The enshrinement ceremony was presided over by Most Venerable Thich Thanh Phong, Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. The ceremony included rituals such as Buddha chanting, blessing sutra recitations, and a flower lantern offering. The statue will officially welcome visitors and worshippers from 1/1/2026.

Elders of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, along with venerables, monks, nuns, and Buddhists, chanted during the enshrinement ceremony. *Photo: Sun Group*

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the Central Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, noted that the statue's solemn seated posture beneath a decades-old fig tree conveys a humanistic message, guiding people towards a peaceful life. He stated, "The enshrinement ceremony marks a new development in spreading the ancient spiritual values of Ba Den Mountain to local residents and visitors from afar."

The statue sits in the lotus posture (padmasana), facing east, with a meticulously carved face and gently open eyes gazing downwards. *Photo: Sun Group*

The Kanakamuni Buddha statue, enshrined at Ba Den Mountain's peak, is crafted from red copper, featuring a 24k gold leaf surface and standing 7,2 meters tall. The Buddha is depicted in a lotus posture on a lotus pedestal, situated in the middle of the Udumbara lake. His right hand forms the teaching mudra (gesture), symbolizing the preaching phase of his life. His left hand holds a fig fruit, an image associated with his enlightenment journey under the Udumbara tree.

Surrounding the statue is the Udumbara waterfall, forming a circular shape 50 meters in diameter and 12 meters high. It is constructed from 32 golden pillars, symbolizing the 32 auspicious marks of the Buddha. The waterfall cascades into a golden lotus pond, representing wishes for prosperity.

The Udumbara Garden – the enshrinement site of the Kanakamuni Buddha statue – viewed from above. *Photo: Sun Group*

In Buddhist culture, Kanakamuni Buddha is the 5th of the 7 Buddhas of the past. Buddhist scriptures recount that a golden rain fell on the day of his birth, leading him to be called Kanakagamana, which in Sanskrit means "he who came from gold" or "the golden one."

Buddhist scriptures also state that the Buddha renounced the secular world to practice 6 months of asceticism, achieving enlightenment under an Udumbara tree. Udumbara is the Sanskrit name for the fig tree, its flowers, and fruits, a mythical flower in Buddhism believed to bloom only once every 3,000 years. This tree, flower, and fruit are thus associated with the meaning of "auspicious flower." In popular belief, the fig tree also symbolizes prosperity, completeness, and good fortune.

The spiritual complex on Ba Den peak. *Photo: Sun Group*

The Kanakamuni Buddha is the third large statue enshrined on Ba Den Mountain's peak, joining the Tay Bo Da Son Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva statues, which represent the past, present, and future, respectively. The Maitreya statue is composed of 6,688 natural sandstone pieces arranged in a stepped pattern, stacked into 54 layers. The Tay Bo Da Son Bodhisattva statue stands 72 meters tall, cast from 170 tons of copper, depicting a majestic standing posture on the mountaintop.

A representative of Sun World Ba Den Mountain stated, "The Kanakamuni Buddha statue enhances the pilgrimage experience at Ba Den Mountain, contributing to the spread of blessings to Buddhists, people in the Southern region, and the entire country."

Dan Minh