Lon Wa Buddhist Temple

Lon Wa Buddhist Temple is a must-see tourist attraction in Davao City. It is one of the biggest Buddhist temples in the Philippines and the biggest in Mindanao, and the most popular temple in Davao City. It is located along J.P. Cabaguio Avenue in Agdao District, some 3 to 4 kilometers northeast of the center of Davao City. 

Lon Wa or Long Hua, which means "Temple of the Dragon", is home to Kung Fu monks and nuns of the Philippine Academy of Shakya, a Buddhist religion movement. Many Chinese tourists and migrants visit this place to worship and pay respect.

The Temple's architecture is a marvel in itself. The Temple walls are laden with slabs of Italian marbles and the grounds are beautifully landscaped with lush greenery of several varieties of flowering plants and palm trees.

The Temple

At the entrance, a smiling Buddha awaits visitors to the Temple where two large lion statues close to the flight of stairs stand guard at the foreground of the temple.

Smiling Buddha

The Lion Statues

Inside the Temple is a long, high-ceiling hall of well-polished floors where a huge Buddha at the far end and a long line of several lighted candles can be seen, as well as the gold Thousand-Armed Kuan Yin where the ashes of dead members of the Temple are kept, and the intricate wood carvings that depict the life of Buddha are prominently displayed. 

Inside the Temple

The Temple is generally simple and austere. The serenity and the prevailing sweet smell of incense of the Temple make this shrine a welcome retreat away from the everyday noise of the city and the toxic demands of urban living in this otherwise predominantly Muslim region in the Philippines. 

Admission is FREE and the Temple is open to the public from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. A guard usually stands at the entrance gate to assist visitors inside the Temple. 

How to get to Lon Wa Buddhist Temple 

The Temple is located along J.P. Cabaguio Avenue in Agdao District, some 3 to 4 kilometers northeast of the center of Davao City and is easily accessible by public or private transportation. Jeepneys with Route 10 labels or those with signboards going either to Sasa or J. P. Cabagiuo usually traverse the route that pass by the Temple. 

For further information, please contact telephone numbers +6382 227 1314 and +6382 305 1083.

Images courtesy of, and many thanks to dinabaw of SSC-Davao