155/4A Le Hoang Phai Street, Ward 17, Go Vap District,
Phường 17, Gò Vấp, Hồ Chí Minh
Recently, I moved to a new place and stumbled across this gem within walking distance. I have always had an attraction to pagodas. Every day I told myself I must stop and check this out. Well, I did and I spent about one and a half hours and took over seventy plus pictures and still feel I missed things. Three levels of statues and inspiration. Words cannot express the time spent there.
The history of this pagoda is amazing! Ky Quang Pagoda II was built in 1924 as a place of worship, but a single event in 1994 changed things. A blind boy carrying his crippled brother strayed into the pagoda’s grounds, selling lottery tickets. Moved by the story of the boys, they were offered lunch. Then offered a home. The word of this spread. Many more children came.
Now it is more than a place of worship. It is has become an orphanage for unwanted children. Getting donations from the surrounding communities.
Each child left at their doorstep are never turned away. ( regardless of age) Each child gets an education, medical care and most of all love. I mentioned medical care because many of the two hundred children residing here have special needs.
Volunteers are welcomed to help on a daily basis. Interacting with the children. Even foreign teachers are welcomed to help with their English lessons. In my time spent there, I did see foreigners helping with feeding and playing with these children. If you cannot volunteer time, then a small donation or even a bag of rice goes a long way.
I am glad I finally took the time to visit Ky Quang 2 Pagoda. I want others to know what a wonderful place this is and what an amazing thing they are doing for these children. Some may think this is a sad story. I do not. I think it is a story of hope. Hope for these young faces. Hope for their future.“Every human being needs love to grow,”