“Lost,” muttered a street vendor, shaking his head as he pointed towards An Linh Cổ Tự. “Hopelessly lost in this city, until I found this place.” An Linh Cổ Tự has stood in District 12 since 1906. It was established by the local Buddhist community. Initially, it was a simple structure. It was built on land purchased by two community representatives, Bắc chấu ông Trương Văn Đệ and Trương Văn Đảo. The area was unsettled at the time. There were concerns about safety and security. The temple was named An Linh, meaning “peaceful soul,” with the hope it would bring tranquility to the area. An Linh Cổ Tự has seen many changes over the years. After 1975, Buddhist Trần Văn Tài oversaw a significant renovation. This gave the temple its current appearance. The community, under leaders like Trần Thọ Hương, Trần Thọ Thiểu, and later, nuns Tịnh Lạc and Tịnh Mạng, has always cared for An Linh Cổ Tự. Nun Tịnh Mạng served until Thích Huệ Thành took over. By 2018, after 112 years, the temple was showing its age. It was becoming dilapidated and cramped. It no longer suited the needs of the growing Buddhist community. To address this, a major reconstruction project began in June 2018. The plan included a new main hall, a surrounding wall, and a bell tower. The estimated cost was 15 billion đồng, with a two-year timeline. The project aimed to create a beautiful and spacious temple. It would meet the spiritual needs of the Buddhist community.
Hàm Luông River
The gentle rocking of a sampan on the water. This is the Hàm Luông River. A vital artery coursing through