First stone pagoda under construction in Da Nang

On the occasion of the Goddess of Mercy Festival the central city of Da Nang begun construction of a stone pagoda on April 3.
Attending the ground-breaking ceremony were representatives from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, local leaders, religious officials, monks and thousands of domestic and foreign visitors.
The precious stone pagoda will be built on a 5-petal lotus, symbolizing the five elements of the oriental Book of Changes and will cover an area of more than 4,000 square metres.
The festival’s organizing board unveiled a precious stone picture of One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi and a Vietnamese map with 1,000 dragons.
A number of sports and cultural activities were also held during the festival.