Wat
Chùa Bồ Đề Hải Đảo
Chùa Bồ Đề Hải Đảo is a Khmer Wat in Dương Tơ commune, Phú Quốc special zone, Vietnam.[1] Its official name is Bodhidiparama.[1]
History
Phật Sự Online calls it the first Khmer Wat built in the heart of Phú Quốc special zone.[1] Its planned area is 6,000 m2 (1.5 acres).[1] The main hall is the key item of the project, with an area of 34 m by 16 m (112 ft by 52 ft) and its own investment of 18 billion Vietnamese dong, out of an expected 49 billion dong for the whole project.[1] The project is a long-held wish of the monks of the Khmer Theravada school, assisted by the central Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and actively supported by authorities at all levels.[1]
On behalf of the construction board, Hòa thượng (Most Venerable) Trần Phương, the abbot, reported the overall plan and the construction schedule for items such as a lecture hall, monks' quarters, a dining hall and the abbot's hut.[1] The plan is for the Wat to be not only a place for Buddhist practice but also a spiritual and cultural highlight that contributes to sustainable tourism tied to local cultural traditions.[1] Once completed, it is to be a spiritual refuge for the Khmer community, local Buddhist followers and visitors.[1]
Religious life
As of July 2025, the abbot was Hòa thượng (Most Venerable) Trần Phương.[1]
On the morning of July 4, 2025, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha's An Giang provincial executive board and the former Kiên Giang province's Association of Patriotic Monks' Solidarity held the groundbreaking ceremony (lễ khởi công) for the Wat's main hall.[1] The ceremony took place with Hòa thượng Danh Đổng, Hòa thượng Danh Lung, Thượng tọa (Venerable) Thích Minh Nhẫn, dignitaries of the provincial board, monks and many Khmer people from inside and outside the province in attendance.[1] Representatives of the An Giang provincial Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the provincial committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the leadership of Phú Quốc special zone also attended.[1] Hòa thượng Danh Liêm gave the opening address.[1]
Thượng tọa Thích Minh Nhẫn, on behalf of the provincial board, conveyed the blessings and praise of the leaders of the central Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to the provincial board, the monks and the Buddhist followers of the Wat, and stressed the great significance of the project for spiritual life and for the spread of the Buddhist teaching in a distant sea and island region.[1] Hòa thượng Danh Đổng gave a message of guidance (đạo từ) and hoped that the project would soon be completed.[1] He also stressed that the presence of the Wat in Phú Quốc meets the study and practice needs of Khmer monks, nuns and Buddhist followers and is a symbol of the spirit of service to the Buddhist teaching and the nation in the new era.[1]
The ceremony closed with the ritual of breaking ground to begin construction of the main hall and a dedication of merit.[1]