Chùa Linh Phước (Chùa Ve Chai), Đà Lạt

Chùa Linh Phước, also known as Chùa Ve Chai, is one of Đà Lạt's best-known spiritual attractions. The pagoda is located at 120 Tự Phước Street, Trại Mát, Ward 11, about 8km from the city center, and is easily reached by motorbike, car, or the Đà Lạt – Trại Mát train.

The pagoda's most distinctive feature is the mosaic work covering its buildings, made from pottery, porcelain, and pieces of discarded glass and bottles, creating an appearance that is both ancient and unusual. Covering more than 6.600m², the pagoda has a spacious main hall, the tallest bell tower in Vietnam, and numerous structures holding 11 national records. Highlights include a statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara made from 600.000 everlasting flowers, Buddhist scriptures carved into a Java plum tree root, and a vivid recreation of the 18 levels of hell.

Besides being a sacred place to pray for peace and blessings, Chùa Linh Phước is also an extremely popular social-media check-in spot. Visitors can capture striking, artistic photos in every corner of the grounds. This is why the pagoda has increasingly become an unmissable stop for visitors to Đà Lạt, whether they are religious or not.

• History:

Construction of Chùa Linh Phước began in 1949 and was completed just 2 years later. After passing through several periods of development, the pagoda was renovated and rebuilt in 1990 under the design and direction of Venerable Thích Tâm Vị, its fifth abbot. During this major restoration, the pagoda was expanded and several large-scale structures were completed with the labor and heartfelt support of many local Buddhists and devotees from farther afield.

• The story behind the name “Chùa Ve Chai”:

Chùa Linh Phước is affectionately known as “Chùa Ve Chai,” or the Bottle Pagoda, because the entire complex is decorated with mosaics made from millions of fragments of pottery, porcelain, broken bowls and plates, and glass bottles. Skilled artisans have assembled these seemingly lifeless materials into dragons, phoenixes, and intricate patterns, producing work that is both unique and highly artistic. Although many pagodas in Vietnam feature pottery and porcelain mosaics, Chùa Linh Phước remains the largest and most distinctive, astonishing visitors from the moment they first arrive.