Xeo Can Pagoda relic

Sirivansa - Xeo Can Pagoda was established in the spring of 1962 in Can Vam A hamlet, Thanh Yen commune, U Minh Thuong district ( Kien Giang ). Xeo Can Pagoda used to be a meeting place and shelter for patriotic cadres and soldiers.

Xeo Can Pagoda was established at the request of the Southwestern Liberation Front and the wishes of local monks and Buddhists. In 1962, Khmer elders mobilized Buddhists to clear the wild forest, dig the temple foundation, and mobilize human and financial resources to build Xeo Can Pagoda with trees and leaves.

Mr. Danh Den - Head of the Board of Directors of Xeo Can Pagoda said: "The pagoda was established to meet the religious needs of Buddhists; at the same time, it was a meeting place and shelter for monks and patriotic Buddhists during the resistance war against America to save the country."

In 1964, enemy planes bombed the pagoda fiercely, causing severe damage to the main hall, a broken arm of the Buddha statue, and the monks' quarters collapsed. In 1965, the enemy launched a sweep, many people evacuated to the pagoda to hide. A group of enemy planes flew above the pagoda's roof and opened fire.

Hearing the gunshots, Venerable Danh Chuoi - abbot of Xeo Can pagoda stood in the middle of the pagoda yard with a shiny yellow robe, intending to let the enemy see and know that this was a pagoda, a place of practice, but enemy planes still fired bullets.

Despite the danger, Venerable Danh Chuoi still stood in the middle of the temple yard. Luckily, not a single bullet hit him, only tearing his robe. When the enemy plane went far away, the people ran out to welcome the Venerable in.

Venerable Danh Hoang Nan - Deputy Abbot of Xeo Can Pagoda and Buddhists review the pagoda's revolutionary tradition.

In 1969, enemy planes flew in flocks, they lifted artillery and placed it on the temple grounds, then parachuted troops down to occupy the temple grounds to build a field artillery position to bombard deeper into the U Minh base. In that position, the blood of a monk and two children stained the temple grounds red.

Mr. Danh Tuong - a member of the Board of Directors of Xeo Can Pagoda said: “At that time, there were many people and children in the pagoda, I was one of the lucky ones who escaped that attack. The monk who was killed by the enemy artillery was the deputy abbot of the pagoda and my uncle. After that attack, Buddhists hated the enemy's barbaric actions even more.”

In mid-1969, when the enemy came to sweep, Buddhists and monks evacuated to other places. When the enemy withdrew, monks and Buddhists returned to the pagoda. By the end of 1969, the situation was stable and Buddhists continued to return to the pagoda. In 1974, monks of Xeo Can pagoda and a number of Buddhists joined a large demonstration of monks and Buddhists at 72 Khmer pagodas in the province to protest against the order to conscript monks into the army.

During the years of resistance against the US to save the country, Xeo Can Pagoda was also a place to shelter and protect many revolutionary cadres. Monks and Buddhists also participated in liaison, military operations, distributing leaflets, hanging revolutionary flags and contributing rice and money to serve the resistance until the great victory in the spring of 1975.

Mr. Danh Thuan, resident of Can Vam A hamlet, Thanh Yen commune said: "I remember on the day of liberation, people happily took to the streets and then went to the pagoda to celebrate, congratulating each other in the joy of national reunification."

From a pagoda that was repeatedly bombarded by the enemy, Xeo Can Pagoda was built solidly and spaciously. Xeo Can Pagoda was ranked as a provincial historical and cultural relic in 2004.

Article and photos: THU OANH