Long Son Pagoda

Long Son Pagoda is the most prominent Buddhist temple in Nha Trang, built in 1886 and repeatedly expanded and rebuilt since. The main attraction for visitors is the large white Buddha statue on the hillside above the temple, reached by a climb of 152 steps. The view from the top over the city and the bay is one of the better panoramas in Nha Trang.

The pagoda itself is active, ornately decorated in the South Vietnamese style, and worth a short visit. Mosaic dragons coil around the columns of the main gate. Modest dress is required; sarong wraps are usually available at the entrance for those who need them.

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A story
The enormous white Buddha statue on the hill above the pagoda — 24 metres tall — was built in 1963 as a memorial to Buddhist monks and nuns who died protesting against the South Vietnamese government's persecution of Buddhism under President Ngô Đình Diệm. Diem's government actively suppressed Buddhist organisations; the protests culminated in the self-immolation of the monk Thich Quang Duc in Saigon, an image that shocked the world. The Nha Trang statue was one of several erected in protest across Vietnam.