Soc Trang is a province in the Mekong Delta famous for its charming natural scenery, fruitful orchards and long-standing culture of the inhabitants of the West of the river. In particular, there are temples imbued with Khmer cultural identity of the people here.
Wat Pătum Wongsa Som Rong
Wat Pătum Wongsa Som Rong was built in 1785, commonly known as Som Rong Pagoda. The pagoda is located at 367 Ton Duc Thang, Ward 5, Soc Trang City. This is one of the temples that attracts the most tourists to Soc Trang.
On the temple grounds, there is a majestic statue of Shakyamuni Buddha entering nirvana with a size of 63m long, 22.5m high and placed 28m above the ground.
Photo: Nguyen Thanh Tinh
The most outstanding architecture of Som Rong Pagoda is the stupa painted gray instead of traditional yellow, both exuding a modern look and majesty and magnificence. On both sides of the path leading up to the tower are intricately carved statues of Naga god snakes. Inside the stupa is a statue of Buddha sitting on the lotus deck.
When the sun shines in, the whole stupa exudes a rare fantasy, making anyone who has the opportunity to admire it amazed.
Photo: VnExpress
Chac Style Pagoda
Chén Kieu Pagoda (Sà Lon Pagoda) is a Khmer temple with a very unique structure. The reason for the name Chac Style is because in the past during the construction process, due to lack of funding, the pagoda mobilized people in Phum Soc to donate all kinds of cups to serve for decoration. Therefore, all the walls, lathes and fences of the pagoda are covered with artistic pieces of cups, plates and crockery.
Photo: Internet
The pagoda has a 3-storey roof architecture, the bottom floor is quite large in size and gets smaller as it climbs. Each floor is decorated with many motifs and Khmer statues carrying the desire for peace and transcendence. The back of the main hall is an array of walls embossed by many beautiful broken cups.
Photo: VOV
Bat Pagoda
Bat Pagoda, also known as Mahatup Pagoda, is one of the oldest temples in Soc Trang. The pagoda was built around the 16th century, more than 400 years ago. Bat Pagoda is considered a unique masterpiece of art of Khmer people in Soc Trang when not only possessing impressive architectural errors but also inside the pagoda is a shelter for thousands of crow bats.
The overall architecture of the Bat Pagoda includes the Main Hall, Sala, guest houses, houses for monks, ash houses,... Located in the middle of the main hall is a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha sitting on a 2m high stone lotus building, next to which is a statue of Buddha riding the snake god Muchalinda. In the pagoda, there are also many rare artifacts such as scriptures written on the leaves, reliefs or ancient oil lamps,...
Photo: Internet
Kh'Leang Pagoda
Kh'leang Pagoda in Soc Trang is a temple dating back nearly 500 years of history. Kh'leang Pagoda was originally built with local materials such as bamboo, wood, leaves, and from voluntary donations from local residents, but was not built of bricks and tiles until the 16th century and retains its architecture to this day.
All works of Kh'leang Pagoda are located in an area of nearly 4000 m2 with many thistle trees and are sculpted and carved with many patterns, intricate motifs, vibrant colors bold ancient Khmer style.
If you have the opportunity to travel to Soc Trang, do not forget to visit the sacred temples above to see the scenery and take impressive photos as a souvenir!