Temple Gò Kén Tày Ninh - A Spiritual Site Worth Visiting
Just came back from exploring Gò Kén Temple (its official name is Thiền Lâm Cổ Tự) in Tây Ninh, the feeling is truly peaceful and beautiful, everyone. This is an ancient temple over 100 years old, built in 1904, located in Long Thành Trung commune, Hòa Thành town.
Regarding architecture and scenery:
The temple is beautiful in a way completely different from ordinary temples. The architecture blends Buddhism with Eastern-Western influences, looking very unique. The most prominent feature is the statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva riding a dragon in the sky - I rarely see statues like this anywhere, usually they stand on lotus pedestals more. In addition, there is the 9-story Relic Pagoda, the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha entering Nirvana, the set of Eighteen Arhats statues... all statues are large and beautifully detailed.
Space:
What I like most is the space here is truly quiet and serene. The road to the temple has two rows of ancient green trees, straight and very beautiful. The temple grounds are spacious, with lots of green trees, giving a feeling of lightness as soon as you step in, very suitable for both sightseeing and spiritual contemplation. The main hall was built a long time ago but is still intact.
Interesting details:
Inside the temple, there are stone slabs engraved with quotes from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
The pond in the temple has many fish and turtles, all very large
The tower in the afternoon sunlight looks beautiful like in a movie
The name Gò Kén because the temple was built on a high hill where silkworm trees used to grow a lot in the old days
Note:
In the main hall, Buddhas, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva are worshipped, and DO NOT film or take photos in the main hall, everyone. Outside the grounds, feel free to take photos.
How to plan the route reasonably?
Gò Kén Temple is truly a worthwhile stop if you're going to Tây Ninh and want to combine tourism + spiritual pilgrimage. It's not the largest or most prominent temple in terms of area, but its charm lies in the harmony of history, art, spirituality, natural scenery, and serenity.
This place is also quite close to the Tây Ninh Holy See and Bà Đen Mountain Tourist Area, so utilizing one day for the experience is still quite reasonable!
On weekends or before Tet, it's crowded with people coming to light incense, deep faith. Also, many young people come to take photos with Vietnamese áo dài. I think it's a spiritual site worth visiting at least once in your life!
📍 Address: Gò Kén Temple - (Thiền Lâm Temple Tây Ninh), Long Thành Trung, Hòa Thành, Tây Ninh, Vietnam
