Buddhist temple · Dong Thap

Phap Bao Tu Pagoda

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Tucked on Lý Thường Kiệt street in Mỹ Tho (now administered under Đồng Tháp), Phap Bao Tu Pagoda—known in Vietnamese as Chùa Pháp Bảo and in Pali as Dhammaratanarama—is one of the Mekong Delta's most distinctive Theravada (Nam Tông) temples. Founded in 1966 as the first forest-tradition monastery of its kind in the region, its airy hectare-wide grounds pair a quiet, park-like feel with a striking gallery of Buddha imagery arranged unlike most Vietnamese pagodas.↗↗

What makes the temple worth a detour is its outdoor sculpture ensemble: a line of 28 statues representing the 28 Completely Enlightened Buddhas of Theravada tradition, a 13-metre stupa, an open-air set of scenes from the life of the Buddha, and a towering 18-metre standing Sakyamuni that anchors the skyline. It remains a living monastery rather than a museum piece—monks chant, lay Buddhists gather for festivals, and Pali and dharma classes run through the year—so a visit offers a genuine glimpse of southern Vietnam's original-buddhism community.↗↗

A LITTLE INSPIRATION IS ON ITS WAY

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Buddhist temple · Dong Thap

Phap Bao Tu Pagoda

Dong Thap, VN 4.6 (183 Google reviews)

Photo: Google Maps

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Tucked on Lý Thường Kiệt street in Mỹ Tho (now administered under Đồng Tháp), Phap Bao Tu Pagoda—known in Vietnamese as Chùa Pháp Bảo and in Pali as Dhammaratanarama—is one of the Mekong Delta's most distinctive Theravada (Nam Tông) temples. Founded in 1966 as the first forest-tradition monastery of its kind in the region, its airy hectare-wide grounds pair a quiet, park-like feel with a striking gallery of Buddha imagery arranged unlike most Vietnamese pagodas.↗↗

What makes the temple worth a detour is its outdoor sculpture ensemble: a line of 28 statues representing the 28 Completely Enlightened Buddhas of Theravada tradition, a 13-metre stupa, an open-air set of scenes from the life of the Buddha, and a towering 18-metre standing Sakyamuni that anchors the skyline. It remains a living monastery rather than a museum piece—monks chant, lay Buddhists gather for festivals, and Pali and dharma classes run through the year—so a visit offers a genuine glimpse of southern Vietnam's original-buddhism community.↗↗

A founding rooted in the Theravada revival

The story begins with a generous and somewhat unusual gift of land. The plot was once a burial ground where the well-to-do family of Nguyễn Văn Lễ—known locally as Phán Lễ—allowed poor residents to bury their dead free of charge. In 1966 the family donated the roughly one-hectare site to the Vietnamese Theravada Sangha, and on 27 February that year the Supreme Patriarch Most Venerable Giới Nghiêm led monks and devotees down from Saigon to install the Buddha image and name the temple Pháp Bảo, entrusting its development to Most Venerable Pháp Lạc.↗↗

What followed was decades of patient building. The main hall rose from 1967, and in early 1968 the temple held a grand consecration enshrining five relics of the Buddha. The triple-arched Tam quan entrance gate came in 1974, followed in 1990 by open-air sculptural scenes marking key moments in the Buddha's life—his birth, his enlightenment, the first sermon turning the wheel of dharma, and his parinirvana, or final passing. A new monks' residence and refectory expanded the monastery in later years.↗↗

The founding abbot, Pháp Lạc, passed away in 2001 at the age of 98. To honour him, his successor Bửu Hiền and the monastic community raised a 13-metre stupa within the grounds to keep his memory and relics; a fresh dining hall was added in 2008. Recognised in 2016 as a 'cultural worship establishment', Phap Bao Tu is today considered one of the most important spiritual addresses of the old Tiền Giang heartland, now part of Đồng Tháp province.↗↗

