Its official name is Mahatup or Ma Toc Pagoda. This is the only pagoda where the local Khmer ethnic group worships Buddha Sakyamuni.
In the Khmer language, “Mahatup” means big struggle. In the past, this place witnessed a fierce battle between local peasants and cruel landlords from the ruling feudal regime. After the battle, evacuees settled down in this area and built this pagoda because they thought that it was a safe area.
Constructed in 1569 in the typical old Khmer architecture, Mahatup Pagoda has been embellished and restored many times. Most recently, in 2008, the pagoda’s central chamber caught on fire and needed to be rebuilt.
The pagoda’s main chamber has a curved roof carved with naga, a snake-like being. On its top stands a pointed tower. On each of the poles, which surround the main chamber, there is a statue of the Kemnar fairy with two hands clasped in front of the chest. Inside the main chamber is a monolithic statue of Buddha Sakyamuni sitting on a 2-m lotus stand, and a statue of a Buddha riding on Muchalinda, known as naga.
Attentively, the life of Buddha, from his birth to the time he was enlightened and achieved nirvana, is depicted on the walls of the main chamber.
In addition, the pagoda stores scriptures recorded on palmyra leaves and various rare and precious artifacts with Southern cultural and ritual values.
The name Doi of the pagoda came from the fact that its garden is home to a large colony of bats. There was a time when thousands of bats gathered in the pagoda, spreading their wings to cover the sky.
According to Le Thi Anh Thuot, a resident of Soc Trang, bats in Doi Pagoda weigh anywhere from 1 to 1.5 kg. It is mysterious that though loving eating fruits, bats at the pagoda has never eaten fruits grown there. During the day, the bats hang from the branches like ripe fruit bunches. At around 6 p.m., they fly out to find food and return to the pagoda around 5 a.m. the next morning. Why these bats only choose Doi Pagoda for residence remains a mystery.
Doi Pagoda is the first pagoda in Soc Trang to be recognized as a national tourist relic site. It often hosts traditional festivals of the local Khmer people, and gatherings with various cultural activities.
This spiritual tourist attraction attracts a lot of domestic and international tourists annually.
Translated by Mai Huong