[Photo] Worshiping the Tuyet Son statue - a nearly 400-year-old treasure at Keo Pagoda

Located on a flat, spacious land, Keo Pagoda (Than Quang Tu) is one of the typical ancient wooden pagodas of Vietnam. With outstanding values in history, architecture and art, the relic was ranked as a special national relic in 2012.

Keo Pagoda historical-cultural relic (Vu Tien commune, Hung Yen province).

Currently, Keo Pagoda complex has an area of over 41,000m² including 17 main structures with 128 rooms. Items such as the three-door gate, Buddha temple, Saint temple, bell tower... are preserved almost intact with unique architecture from the 17th century.

Keo Pagoda's architecture represents the layout of "inner two public, outer one country", in harmony between the solemn worship space and the peaceful landscape of the Northern Delta.

Peaceful landscape of the Northern Delta.

The highlight is the bell tower which is over 11m high with 3 raised roof floors, the frame is entirely made of ironwood connected by traditional mortise and tenon. The structure supports 12 tiled roofs with elegant curved ends. The bell tower hangs 3 ancient bells and 1 stone gong, and is recognized as the tallest ancient wooden bell tower in Vietnam.

The bell tower is the symbol of Keo Pagoda.

Surpassing the architectural, artistic and technical values, the Tuyet Son statue is a special mark that creates a unique attraction for Keo Pagoda. According to tour guide Nguyen Thi Duyen (Keo Pagoda Relic Management Board), the statue depicts Buddha Sakyamuni practicing asceticism for 6 years in the way of self-mortification and meditation. Every day, he only ate one grain of rice and one sesame seed, meditating to find the root cause of human suffering and the path to end suffering.

The statue successfully depicts his 6 years of practice with a thin body, visible bones, and calm eyes exuding spirit and will to overcome suffering and find a path of liberation for all living beings.

The Tuyet Son statue depicts Buddha Sakyamuni practicing asceticism.

Not only does it have spiritual value, the statue is also a special crystallization of traditional plastic arts and unique materials. Instead of being carved from wood, cast in bronze or sculpted from stone, the Tuyet Son statue is made from a mixture of lime-soaked paper mixed with soot, molasses and ash. These are all familiar materials among the people, not rare, but the secret lies in the mixing ratio. However, this technique has been lost, and descendants have not inherited it, so the Tuyet Son statue is a unique copy.

Ancient dark colors in Keo Pagoda space.

In terms of Buddhist art and philosophy, the statue combines elements of anthropometry, philosophy of life and the 81 good features of the Buddha. This is the only entity that has existed sustainably against the impact of time for nearly 4 centuries, a vivid testament to the creative talent and aesthetic thinking of our ancestors.

On the journey to visit Keo Pagoda, visitors not only admire a unique ancient wooden architectural complex but also have the opportunity to worship the Tuyet Son statue - a place to express the aspiration for goodness and the enduring humanistic values of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Details contribute to the value of the special national relic Keo Pagoda.

In addition, Keo Pagoda still preserves two national treasures, including a set of doors carved with dragon images at the inner gate and an altar dating from the 17th century. The convergence of architecture, beliefs and unique treasures has created a special attraction, making Keo Pagoda a cultural and spiritual destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

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