A Buddha statue made of sapphire at Hoi An pagoda in the southern
province of Binh Duong, has been recognised as the biggest statue in
Vietnam by the Vietnam Guinness Record Council on April 19.
The sculpture of reclining Buddha is 35 tonnes in weight and 4.2
metres in length, according to Thich Hue Thong, a Buddhist monk at the
pagoda. It is made of the precious dark blue stone mined in the central
province of Nghe An.
On the occasion of the
official announcement, the Binh Duong provincial Buddhist Sangha
presented 200 gifts worth 370,000 VND (17.7 USD) each to poor people,
and granted 50 scholarships worth 500,000 VND (23.9 USD) each for poor
students in the locality.-VNA