Vietnam Inaugurates World’s Largest Prayer Wheel

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Vietnam Inaugurates World’s Largest Prayer Wheel

By Dipen Barua
March 24, 2023

Vietnam has added a new draw for tourists and Buddhist pilgrims, with the recent inauguration of the great prayer wheel Drigung Kagyu Rinchen Khorchen Khorwe Go Gek at the Samten Hills Dalat spiritual and cultural tourism site in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The great prayer wheel, which has received official recognition from Guinness World Records as the largest prayer wheel in the world, was inaugurated on 11 March as part of the Samten Hills Dalat complex, which was itself inaugurated on 7 March.

Inspired by the architectural heritage of the Himalayan region, the great prayer wheel at Samten Hills Dallas weighs 200 tonnes and stands more than 37 meters high, with a circumference of 16.53 meters, and is inlaid with ornately decorated 24-karat gold.

“The spiritual-cultural complex here will receive the attention of the Vietnamese Buddhist community,” said a representative of Samten Hills Dalat. “With the largest prayer wheel in the world, Samten Hills Dalat is also responsible for creating a spiritual and cultural space, reviving the flow of history, and leaving significant legacies in forming space Vietnamese [sic] flourished during the Ly-Tran dynasties centuries ago. Until now, those heritages are still valuable to the spiritual life of Vietnamese people.” (Global Newswire)

Together with the prayer wheel, the complex of Buddhist cultural and spiritual structures at Samten Hills Dalat is embellished with figures of worship. Many people visit the site to appreciate Buddhist symbolism and to take in the beautiful mountain scenery that provides a tranquil setting conducive to contemplation and reflection.

The great prayer wheel and the natural splendor of Lam Dong Province are both extensively promoted by the Guinness World Records accreditation. In this way, Samten Hills Dalat has also come to represent the culture of diplomacy, friendship, and peace between Vietnam, India, and many other nations.

“Vietnam is one of the countries with favorable conditions and full convergence of schools in Buddhism. There are northern and southern Buddhist sects, Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Tantric Buddhism, including Vajrayana Buddhism,” said Nguyen Huu Dzung, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. “In addition, Vietnamese Buddhism also developed unique sects, and some can only be found in Vietnam, such as the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen school and Mendicant Buddhist. They coexist, support, and complement each other’s good values, directing people towards truthfulness, compassion, and beauty.” (Global Newswire)

Visitors can also view exquisite paintings of buddhas, bodhisattvas, and sanghas with intricate features that are unique to these works, such as the surprising resemblance between the delicate lines crafted by Himalayan painters and those by Vietnamese artists of the Ly Dynasty. The complex also serves to support the local economy by increasing tourism and providing employment.

Samten Hills Dalat is intended as a holistic destination for the body, mind, and spirit. At the center of the complex is the Vajrayana Buddhist Space founded by Venerable Drubwang Sonam Jorfel, a Buddhist monk who came to Vietnam from Ladakh, in northern India.

Ven. Drubwang Sonam Jorfel and his followers established a cultural and spiritual centre for Vajrayana Buddhism, Drikung Kagyu Samten Ling Vietnam, with the support of the Vietnam Buddhist Association. As a cultural area for Vajrayana Buddhism, it has been recognized by the Vietnam Union of UNESCO Associations.

Dipen Barua

Dr. Dipen Barua is a teaching faculty member at the Centre for Buddhist Studies at The University of Hong Kong. He has authored a book and published several articles in Bengali and English, on the subject of Buddhist studies, women’s issues, Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, and cultural heritage.

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