Vietnam’s fourth largest pagoda breaks ground in border province

The groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth largest pagoda in Vietnam, named Phat Quang Son, will be held in Lang Son province on May 15-17 with government officials and the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha Executive Council.
Construction of Phat Quang Son is estimated at 600 billion dong ($32 million), donated by businesses, benefactors, domestic Buddhist followers and oversea Vietnamese.
The pagoda will be built on 21 hectares at the foot of Ha Nan Mountain, close to Tan Thanh Border Gate and behind Saigon – Lang Son trading center.
According to Monk Thich Thien Nhon, deputy chair and general secretary of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha Executive Council, Phat Quang Son Pagoda will be the country’s largest Buddhist cultural tourism center.
Lang Son annually receives about two millions of visitors, with 70 percent of them being domestic travelers, bringing a total turnover of up to 600-900 billion dong ($47 million).
After the pagoda is completed, the number of visitors may rocket by three to four times compared to the current number.