Viet Nam News
LAM DONG — The Bodhisattva statue made from more than 1.6 tonnes of strawflower at Linh Phuoc Pagoda in Da Lat City has been recognised as a world record by the World Records Union.
The Bodhisattva statue, depicted as a graceful goddess of mercy holding a twig of willow, is 17m high and made from some 650,000 strawflowers, equivalent to more than 1.6 tonnes.
Strawflower, known as never-die flower, is a typical flower of Da Lat City, in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.
Since its establishment in 2010, the statue has been well maintained and preserved with new flowers being added every two years. The statue held the Vietnamese record in 2010 and the Asian record in 2012 before being recognised as a world record this year.
Linh Phuoc Pagoda, some 12km from Da Lat City, is a well-known destination for not only local Buddhist followers, but also tourists.
The pagoda was carefully and skillfully built in mosaic style from glass, pottery and glazed terracotta shards. Builders of the pagoda were mostly monks and nuns who took the time to attach each and every shard from broken vases, dishes, bowls and other household items onto the entire pagoda structure.
The 7,000sq.m pagoda some records, such as the tallest bell tower (36m), the highest indoor concrete statue of Bodhisattva, the largest wooden statue of Bodhidharma and other statues and carved items made from valuable and rare wood.
At Linh Phuoc Pagoda, visitors also have an opportunity to see a 300m-long tunnel which features paintings illustrating the story of a young man who travels to hell to save his deceased mother. The story is a reminder of karma and teaching about gratitude and filial piety towards parents. — VNS