Unique 28-year-old pagoda is the headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hung Yen province

Pho Pagoda is an ancient pagoda over 300 years old with a unique architectural style. Not only has it been chosen as the headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hung Yen province since 1997, it is also one of 16 historical relics in the Pho Hien special national relic complex. Pho Pagoda also has the Chinese name Bac Hoa Nhan Dan Tu, located on Trung Trac Street, Pho Hien Ward, Hung Yen Province.

Pho Pagoda is located on Trung Trac Street, Pho Hien Ward.

When it was first built, Pho Pagoda was named "Quan Am Cac" and located in Bac Hoa quarter, Hien Nam Trang area, Tran Son Nam Thuong of Pho Hien ancient town. Later, the Chinese people in Bac Hoa quarter renovated, expanded and renamed it Minh Huong pagoda, with the desire to glorify their homeland. Later, the pagoda was renamed Bac Hoa pagoda. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Governor General of Thai Binh and Nguyen Nang Quoc stood up to renovate the pagoda with the desire to turn this place into the Buddhist center of Hung Yen, the pagoda was renamed Pho pagoda.

The bell tower of Pho Pagoda has three bronze bells.

Located in the Pho Hien relic complex, Pho Pagoda was built by the Chinese and has a unique and different architectural style around the 17th century. The pagoda is designed to face North, while many pagodas in Pho Hien have a purely Vietnamese architectural style such as Chuong Pagoda, Hien Pagoda, Ne Chau Pagoda... Pho Pagoda has a combination of 3 architectural styles: Vietnamese, Chinese and Western with construction items such as: Tam quan, front hall, incense burning, upper hall, To house, Mau house...        

Pho Pagoda was built around the 17th century, and underwent several renovations in the 10th year of Tu Duc (1857) and the 16th year of Thanh Thai (1903), making the pagoda larger in scale. Currently, Pho Pagoda has many architectural features that are completely different from traditional Vietnamese pagodas.

The temple's main gate was built in the style of overlapping matches, the middle gate was built with 3 floors and 12 roofs. The roof was designed in the shape of tube tiles. The outer part of the matchstick was decorated with the Chinese characters "Bac Hoa Nhan Dan Tu". The two side gates were built with 2 floors and 4 roofs. Through the main gate is the inner temple area including the Front Hall, Thieu Huong Hall and Thuong Dien Hall. These three buildings were built in the style of overlapping roofs, connected to each other, the temple roof was covered with Vietnamese tiles.

The front hall consists of 3 compartments, the truss architecture is quite simple. The incense burning house has 3 compartments but is designed in a vaulted style, influenced by the Western medieval art style, bearing the mark of a Christian church. The three upper chambers are built in the style of a gong frame with two rows of pillars. The central part of the upper chamber is built in the style of overlapping beams. The most ethnically distinctive feature is that all the roof ridges of the lower and upper parts are curved, stylized dragon and phoenix shapes.

The dome system at Pho Pagoda has its own unique style.

The unique feature of Pho Pagoda is that the roof is designed in a Western-style arched style, reminiscent of Christian church architecture. The entire two sides of the back wall of the Thieu Huong building are where the altar is placed, and the reliefs of the Ten Kings of Hell, the ten kings who rule the worlds of the living and the dead, are made of extremely meticulous and delicate terracotta. The entire system of Ten Kings statues is embossed on the wall, looking very lively, each statue has a different sitting posture. In addition, the main room of the Upper Palace also preserves a large inscription with four large Chinese characters "Liu Ly Bao Dien" and below is a carved image of a pheasant that is extremely meticulously and delicately crafted.

Pho Pagoda still preserves incense bowls made of stone.

The Ten Temples statue system is embossed on the wall at Pho Pagoda.

Currently, the pagoda still preserves many valuable artifacts such as: ancient Buddha statues, stone incense bowls, bronze bells, a system of large characters, parallel sentences gilded with gold...

With its unique values, on December 2, 1992, Pho Pagoda was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information.   On December 3, 2014, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2408/QD-TTg, recognizing   Pho Hien relic site, of which Pho Pagoda is a special national relic.

The Ten Temples statue system is embossed on the wall at Pho Pagoda.

Venerable Thich Thanh Quang, Deputy Head and Chief Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Hung Yen province, said that in 1997, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Hung Yen province was re-established, choosing Pho Pagoda as the headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of the province because the history of Pho Pagoda is closely linked to the development of Pho Hien Commercial Port. After a period of time, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Hung Yen province has developed more operating facilities. Up to now, to meet new requirements and tasks, the headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of the province has moved to 171 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Pho Hien Ward.

The central room of Pho Pagoda houses the Three Jewels statue system.

Proud of the temple with its long-standing historical value, Ms. Pham Thi Thanh (Pho Hien Ward) said: The temple has a very beautiful architecture. In the spring, my friends from other localities come here to visit and everyone really likes this unique architecture.

“The first time I came to Pho Pagoda, I really felt a different architectural space compared to other pagodas, very beautiful,” Ms. Nguyen Phuong Chinh (Doan Dao commune) shared.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen, Management Board of Pho Hien National Special Relic Site said, “Pho Pagoda is a relic of outstanding architectural and historical value. With the unique combination of Vietnamese and Chinese architecture, the pagoda is an architectural work that demonstrates the solidarity and close relationship between Vietnam and China during the prosperous period of Pho Hien.

Pho Pagoda still preserves a stele dated Dao Dai, year Binh Dan 1926.

With its unique architecture and majestic beauty, Pho Pagoda is now famous as a sacred Buddhist place, not only attracting many Buddhist followers to worship but also attracting tourists when visiting the Pho Hien special national relic complex.

Jade

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/doc-dao-ngoi-chua-28-nam-la-tru-so-giao-hoi-phat-giao-viet-nam-tinh-hung-yen-3183678.html