1. Where is Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang?
Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang is located at 69 Tran Nhan Tong Street, Hamlet 5, Ward 2, Soc Trang City, Soc Trang Province, Vietnam. It is about 3.5 km northwest of the city center and about 210 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City.
2. How is Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang unique?
Truc Lam Soc Trang Zen Monastery is one of the largest Buddhist works in Soc Trang province. It started construction in July 2017 and was inaugurated in early 2020. This spiritual work covers an area of nearly 6 hectares and stands out with traditional Buddhist architecture. Including: main hall, three-door gate, bell tower, drum tower, and auxiliary works such as ancestral house and stupa. Not only a place for practice and pilgrimage, Truc Lam Zen Monastery is also an attractive destination for those who want to explore the architectural beauty and peaceful space in the heart of Soc Trang.
3. When is the best time to visit Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang?
According to the Soc Trang travel experience of tourists who have been here. The ideal time to visit Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang is during the dry months, from November to April of the following year. During this time, the weather in Soc Trang is dry and cool. It is very convenient for traveling, sightseeing and visiting the temple.
4. How to get to Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Soc Trang?
Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Soc Trang is quite close to the city center, about 3.5km. And is located right on the main road of National Highway 1A. Therefore, you can easily get to Truc Lam Zen Monastery by following the following route.
Starting from the city center, you move along Phu Loi Street, then turn right onto National Highway 1A. From here, you continue to move along National Highway 1A and then pass Tam Soc Canal. After passing Tam Soc Canal, you turn right onto Tran Nhan Tong Street. From here, you just need to follow the signs to get to Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Soc Trang.
With a short distance, many tourists often choose to rent a motorbike to move flexibly and economically. However, if you want to enjoy a more comfortable trip, you can rent a car, take a taxi or use the hotel’s car service. This will not only help reduce fatigue but also give you more time to rest. You can find the location via google map here.
5. Opening hours and entrance fees to Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang
5.1 Opening hours:
- From: 7:00 to 20:00, daily.
5.2 Entrance fee:
- Ticket fee: Free.
6. Discovering the unique architecture of Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang
When you set foot in Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang, you will immediately be attracted by the large-scale architectural works with unique designs. Observe a circle from the outside in with the highlight being the main hall in the center, next to the bell tower, drum tower, back hall, etc. All of them show the same main color of reddish brown with large wooden pillars and a very sturdy stone foundation.
In addition, the two sides of the side gate are delicately designed with sophisticated carvings. It engraved with the profound teachings of Buddha about “Compassion” and “Wisdom”. It is like a gentle reminder, helping you find peace of mind.
6.1 Tam Quan Gate
From the outside in is a tall and wide Tam Quan gate designed in the traditional style, with a curved roof covered with red tiles. You will immediately feel the majesty and antiquity of the Zen monastery. In addition, the upper floor of the gate is where the bell tower and the statue are located, exuding a majestic and sacred look. This gate is like a sacred boundary, helping you to shake off all the noise and bustle outside.
When passing through the three-door gate, you will enter a large courtyard paved with bricks, leading to the solemn main hall. Standing out in the courtyard are two rows of 18 Arhat statues made of marble, arranged parallel to each other. Next to that, on the right side of the yard is the bell tower, where the great bell (bronze bell) weighing 1.5 tons is placed. On the left is the drum tower, with a wooden stand that is intricately carved, bearing the mark of traditional art.
6.2 Main Hall
Located right in the center of Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang is the main hall, which stands out with its eight-roof tiled architecture. It has a strong architectural style of the Tran Dynasty. People designed the roof in the style of “tau dao la roof” with a gently curved roof angle like many other pagoda architectures in Soc Trang.
Therefore, it shows the characteristics of Northern Buddhist architecture. In particular, the roof slope does not spread out but only slightly tilted at the corner, creating a sense of elegance for the building. The main hall is a highlight that attracts visitors from all over to make pilgrimages and worship, especially on major holidays.
6.3 Ancestor House
The next prominent area is the Ancestor House, a building bearing the traditional architectural imprint with the four-roof tiled roofing style typical of the Ly Dynasty. The entire building is built of wood, with a typical yin-yang tiled roof. It creates the ancient beauty of ancient Vietnamese pagodas.
