Xa Loi Pagoda

Xa Loi Pagoda stands at 89 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan in District 3 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1956 to house a relic of the Buddha and to serve as the headquarters of the Buddhist association in the south. Its significance rests on the events of 1963, when Buddhist leaders organised protests against religious discrimination under President Ngo Dinh Diem. Monks and nuns gathered at the pagoda, and the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc in June 1963 drew international attention. On the night of 21 August 1963 police and special forces raided Xa Loi and other pagodas and arrested hundreds of monks, an action that deepened the crisis and contributed to the coup that ended the Diem government in November. The complex has a modest architectural character. A tall bell tower of about 32 metres, said to be the tallest in the country, stands beside the main hall, and the main sanctuary holds a large gilded Buddha statue, a collection of smaller Buddha images and relics, and wall paintings of the life of the Buddha. The pagoda is a place of daily worship rather than a museum, so the curatorial approach is limited to a few commemorative notes, and the history is mostly told by guides or by visitors with prior reading. The building has been maintained and refurbished by the Buddhist community and remains in good condition. A small commemorative plaque and exhibit refer to monks who took part in the 1963 protests. Visitors should dress modestly, remove shoes when entering the main hall and avoid disturbing worshippers.