Cao Dan Pagoda – Cultural and historical heritage

Launching Ngo boat at Cao Dan pagoda
Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province: Happy Chol-chnam-thmay to Khmer pagodas, art units, and press
Cultural tourism potential from ancient pagoda

Unique features of architecture and beliefs

Cao Dan Pagoda is one of the pagodas that still retains the traditional Khmer architecture of the South. The main hall of the pagoda was built facing the West, symbolizing the process of Buddha's Nirvana. The decorative details in the pagoda are closely associated with the cultural life and religious beliefs of the Khmer people, including mythological symbols such as the Krud (Garuda) bird symbol, the Key Nor (fairy) symbol, moss-shaped motifs with sophisticated carvings that have created vivid pictures on the structures in the pagoda's grounds.

Main hall of Cao Dan Pagoda.

Inside the main hall and lecture hall of Cao Dan Pagoda, many important relics are still preserved, including a large statue of Buddha Shakyamuni and many small statues of Buddha Shakyamuni with different sizes and postures, reflecting the process of renunciation, study and enlightenment of Buddha, artifacts such as large drums, bronze bells, gongs, wooden fish... serving the holidays, festivals and religious activities taking place at the pagoda. In the pagoda grounds, there are many areas for worship and practice of beliefs associated with typical Buddhist legends and stories such as: the symbol of Buddha meditating under the Bodhi tree, the symbol of the Naga snake protecting Buddha...

Large statue of Buddha Shakyamuni inside the main hall.

For the Khmer people in Tan Loc commune and neighboring areas, Cao Dan Pagoda is not only a place for religious activities and Buddha worship, but also a cultural, educational and social center of the community. From birth, adulthood to death, the lives of Khmer people are closely linked to the pagoda: children come to learn Khmer and study doctrine; young people go to the pagoda to study and practice morality; adults regularly attend ceremonies and do good deeds; the elderly find peace in the scriptures; the dead have their ashes deposited at the pagoda. Also at Cao Dan Pagoda, monks and Achar regularly open classes to teach Khmer to children of ethnic minorities in the area.

Students come to burn incense at the tower of Venerable Huu Nhem.

Every year, the pagoda is the place to hold typical traditional festivals such as: Chol Chnam Thmay Festival (New Year Festival), taking place from April 14 to 16, with many important rituals such as the Maha Sangkran procession, rice offering ceremony, sand mountain building ceremony, Buddha statue bathing ceremony, memorial service... praying for the gods to bless and bring blessings to people in the new year; Sene Dolta Festival (Ancestor worship ceremony), held for 3 days, from August 29 to September 1 of the lunar calendar, this is an occasion to remember the deceased and create bonds between family members, clans and communities; Ok Om Bok Festival (Moon worship ceremony), taking place on October 15 of the lunar calendar, this festival is associated with agricultural life, expressing gratitude to the Moon God for giving a bountiful harvest.

Historical Marks

Right from the early years of the resistance war against foreign invaders, Cao Dan Pagoda became a solid support for the revolutionary movement. In 1943, the Viet Minh Front chose this place as its base of operations, a place to hide weapons and organize secret activities. By December 1945, when the resistance war in the South entered a critical phase, comrade Vu Duc - Standing Member of the Western Provincial Party Committee chose Cao Dan Pagoda as the place to report to the Central Committee on revolutionary activities in the area.

Statue of Buddha meditating under the Bodhi tree.

In 1953, Cao Dan Pagoda was the chosen location to open a 3-month political training course for Khmer cadres in the Bac Lieu and Ca Mau regions, in which many monks and Achar participated and matured in revolutionary activities, many of whom became key cadres of the Party. In 1960, Cao Dan Pagoda was honored to be chosen as the venue for the Congress of Solidarity of Patriotic Monks in the Southwest region, with the participation of more than 400 monks.

Also here, Venerable Huu Nhem, former Vice President of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, studied and grew up. From the role of a true monk, he quickly became a staunch revolutionary soldier, participated in the fight and heroically sacrificed on October 7, 1966 in a bombing raid. His name and revolutionary career became a source of inspiration and pride for monks and Khmer people. To commemorate the Venerable's contributions, Huu Nhem Tower was built in 2003 in the temple grounds, with a height of 12m, on an area of 12m², a symbolic work for patriotism and solidarity of all classes of people in the province. Many propaganda and traditional education activities for the younger generation, especially local students, have been regularly held here.

Promoting historical and cultural values

To recognize the cultural and historical values of Cao Dan Pagoda, on June 11, 2007, the People's Committee of Ca Mau province decided to rank it as a provincial historical relic. On December 29, 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to rank it as a national historical relic.

The symbol of the Naga snake protecting Buddha.

The historical relic of Cao Dan Pagoda is a vivid example of the harmonious combination of Buddhist spiritual space and revolutionary base. This place not only preserves the architectural and artistic features and religious activities typical of the Khmer people but also symbolizes the spirit of solidarity of Kinh - Khmer - Hoa together to fight and protect the Fatherland.

The Crus bird symbol is decorated at Huu Nhem Tower.

The preservation and promotion of the value of the historical relic of Cao Dan Pagoda is extremely important, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of the Khmer ethnic minority in Ca Mau. The relic is not only a cultural heritage for sightseeing, but also a heroic epic about patriotism, pride and encouragement for generations of Buddhists, ethnic communities and young generations today and tomorrow.

Dang Minh

Source: https://baocamau.vn/chua-cao-dan-di-san-van-hoa-va-lich-su-a123527.html