Serpentine dragons and pulsating fluorescent halos, frightening gods like angry superman, spiraling Gaudi-esque architecture and over the top mosaics, it’s hard not to smile when visiting the Linh Phuoc Pagoda in the small town of Trai Mat, 8 kms north of the DaLat, Vietnam. Although a functioning Buddhist temple with a monastery on site, most visitors are overwhelmed by the audacity and playfulness of the design.

Funny, kitsch and impossible to photograph is the 49-meter-long winding glaze dragon covered in mosaics from 12,000 broken beer bottles. The main building is a seven-tiered-27-meter-tall-tower made from thousands of pieces of broken bowls. The winding staircases and columns are covered in colourful mosaics, reminiscent of Gaudi.

Life sized sculptures climb the exterior of the bell tower building, or sit and wave from a ledge or play the flute. The same sculptures may be seen from another angle from the internal winding staircase.

Built between 1949 and 1952, the religious site attracts many tourists who mostly arrive in buses. If you are staying in DaLat, the best way to get there is by the antique train, which leaves from Dalat station four times a day, and rattles through the countryside to the village of Trai Mat. Cost VND 125,000 pp return journey.

Wow, that’s impressive….
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Fascinating
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I love the absurdity of this monument. The last figure is definitely a super-hero.
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A super hero for sure! Those mosaics are incredible ..
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I love that the construction incorporates re or upcycling!
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Super eyebrow hero!
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What an interesting place to visit, Francesca. A 49 meter dragon covered with a mosaic of shattered beer bottles? How could anyone not take a train or bus to see it? Thanks for taking us with you.
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Nice posts! 🙂
We went there too last September. Do you go to Crazy House (Hang Nga) too? It’s one of the top 10 strangest architecture in the world. If you like, you can come see about it in our blog.
https://pandabearjourney.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/the-phenomenal-hang-nga-crazy-house-at-dalat-vietnam/
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Yes, I did visit the Crazy house in Dalat. It was interesting.
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