Giant lotus leaves in Phuoc Kien temple, Dong Thap

The giant lotuses that grow in the ancient temple of Phuoc Kien in the southern province of Dong Thap have leaves of up to 3m wide and each leaf can “carry” a person weighing up to 80kg.
Phuoc Kien Pagoda was established in the 18th century. It was the revolutionary base in the two wars of resistance against France and the United States. However, local people often refer to it by the name "Lotus King Temple" because there are many giant lotuses in the temple pond.

The temple has two lotus ponds, the small pond in front and the large pond at the back, which once the wartime bomb craters.

There are many kinds of lotuses in the ponds but the most special is the one with big, thick, spiny leaves with diameters from 1.5 - 2 meters. Lotus stems are as big as adult wrists, with leaf edges of 2cm - 5cm.

The front face of the leaves is glossy green while the under face have many thorns and large tendons. In particular, mature leaves can "carry” a person weighing up to 80kg.

According to Venerable Thich Hue Tu, this weird lotus variety appeared in the ponds in 1992. Nobody knows its name but local people commonly call it as the king lotus.

In the dry season, lotus leaves are just 1 to 1.5 m wide but in the rainy season, they can “bloom” to nearly 3m wide. Lotus flowers bloom in 3 days, twice a day and their color continuously changes.

This strange kind of lotus originates from Amazon, with the scientific name as Victoria regia.

Many tourists come to the temple are so excited to be standing on lotus leaves.