Admire two national treasures in a thousand-year-old pagoda in Bac Ninh

According to the book Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, Phat Tich Pagoda (located in Phat Tich Commune, Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province), also known as Van Phuc Pagoda, was built in the fourth year of Thai Binh (1057), and is preserving two national treasures: the Amitabha Buddha statue and a set of 10 stone animal statues.

The main hall of Phat Tich Pagoda is where the Amitabha Buddha statue is enshrined, made of green stone, with a current size of 2.7m high including the pedestal, representing Amitabha Buddha.

The statue is carved in a meditative sitting position, leaning slightly forward, with both hands placed face up in the lap in a mudra with the left hand placed on top of the right hand, and legs sitting cross-legged.

The face of Amitabha Buddha has a kind and perfect appearance, more or less idealized with the Indian human form. His expression is both thoughtful and radiant. His eyes look down, his nose is high, and the corners of his mouth smile discreetly.

The statue sits on a flat hemispherical lotus throne, decorated with upside-down and upside-down lotus petals. Each petal is carved with a coiled dragon.

The pedestal base is a pyramidal block, cut into four steps, with an octagonal plan, decorated with dragons, waves, clouds, and flickering, swirling fire.

According to the Van Phuc Zen Monastery stele, in 1057, the Ly Dynasty King built a pagoda and erected a high tower on Lan Kha Mountain, inside which was enshrined a 6-meter-high Buddha statue, the Amitabha statue of Phat Tich Pagoda. This is the oldest Buddha statue recorded in stele in Vietnam.

The Amitabha statue at Phat Tich Pagoda is a masterpiece of sculpture and was recognized by the State as a national treasure in 2013.

Currently, at Phat Tich Pagoda, there is also a large Amitabha Buddha statue newly built of green stone, over 27 m high and weighing 3,000 tons, placed on top of Phat Tich Mountain, 108 m above sea level.

Along with that is the newly built stupa reminiscent of the ancient stupa of Phat Tich Pagoda during its golden age.

Besides the Amitabha Buddha statue, Phat Tich Pagoda also has another National Treasure, which is a set of 10 sacred animal statues from the Ly Dynasty. According to the stele "Van Phuc Dai Thien Tu Bi" erected in 1686, talking about the construction of Phat Tich Pagoda, this sacred animal was carved at the same time as the pagoda was built.

These 10 statues include 5 pairs of horses, rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, and lions, arranged symmetrically in front of the Tam Bao corridor.

The above sacred animals are all delicately carved, the sculpture is very typical of the Ly Dynasty art style, creating a temple space with ancient beauty, unique features, rare in any temple. The size of the sacred animals is nearly 2m high, all of them are allowed by the artist to climb onto the box-shaped lotus pedestal to lie comfortably.

The animal and the pedestal are made of one piece of stone, forming a massive and solemn block. The body blocks are depicted as strong and tense, placed in space in a prostrate position on the pedestal, creating a feeling of rest and relaxation. It carries the meaning of natural liberation and freedom in the world of Buddha.

Venerable Thich Giac Tinh, Deputy Abbot of Phat Tich Pagoda, said that basically the statues are still relatively intact, only small cracks at the edges of the pedestal, the surface of the statues has been weathered and eroded.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/chiem-nguong-hai-bao-vat-quoc-gia-trong-ngoi-chua-nghin-nam-o-bac-ninh-192250403110717253.htm