Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra

On a clear day, one pagoda can be seen from Mỹ Khê Beach, from Tiên Sa Port, and from any point on Da Nang Bay. A white statue rises high against the green of the mountain, facing the sea. It is a statue of Quan Thế Âm, the bodhisattva of compassion. It stands at Linh Ứng Bãi Bụt Pagoda, on the Sơn Trà Peninsula.

This is one of the most remarkable Buddhist sites in central Vietnam. The pagoda grounds cover about 20 hectares on the slopes of Sơn Trà Mountain. They lie about 10 kilometers northeast of central Da Nang.

One thing is worth knowing before going in. Da Nang has three pagodas that share one name, Linh Ứng. Together they are known as Tam Linh Ứng Tự, the three Linh Ứng pagodas. This one, Linh Ứng Bãi Bụt on Sơn Trà, is the newest and the largest of the three. Its statue of Quan Thế Âm, often called simply Quan Âm, is 67 meters tall, among the tallest in Vietnam. The second is Linh Ứng Ngũ Hành Sơn. It stands on the peak called Thủy Sơn. The third is Linh Ứng Bà Nà, on the summit of Bà Nà. Its statue is 27 meters tall, and it shows Shakyamuni Buddha, not Quan Âm. The three pagodas differ completely in location, in age and in the figures they honor.

The name Bãi Bụt has its own story. In old Vietnamese, Bụt is simply the word for the Buddha. Vietnamese fairy tales still keep the familiar line: "And then Bụt appeared." The word belongs to an older layer of Vietnamese. It was in use before the Chinese-derived word Phật spread widely. A folk legend tells of local fishermen in the time of the Nguyễn dynasty, Vietnam's last royal dynasty, which reigned from 1802 to 1945. After a great storm, the legend says, they found a small statue of the Buddha washed up on the sand at the foot of this peninsula. They took it as a good omen. They built a small shrine for it, and prayed there for safety before they put out to sea. From then on, the place was called Bãi Bụt, the beach of the Buddha. This is a folk legend, not an event in any official record. But it shows that Buddhist faith took root in this land a very long time ago.

The pagoda seen here today was founded by the Venerable Thích Thiện Nguyện. Its first stone was laid on the 19th day of the sixth lunar month of 2004. Building went on without a break for six years. The pagoda was inaugurated on July 30, 2010. On the lunar calendar, that was once again the 19th day of the sixth month, exactly six years after work began. The dates were matched on purpose, a choice with deep spiritual meaning.

The path in leads between two rows of stone arhats, disciples of the Buddha who reached enlightenment. There are 18 statues in all, each with a different expression and pose. These are the 18 arhats of the Mahayana tradition in Vietnamese Buddhism. One is the Dragon-Taming Arhat, who rides a dragon. Another is the Tiger-Taming Arhat, who rides a tiger. There is a Laughing Arhat, and there is one who gazes at the moon.

Past the gallery of arhats, the path enters the main hall. At its center is a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. To the right is the Bodhisattva Quan Thế Âm, and to the left the Bodhisattva Địa Tạng Vương. Along both sides of the courtyard stand the Four Heavenly Kings. They guard the four directions: east, west, south and north.

Above it all rises the great statue of Quan Thế Âm. It stands 67 meters tall. The lotus base beneath it is 35 meters across. Two sculptors, Thụy Lam and Châu Viết Thạnh, worked on it for six years without a break.

Quan Âm looks out over the sea. In one hand she holds a vase of pure water, the vase of sweet dew that brings blessings. Her other hand forms the gesture of fearlessness, a sign that drives fear away. The fishermen of Da Nang believe that ever since the statue was inaugurated in 2010, she has watched over them and protected them on every trip out to sea. This is a matter of faith, not of statistics. But it speaks of the deep bond between the people of the sea and the compassionate bodhisattva.

The statue has one more curious quality. Many visitors say that wherever they walk in the grounds, the eyes of Quan Âm seem to follow them. This is in fact an optical and psychological effect, common with very large statues. As people move, they naturally feel they are still within the gaze of a large face. It is no miracle, but it is enough to bring a strange sense of peace.

Inside the giant statue there are many floors. The ground floor honors Amitabha Buddha, Quan Thế Âm and Địa Tạng Vương. The floors above hold many more statues, each with its own form and meaning. Higher up, small windows look out over Da Nang Bay, the open sea, Mỹ Khê Beach and the Dragon Bridge stretching into the distance.

From the viewing terrace outside the statue, on a clear day, the whole Sơn Trà Peninsula comes into view. So does Da Nang Bay, and farther off the city of Da Nang, with its bridges across the Hàn River.

International visitors sometimes ask about one thing. From far away, the white Quan Âm in her long robe can look like a statue of the Virgin Mary. But this is the Bodhisattva Quan Thế Âm of Buddhism, entirely different from the Virgin Mary of the Catholic faith. The clearest sign is the vase of pure water in her hand, the emblem of Quan Âm.

Early in the morning, on the viewing terrace behind the statue, the sea wind blows up from Da Nang Bay. Below lies the white sand of Mỹ Khê. Farther off, the city is waking, its bridges reaching across the Hàn River. And overhead is the compassionate face, turned toward the open sea. For years, fishermen far out on the water have looked up at that statue, like a lamp on the mountain that never goes out.