Chen Kieu Pagoda (Sa Lon Pagoda)

Chen Kieu Pagoda is one of the best-known Khmer pagodas in Sóc Trăng, and one of the most unusual. Instead of plain plaster, patterned tiles or paint, its walls, columns and stupas are covered in thousands of fragments of bowls, plates and porcelain, set in colourful, random patterns. That decoration gave the pagoda its Vietnamese name: chén kiểu means "patterned bowls".

Its Khmer name is Wat Sro Loun, which Vietnamese speakers shortened to Sà Lôn. Sro Loun comes from Chro Luong, the name of a canal that once ran along the village road near the pagoda. It belongs to the Khmer Theravada (Nam Tông) Buddhist tradition and remains an important place of worship and pilgrimage for the local Khmer community. In 2012 it was listed as a provincial historical and cultural relic.

A Pagoda Built from Donated Dishes

The pagoda was founded around 1815, built like other Khmer pagodas of the time from leaves, wood and earth. During the war, bombing badly damaged the main hall. In 1969 it was rebuilt in its current form, with a main hall, sala (meeting hall), stupas and a library for scriptures. Building materials were scarce, so the monks asked families in the surrounding Khmer hamlets (phum and sóc) to donate their bowls and plates, and used the pieces to cover the walls - a way to save money that also created the pagoda's striking decoration. Some older accounts give different dates for its construction and renovation.

The pagoda is right on National Highway 1A, about 12 km from the centre of Sóc Trăng city in the direction of Bạc Liêu, so it's easy to stop on the way between the two. From central Cần Thơ it's about 70 km, roughly 1.5-2 hours by car along Highway 1A. You can drive or ride into the grounds, where there is parking for motorbikes and cars.

Like other Khmer pagodas, the main hall has a three-tiered roof - the lowest tier the widest, narrowing towards the top, which ends in a triangular gable with a tall, pointed spire - decorated with colourful motifs. Inside, the atmosphere is solemn, with about 20 Buddha statues of different sizes in various meditation poses. Outside, almost every building shares the same porcelain mosaic style, even the stupas and ceilings, and the large, shady grounds include a flower garden, monks' quarters and a stupa cemetery, with plenty of spots to rest and take photos.

A small display house keeps belongings associated with the Bạc Liêu Playboy (Công tử Bạc Liêu), the famously wealthy, free-spending landowner's son of the early 20th century, including an old bed. Young monks are often around and happy to help visitors.

The pagoda itself is clean and peaceful, but the area around the gate gets mixed reviews: lottery-ticket sellers, beggars and small children asking for money, stalls charging for parking, dirty toilets and some litter. A few visitors find the pagoda ordinary once the novelty of the mosaics wears off.

Chen Kieu Pagoda is an easy 45-90 minute stop on a Sóc Trăng day trip or on the drive from Cần Thơ to Bạc Liêu. Go early or late for softer light on the mosaics, dress for a place of worship, and leave your shoes at the door of the main hall. A small donation is a good way to thank the pagoda for keeping its doors open to visitors.

Combine it with the Bat Pagoda (chùa Dơi), another famous Khmer pagoda in Sóc Trăng, for a half-day of Khmer temple-hopping.