What to look for on the grounds

The temple's signature sight is its outdoor pantheon of 28 statues depicting the line of Fully Enlightened Buddhas in Theravada scripture, running from the first, Taṇhaṅkara, down to the 28th, Gotama Sakyamuni. Each reinforced-cement figure stands about 1.5 metres tall on a metre-high pedestal, sculpted by a team of artisans who travelled from central Vietnam to Mỹ Tho. Phap Bao Tu is credited as the first Vietnamese temple to assemble this 28-Buddha scene, a distinction formally recorded in 2019.↗

The grounds are arranged like an open-air devotional walk. You can follow the sculptural episodes of the Buddha's life through garden settings, pause beneath the tall stupa built for the founding abbot, and look up at the 18-metre standing Sakyamuni image added in 2021 that makes the temple visible well beyond its walls. Despite covering only about a hectare, the layout feels spacious, shaded and cool—a contemplative contrast to the busy streets just outside.↗↗

Inside the Buddha hall, the shrine is laid out in the sober Theravada style: a central Sakyamuni Buddha image accompanied by figures showing the Buddha meditating, alms-gathering, giving blessings and in parinirvana, with an altar honouring the temple's first abbot. The five Buddha relics installed in 1968 are kept here in veneration, and the monastery's library preserves Tipitaka scriptures in Thai, Khmer and English alongside ongoing Pali-language study.↗↗

Festivals and the living monastery

Phap Bao Tu is easiest to appreciate when its religious calendar brings the grounds to life. The devotional year centres on the Kathina robe-offering ceremony—the first such rite here was held in 1966—along with repentance observances and the Full Moon of the first lunar month. On the fifteenth day of the fourth lunar month the community reverently brings the Buddha relics down from the stupa to the main hall so that monks and laypeople can pay their respects.↗↗

Beyond worship, the monastery plays an active social role, joining regular charity work with local welfare centres, associations for the blind and the provincial psychiatric hospital. That community spirit—combined with dharma talks and study classes—makes a visit feel like stepping into a working spiritual centre rather than a static heritage site.↗↗

Planning your visit

The temple sits on Lý Thường Kiệt street in Mỹ Tho, a short distance from the city centre and an easy stop on a day spent exploring the Mekong Delta's old river towns. As an active place of worship rather than a ticketed attraction, there is no entry fee, and the calmest times are weekday mornings when the gardens and sculpture walks are least crowded. Plan roughly half an hour to an hour to wander the grounds and pause in the main hall.↗

Standard pagoda etiquette applies: dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, keep your voice low in the halls, and stay clear of the monks' private quarters and study areas. If your timing aligns with a festival such as the Kathina ceremony or the relic veneration in the fourth lunar month, you may witness chanting and large gatherings of devotees—observe quietly and respectfully. The visitor areas include restroom facilities, with a wheelchair-accessible option.

Pair it with the region

Phap Bao Tu works well as one note within a broader tour of Mỹ Tho and the surrounding delta, where the southern Vietnamese Theravada tradition, French-colonial river-town architecture and floating-market culture sit close together. The temple's shaded, open-air sculpture circuit makes it a welcome quiet counterpoint to a day on the water.↗

What makes it special

01

The only Vietnamese temple credited with the first outdoor '28 Completely Enlightened Buddhas' sculpture line, a distinction recorded in 2019.↗

02

A towering 18-metre standing Sakyamuni Buddha (added 2021) and a 13-metre stupa honouring the founding abbot.↗

03

The first Theravada (Nam Tông) monastery of its region, founded on donated land in 1966 and still a working study- and charity-active temple.↗↗

A little planning goes a long way

No admission fee—this is a live temple rather than a ticketed site; donations toward upkeep are welcome.
Visit on a weekday morning for the quietest experience, or time your trip to a lunar festival if you want to see the community at prayer.↗
Allow about 30–60 minutes to walk the sculpture grounds and pause in the main hall.↗
Phone for enquiries: +84 273 3878 168.↗

About this guide

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.

Finding your next place…

Phap Bao Tu Pagoda

Why go?

More of Vietnam: Da Lat

Finding your next place…

Phap Bao Tu Pagoda

Why go?

More of Vietnam: Da Lat

A founding rooted in the Theravada revival

What to look for on the grounds

Festivals and the living monastery

Planning your visit

Pair it with the region

What makes it special

A little planning goes a long way

About this guide