Bat Pagoda, also known as Ma Toc or Mahatup Pagoda, is located in Ward 3, Soc Trang City, Soc Trang Province. As a significant Khmer spiritual architectural site, it was recognized as a national artistic monument in 1999.

According to local Khmer accounts, this land once witnessed fierce battles during peasant uprisings against feudal rule. While other areas fell, the region around Bat Pagoda was victorious. People then gathered here, considering it a blessed land and built the temple to worship Buddha.

Historical records state that construction began in 1569 under Thach Ut and has since passed through 19 generations of abbots with several renovations. Following a fire in 2007, the main hall was reconstructed and completed in 2010.

The temple covers about 4 hectares, featuring a main hall, sala, Black Lady Shrine, and numerous chedis containing the remains of past abbots, all surrounded by tall dipterocarp and star trees that create a shaded, serene space.

The main hall stands on an elevated foundation approximately 1 meter above ground, nearly 20 meters long and over 10 meters wide. Its four roof corners curve upwards with sculpted Naga snakes, supported by columns each bearing a Kemnar celestial maiden with palms pressed together.

Inside is a monolithic stone statue of Buddha Shakyamuni seated on a lotus pedestal about 2 meters high.

Venerable Lam To Linh, deputy abbot of the pagoda, shared that although Soc Trang has hundreds of pagodas with abundant greenery, the giant bats only roost here, with no signs of them at other temples.

Displaying an archival photo of the rare bats, he noted that each weighs between 0.5 to 1kg with a wingspan of 1 to 1.5 meters.

“These bats have two legs, each foot with five toes ending in sharp, hook-like claws. There’s also a hook on each shoulder. They hang upside down, gripping tree branches with their feet,” Venerable Linh explained.

These bats reproduce just once per year, giving birth to a single pup. They do not build nests but give birth while hanging. One wing clutches a branch, while the other supports the newborn. The mother then carries her young for three to four months until it can fly and forage on its own.

Sadly, over the past 20 years, their numbers have sharply declined. Though some still hang in the tall trees during the day, the dense gatherings of the past are now absent.

A primary cause is the hunting of bats for food. At night, hunters set nets in fruit orchards to catch bats and sell them to restaurants.

In addition to the giant bats, visitors are often intrigued by the legend of three tombs of five-toed pigs located on temple grounds.

Venerable Linh recounted that pigs normally have four toes. In the Mekong Delta, locals regard five-toed pigs as “human spirits” and avoid raising, selling, or butchering them due to superstitions of misfortune.

Instead, these pigs were entrusted to Bat Pagoda for care until their deaths, after which they were cremated and buried. However, the pagoda has since stopped accepting them to preserve its landscape.