
Monkeys around the Laughing Buddha may make kids feel fun to watch. Visitors are suggested not to give them food (to stop their rude, dangerous actions and tell them to return to forests). They may catch your bags!
The view from the Lady Buddha Statue is awe-inspiring. From a hilltop, visitors can see the whole main beachfront of Da Nang with a non-stop coastline by blue and calm sea, coconut forests, high-rise hotels, and fishing boats. Behind it, there are buildings, bridges, and high mountains of the Annamite Range. A finger-like cape covered by pine trees and rocks, is in the middle of the landscape, making it more stunning. From here, it’s possible to see little outcrops rising above the plain (Marble Mountains), or Cham Islands in the distance. In the sunrise or sunset times, there are lots of fishing boats leaving/returning, giving the viewers a slice of local daily life. Absolutely, this is worth some pictures.
In the same complex with the Lady Buddha Statue, there is Linh Ung Pagoda (aka Linh Ung Bai But Pagoda, Linh Ung Son Tra Pagoda). This temple was constructed from 2004 to 2010, on an area of 12 hectares, making it the largest in the city. Here visitors like sightseeing and praying at huge worshipping halls, and wandering around gardens with lush bodhi trees, creative bonsai pots, and beautifully-carved stone buddha sculptures (from Non Nuoc Village). Near the car/bus parks, the Reclining Buddha Statue and Buddha Relic Tower are also great to look at and take some pictures. See more information and details
Other big buddha statues in Da Nang city:
– 27m-tall Gautama Buddha at Linh Ung Ba Na Pagoda, Ba Na Hills
– Lady Buddha at Bo De Pagoda, Hoa Minh, Lieu Chieu district
– 20m-tall Buddha at Quang Minh Pagoda, Hoa Minh, Lien Chieu district
Dress Code at Lady Buddha/Linh Ung Pagoda
Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula is a Buddhist temple, so all visitors should wear respectfully. It’s needed to use a shirt covering the armpits, shoulder and navel, and pants covering the upper knees. For example, tank top, crop top, shorts are not appropriate. Making sure that nowhere is see-through. Vietnamese traditional costume – Ao dai (the long dress) is highly recommended from local authorities.
When entering the worshipping room, it’s needed to take shoes off (wearing shocks is okay), remove hat, rain poncho and sunglasses (for the umbrella, don’t bring inside!).
Note: Buddhists and monks at Linh Ung Son Tra Pagoda will give visitors a skirt to cover for free. So, you may not need to prepare one on your own.
Responsible Travel at Lady Buddha/Linh Ung Pagoda
To travel responsibly at Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula, visitors should know:
– Wear respectfully because here is a Buddhist temple (please more details in the section of dress code).
– Buy incense sticks from old women at the temple instead of shops down the mountain if want to pray. They sell cheap packs (20,000 VND for one pack with many sticks) and help people to burn the sticks.
– Prayers should use 1 incense stick only to express the respect and sincerity to the Buddha, and should plant it into the stone urn outside of the worshipping room. Using less incense sticks help reducing air pollution, and preventing fire as well as damage on ancient relics from their smoke.
– Keep silent while looking around and especially, while people are praying or monks are chanting or hosting a ceremony.
– Taking photos is not prohibited but please show respect to the Buddha and monks.
– Donation boxes are inside the temple, so visitors can put a small amount of money to donate the monk’s life and ceremonies, temple’s activities and help poor people, old people, etc.
– Do not enter the monk’s house, meditation rooms and worshipping rooms without any permissions because it’s private.
– Do not touch or damage old inscriptions carved on the walls of the caves because they’re recognized as a world documentary heritage which is priceless to us.
– Book a tour or guiding service from local companies instead of multi-national or foreign-owned companies.
Places to Visit Near Lady Buddha Statue in Da Nang
In the same Son Tra Peninsula (Monkey Mountain), visitors can go to these places: Ban Co Peak (one of the highest peaks, panoramic views), Tien Sa Beach (a lesser known, hidden white sandy beach), Dong Dinh Museum (a private museum and collection), Bai Nam Beach (a lesser-known, wide sandy beach), Son Tra Banyan Tree (the largest tree in Da Nang), Son Tra Tinh Vien (a bamboo museum), Mui Nghe (a rocky headland), Bai Bac Beach (a beautiful sandy beach inside the InterContinental Resort), Genh Bang Reef (a beautiful cove at foot of the mountain), Y Pha Nho Cemetary (Spanish and French solder’s tombs), Tho Quang Fishing Harbour & Market (lots of fishing boats with Vietnamese flags), Ho Xanh or Green Lake (good views), Tho Quang Beach, or Son Tra Langur or Red Shanked Douc (one of the most endangered primates in the world).