In addition to the Ancestor House, in the Zen monastery grounds there are many other unique buildings such as the statue of Buddha Quan Am, the back hall, the guest house, etc. All use brown, red, and yellow as the main colors, not only enhancing the majesty. But also evoking a sense of peace and tranquility, suitable for the meditation space of the temple.
7. Meaningful activities of the Zen Monastery
Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang is one of the prominent religious activities of the people of Soc Trang. On holidays such as the first and fifteenth day of each month, many Buddhists often come here to offer offerings to Buddha, praying for peace, health and success in work. Especially on big full moon days in months such as January, April, July and November.
Truc Lam Zen Monastery also organizes meaningful activities such as mindfulness retreats, free vegetarian buffets and giving away charity rice to people near and far. These activities not only demonstrate the spirit of compassion but also spread noble human values.
8. Enjoy Soc Trang specialties when visiting Truc Lam Zen Monastery
When visiting this spiritual place, you will not only admire the unique architecture and immerse yourself in the cool, fresh green space. You also have the opportunity to enjoy the specialties of this beautiful land.
8.1 Soc Trang grilled veal:
After cleaning the veal, leave it whole and take an iron bar to skewer it along the body. Then, people put it on an X-shaped rack that is nailed diagonally to the ground. Below is a charcoal stove to grill the veal until the meat is just cooked. They wrapped the meat with rice paper, vermicelli, raw vegetables, green banana, star fruit and dipped in fish sauce with a little sesame. This is a delicious dish that the locals often call “cross-shaped beef” or “fresh beef”.
8.2 Duck noodle soup with pepper:
Actually, the Chinese brought this dish to Vietnam. Later, the Soc Trang people harmonized the spices in the duck noodle dish to better suit the Vietnamese taste. But still retains the characteristic flavor of the dish.
8.3 Shrimp crackers:
The main ingredients include wheat flour, shrimp or shrimp meat ground with a little crushed pepper. After mixing together, the above ingredients will be stuffed into long, tube-shaped cloth bags. After steaming, people cut them into rectangular or round slices and dry them. Before eating, the cake must be fried with boiling cooking oil, the cake will expand.
8.4 Banh Khot:
Banh Khot is made from rice flour, wheat flour, turmeric powder, coconut milk and chicken eggs. The filling includes steamed beans and stir-fried shrimp with a little seasoning. The cake is poured into a mold placed on a hot oven, covered for 2-3 minutes and cooked.
In addition, when cooked, Banh Khot has a turmeric yellow color, is crispy and has the sweetness of rice, the fatty taste of coconut water, and the aroma of turmeric and green onions. They served this cake with vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts and herbs, coconut milk, sweet and sour fish sauce and a little chili.
8.5 Pia cake:
A unique combination of Chinese cuisine and Western cuisine. They made this cake from wheat flour, inside the durian kernel, salted eggs or other flavors such as taro, green beans,…The cake is soft, flexible, and delicious.
8.6 Noodle soup with fish:
The characteristic of this dish is stewed soup. with pig bones for a long time. Do not add grease. And the noodles here only use the fish to get the meat with shrimp, fresh squid and pork. Soc Trang noodle soup has the sweetness of the soup, the fat and crunchy fleshy taste of the pig, and the fatty fish meat is sweet and spicy.
9. Some important notes when visiting Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Soc Trang
For the most complete tour to Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Soc Trang. You should refer to the following important notes:
- When visiting the Zen Monastery, choose discreet, polite clothing to show respect for the sacred space and Buddha.
- Keep the space pure by limiting noise or laughter during the visit.
- Carefully preserve personal belongings, limit carrying or wearing valuable jewelry. Because on crowded days, the risk of theft or robbery can happen unexpectedly.
- Update weather information regularly before starting to prepare for the trip to visit the temple. To avoid being affected by bad weather
- You can bring snacks and drinks to use when necessary
- After visiting the Zen Monastery, you can combine visiting other Soc Trang tourist destinations to make the journey more complete and interesting.
Truc Lam Zen Monastery Soc Trang is truly a place you must visit during your vacation to Vietnam. Join Origin Vietnam – a professional tour operator. We will accompany you on the cultrural Mekong Delta tour to visit this famous spiritual site with memorable memories. Visiting the temple to find a little peace in the Buddha’s door is a medicine to help you purify your soul after the hustle and bustle of life.
