Wat
Chùa Monivongsa Bopharam
Chùa Monivongsa Bopharam is a Khmer Theravada Buddhist Wat on Đinh Tiên Hoàng street in central Cà Mau, An Xuyên ward, Cà Mau province, Vietnam.[1]
History
The Wat was built in 1964 in what was then Ward 1 of the city of Cà Mau.[1]
Architecture
The main gate faces east and is crowned by three towers standing for the Three Jewels. The grounds hold the main hall, a sala (meeting hall), monks' quarters, stupas for ashes, a shrine and a lotus pond. The main hall rises 32 m (105 ft) at the center of the grounds, on a base 1.5 m (4.9 ft) high reached by steps, with a gallery all around. Inside, two rows of tall columns carry the many-tiered roof, which ends in a spire representing Mount Meru. Reliefs of celestial maidens and mythical creatures decorate the columns, and serpent figures are carved on the roofs and stairs. The Wat's Buddha images show scenes from the life of the Buddha, among them his birth, his years of austerity and his first sermon, and a large reclining Buddha lies in front of the main hall. Red and gold are the main colors.[1]
Religious life
As of 2025, the abbot was Hòa thượng (Most Venerable) Thạch Hà, head of the Cà Mau provincial board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and chair of the provincial Patriotic Monks' Solidarity Association. On April 12, 2025, the province held its Khmer New Year (Chol Chnam Thmey) gathering at the Wat, with senior Khmer monks and about 200 Khmer guests.[2]