VietNamNet Bridge – Four 1m Buddha statues which are made by sapphire and inlaid with gold and artificial diamonds attracted thousands of visitors to the Sung Duc pagoda in HCM City during the Buddhist holiday of Vu Lan (traditionally considered an important event in praise of motherly love) on August 13.



Carved from a 3.5-ton translucent green stone block imported from Canada, the statues weigh 60-70 kg and have a height of 0.8-1m each. The statues bear typical features of the Vietnamese Buddha which always has 2 eyelids, broad shoulders, big hands and a sharp nose.

Completed after 5 months by 50 sculptors, they are gilded and encrusted with nearly 2,000 artificial diamonds.

Since being put up at the pagoda, the statues have drawn thousands of faithful Buddhists from all walks of life to pay homage, prompting the monks to prepare thousands of vegetarian meals every day for the visitors.

On August 13 alone, tens of thousands of people flocked to Sung Duc pagoda to admire the four Buddha statues, including the Siddhārtha Gautama, two statues of the Mercy Goddess (Guanyin) and the Amitābha.

The four statues have been moved to the Hoang Phap pagoda in Hoc Mon district on April 15.

The four statues:







The size of Siddhārtha Gautama statue is 520x400x350mm, 60kg. It was created in
238 days. The Buddha’s overcoat is inlaid with gold and 2,000 artificial diamonds.






The first Mercy Goddess statue is 790x280x230mm in size, 40kg in weight and
 it was produced in 142 days. The statue’s face looks sad to show the Buddha’s
 state of mind to the pain of the humankind.





The second Mercy Goddess statue is 950x360x300mm in size,
70kg in weigh. It was created in 188 days.





The Amitābha statue is 800x320x300mm in size, 50kg in weight. It was made in
168 days. The Buddha stands on a lotus, looks down. He holds a lotus in
his right hand. His left hand stretches down to be ready to save living beings.

VNE