Buddhists on a pilgrimage to worship the land of Buddha on Mount Fansipan

February 25, 2021 - 15:34

On February 20, the Spring Festival of Opening the Fansipan Heaven Gate officially opened at Fansipan spiritual complex at Sun World Fansipan Legend Resort, opening the spring travel season and worshipping Buddha for peace in the early spring. The festival lasts until March 8, 2021.

On February 20, the Spring Festival of Opening the Fansipan Heaven Gate officially opened at Fansipan spiritual complex at Sun World Fansipan Legend Resort, opening the spring travel season and worshipping Buddha for peace in the early spring. The festival lasts until March 8, 2021.

The Spring Festival of Opening the Fansipan Heaven Gate is held on the 9th day of the lunar calendar every year at Fansipan spiritual complex, also known as the "Roof of Indochina". This is a spiritual event to open the spring travel season and worshipping Buddha for peace in the early spring. The 9th day of the first lunar month is also the Birthday of the Jade Emperor, the king of Heaven, which is said to bring a lot of fortune and peace for Buddhists and visitors here.

Although this year's festival is short and simple, it is no less solemn with the participation of monks, nuns and Buddhists. Everyone is required to wear a mask and line up for safety and the prevention of COVID-19.

Standing in front of the majestic pagoda with a faint scent of incense, the monks, nuns and Buddhists pray for their family's well-being and a peaceful new year for the world.

The complex consists of spiritual structures divided into 12 clusters, bearing the characteristic architecture of the Vietnamese ancient pagoda, stretching from the height of 1,600m to 3,000m atop Fansipan. The journey to worship the Buddha and pray for peace will begin with a prayer ceremony at Bao An Thien Tu, the first project in the complex, located opposite the Fansipan cable car station.

After the prayer ceremony, Buddhists and visitors will experience the cloud cover by cable car to Fansipan Heaven Gate. Here, the great scene of thousands of flowers for Buddha made from fresh flowers with an area of 150 square metres in the middle of the cloud yard will welcome them.

During this year's "Opening the Fansipan Heaven Gate", Fansipan is full of sunlight, capturing a scene of a beautiful country and promising a prosperous new year. The space here is more sacred and magical when the clouds appear in the sky over the pagoda roofs and focus on the area with Buddha statues.

Bich Van Thien Tu, an ancient and majestic temple that is filled with the sound of bells and gongs, where Buddhists and visitors pray for peace before the Buddha, or pray for fortune at the Temple of the Great Father and Great Mother.

The great Amitabha Buddha statue which is cast in bronze stands 21.5m tall. The statue is covered entirely with thousands of 5mm thick copper moulded sheets and was handcrafted right at the top of Fansipan. Within the heart of the great Amitabha Buddha statue, there are Buddha’s relics stored in a small bronze tower. The relics embody the spiritual qualities, compassion, and wisdom of the Buddha. Buddhists believe that by making offerings and prayers to Buddha’s sacred relics, they will be blessed and protected. Hence, the trip to see the relics in the great Amitabha Buddha statue is much more sacred and significant.

A sacred destination firmly located at the highest point of the Fansipan spiritual complex is Kim Son Thang Tu, it serves as a portal connecting to the spiritual realm and is the place where important Buddhist activities take place, creating opportunities to generate compassion and pray for fortune.

About 100 stone steps from Kim Son Bao Thang Pagoda is the bronze statue of Quan The Am Bodhisattva with a height of 9m, located on a high rock. This is a sacred place that the Buddhists on the pilgrimage to Fansipan will come to pray for blessings, health and peace for their families.

Visitors will experience an extended spiritual journey while walking on Arhat path, where 18 bronze statues of Arhat are located in all shades and expressions of life under the Ancient Rhododendron trees. In this harmonious place of heaven and earth, all afflictions seem to be removed; only peace of mind remains.

With the desire to bring visitors a more meaningful spring trip, Sun World Fansipan Legend has prepared two flower walls with the words "Loc" (Fortune) and "An" (Peace) located at Bich Van Thien Tu Pagoda, with the cards for peace and fortune cherished by the monks. Visitors can bring home these lucky cards to their family after a magical spiritual journey at Fansipan Mount. Visitors also get lucky money up to VND250,000 when buying the cable car ticket and lunch buffet combo from February 14, 2021.

In the midst of the beautiful spring scenery, we can find a spiritual essence on the Fansipan sacred peak. What could be better than starting the New Year with such wonderful and peaceful moments?

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