Đồng Tháp has, since December 22, 2008, the largest Buddha statue of the Mekong Delta, built in Quan Âm Pagoda: "The sculpture, 32 meters long and weighing 100 tons, is that of Buddha lying on his side on a lotus petal, his right arm supporting his head and his left arm lying along his body. Buddhist scriptures say the Buddha assumed this position when he attained Nirvana, the release from the cycle of death and rebirth of an enlightened person. Thich Giac An of Quan Âm Pagoda, which from today will be home to the statue, said many Buddhists and locals contributed the 2,000 sacks of cement, five tons of iron and many other necessary materials worth VND1.6 billion (US$94,000) needed to build the statue. Quan Âm Pagoda, founded 200 years ago by a mandarin named Tran Quy Tanh, receives many devotees from across the country for major Buddhist festivals." Generous natural conditions and a submerged inland ecosystem have awarded Đồng Tháp with multiple valuable ecotourism resources, for example, Tràm Chim National Park, known both locally and internationally. This is a miniature ecological model of Đồng Tháp Mười and the habitat of red-head cranes – a precious bird species protected by the world. Tràm Chim National Park also achieves 7 out of 9 criteria in the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance. Also of importance is the Gáo Giồng ecotourism site. This is a 2,000 ha complex of cajeput forest where more than 15 species of precious bird live, nest and lay eggs. Additionally, the site offers a rich variety of aquatic resources. Situated by the bank of the Tiền River, the flower village of Sa Đéc is the homeland of hundreds of "uncanny flowers and strange herbs". The village – one of the flower centers in the south of Vietnam – covers an area of around 300 ha for planting flowers and ornamental trees. Here, scarce and priceless bonsai hundreds of years old can be seen. In addition to the economic importance shown in high incomes brought to the regional economy, Sa Đéc flowers also include cultural, art, esthetic and environmental-protecting values. Having been planned for construction, the Sa Đéc flower village will soon become an interesting tourist site bearing original particularities of the Mekong Delta.