Tips to Visit Lady Buddha Statue in Da Nang
– Comfortable shoes: use to climb many stairs, uphill and downhill, and walk on slippery eroded rock faces when you want to reach the peaks. The best is a pair of trekking or hiking shoes. Wearing slippers or high-heel shoes is dangerous, especially in the rainy season, so not highly recommended.
– Bottles of water: no shops or sellers at Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula to buy water to drink (if forget bringing a bottle of water, visitors have to climb stairs to Van Thong Cave or go down the stairs to the ticket counters)
– Umbrella or rain poncho/rain jacket: necessary during the rainy season (from October to January yearly)
– Hat/cap/umbrella, sunglasses and sunscreen if visit in the summertime
– Smartphone or camera for taking pictures
– Cash to pay for entry fee ticket and elevator, or buy something
– It’s better to visit the Lady Buddha at Da Nang with a local guide. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) to book.
How to Get to Lady Buddha Statue in Da Nang
Walk to Linh Ung Son Tra Pagoda
Many travelers like walking to Linh Ung Pagoda at Son Tra Peninsula, especially in the morning and late afternoon when it’s cool. There is only one way to get there (Hoang Sa Road), so just need to follow it. Along this road, the views to the blue ocean, the city with high-rise buildings and My Khe beach, the fishing harbour, Marble Mountains and more, are excellent, definitely worth the effort. Of course, visitors have many photo opportunities. After walking past Dong Dinh Museum, will see lots of monkeys (tourists give them food here, so they come usually). The ‘entrance’ of the pagoda is on the left side;
Tourists are advised not to stand too close to cliffs, for safety reasons. The coastline by Linh Ung Pagoda was fenced already to avoid unexpected accidents.
Ride Motorbike to Linh Ung Son Tra Pagoda
Riding the motorbike to Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula from Da Nang city is not difficult (much easier than the rest of the peninsula). Automatic scooters are legally allowed to go on the coastal road (Hoang Sa St on Google maps) running along the southern coast of the peninsula. The InterContinental Resort is the final point of this fantastic 8-kilometers-long drive.
From the crossroad of Hoang Sa St and Le Duc Tho St, after 2,5km, the entrance of Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula is to the left (two stone lions here). Then, it’s needed to ride uphill to see the parking lot for scooters. Nobody requires a fee in this place, but locals will put a small money into the donation box when leaving (the reason is that Buddhist temples don’t charge visitors). From the parking lot, it’s possible to see the entrance gate of Linh Ung pagoda, on top of the stairway.
At night, the road heading to the pagoda and back is still bright. So, you can get there by scooter after darkness.
From Hoi An, the distance to Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula is some 30 kilometers (will be 1 hour by motorbike). The quickest and most beautiful road is the coastal road which runs along the Pacific ocean. White-sandy beaches are visible when coming to Da Nang city, coupled with cool breeze and a view of the Lady Buddha.
Car to Linh Ung Son Tra Pagoda
Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula is 10 kilometers away from Da Nang city core (Han river bridges area) and 8 kilometers away from My Khe beach area if going by car. It takes visitors around 20 mins and 15 mins to get there respectively. It’s easy to get a private car, taxi or Grab taxi around you (from Da Nang) at your own expense.
From Hoi An, the best transport option is using a transfer from local drivers and companies. The itinerary should include the Marble Mountains, maybe My Khe Beach on the way to Son Tra peninsula. Contact us by Hotline/WhatsApp/Zalo +84968009827 to know the offers for you.
Public & Tourist Buses
Public buses of Da Nang city will take passengers to Tho Quang station and parking lot, by the crossroad Hoang Sa St – Nguyen Phan Vinh St. After that, it’s needed to walk 3,5 km or get a taxi to visit the pagoda.
A hop-on-hop-off bus drops off and then picks up visitors at Linh Ung Son Tra Pagoda. After landing the flight, you can use it right from the airport, to get around, see the city and its famous sights (such as the Dragon bridge, the Marble Mountains).
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours and transfers to Da Nang and Hoi An. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
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Photos, Videos about Lady Buddha Statue in Da Nang
Here are beautiful photos and videos about Lady Buddha in Da Nang:
