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MEKONG DELTA
Soc TrangBuu Son Tu Pagoda
Almost 2 km from Soc Trang is a pagoda that is visited by many local and overseas tourists. Buu Son Tu pagoda, also called pagoda of bats or Ma Ha Tuc pagoda, is visited by pilgrims who come to burn incense and see the precious items displayed kin the pagoda such as the thousand Buddha statues and the four sacred animals made in clay (Long (Dragon), Lan (Unicorn), Quy (Tortoise), Phung (Phoenix)), the main attraction of this pagoda being, of course, the bats in the garden.
Doi (the bat) Pagoda
Just about 2 km from the town of Soc Trang, there is a pagoda that attracts both domestic and foreign tourists. Doi pagoda is also called Ma Toc pagoda or Mahatuc pagoda and was built nearly 400 years ago. According to monk Kim Rong, whose Buddhist tile is Rattana Sowadnak, and who has managed the pagoda for a long time, people come here to worship Buddha’s statue and the clay statues of the four noble animals: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise and Phoenix. People also come to the pagoda’s garden to see flock of bats. Over 1 million bats and crows live here. They cling to tree branches all day and at night fly away to seek food and return the following morning. They never eat the fruit in the garden. The pagoda, which is very simple with natural scenery and the incredibly crowded flocks of bats and crows, will surely interest tourists.
Kh’Leang PagodaAs one of the most ancient pagodas in Soc Trang, the Kh’Leang pagoda features an architectural style similar to the pagodas in Cambodia. It was built in 1533 and was originally made of wood and had a roof thatched with palm leaves. It was then reconstructed with brick and its roof covered with tiles.
The pagoda consists of the central chamber and a range of wooden stilt houses. These are used as a place for holding traditional ceremonies and for houses of the pagoda’s monks. Additionally, there is a tower containing ashes of the dead, a cremation chamber, guesthouse and the Pothi School for teaching the Khmer language.
The Kh’Leang pagoda also houses writings from ancient books, which tell of the origins of Soc Trang and the pagoda. In the early 16th century, an administrative mandarin in the Soc Trang area named TAC built a house from which he governed the people. He called the land under his administration Srock Kh’Leang . When the emperor arrived, the name was changed to Soc Khalang and then eventually to Soc Trang. Later, in 1532, Tac obeyed the orders of Emperor Ang Chan (Chan Lap) to build the pagoda. It is of the Buddhist Hinayana faction worshipping Sakyamuni.
My Phuoc IsletLocated in the middle of Hau River, about half an hour away by boat, My Phuoc islet, which is also called “Cong Dien” islet or “Bun” islet, has many tropical fruit trees. The river islet, which is in refreshing and cool area with a beautiful river landscape, is an attractive tourism spot in Soc Trang province.
