Discover the 15-hectare temple with the oldest terracotta statues in Vietnam
Báo Dân trí•24/05/2024
(Dan Tri) - Nom Pagoda has a campus of 15 hectares and is recognized by the Vietnam Record Book Center as the pagoda with the most ancient terracotta statues in Vietnam.
Nom Pagoda belongs to the Nom village relic complex, located in Dai Dong commune, Van Lam district, Hung Yen . Currently, Nom Pagoda has a campus of 15 hectares, including the ancient pagoda and the newly renovated and restored part, with an architectural layout in the style of "inner public, outer private". The impression for every visitor when coming to Nom Pagoda is the three-door gate made of wood and roofed with red fish-scale tiles, looking extremely ancient, massive, majestic, bearing the traditional features of ancient pagodas in the North. The three-door gate of Nom Pagoda is 25m high, the second largest three-door gate of a pagoda in Vietnam, designed in a two-story, eight-roof style, the attic is decorated with delicate, soft carvings. Visitors can walk up the wooden stairs on both sides to the attic to see the entire view of the pagoda. Nom Pagoda is also known by another name, Linh Thong Co Tu. The pagoda has pure Vietnamese architecture. When passing through the three-door gate, there is a bell tower and a drum tower symmetrically located on both sides, with a clear blue lake in the middle. No one remembers exactly when the pagoda was founded, but it is known that on the two large steles that remain here, the pagoda was rebuilt in 1680. In February 1994, Nom Hung Yen Pagoda was certified as a historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
The Quan Am Tower is located in the middle of the lake like a majestic and splendid lotus platform. Having gone through many historical ups and downs, the laterite tomb tower garden located next to the ancient pagoda remains intact, as if challenging time. Nom Pagoda has long been a historical witness, closely associated with the local people in both wartime and peacetime. The sacredness of the pagoda is always imbued into every tile, every piece of wood, statue, wall... Buddha Tathagata, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, Eighteen Arhats, Eight Vajrapani, Lord, Holy Mother... are noble and sacred figures worshiped in Nom pagoda.
Nom Pagoda is recognized by the Vietnam Book of Records Center as the pagoda with the most ancient clay statues in Vietnam. The pagoda currently has more than 120 Buddha statues made of clay, depicting the gestures and extremely vivid facial expressions of the Three Saints, the Three Worlds, Amitabha, the Eightfold Diamond, the Eighteen Arhats... The Buddha statues are made of clay and are scattered throughout the temple in different sizes. The statues here are carved with extremely vivid gestures and facial expressions. Some statues are over 3m tall but there are also statues as big as a fist. The ancient well in the pagoda was built with green stone, and the water is still clear. According to feng shui, the well is the acupuncture point of the earth and sky, thanks to which the yin and yang are not separated, helping the land where the pagoda is built to gather blessings and develop. Mrs. Muoi (a refreshment vendor in the pagoda) said that the ancient well has clear water all year round and is still often used. The paths in the pagoda are regularly cleaned, giving visitors a clean and peaceful space. Nom Pagoda is currently a rare pagoda whose architecture has not changed much, still retaining its original form and natural beauty, making every visitor feel close when coming here. "After many centuries, 122 statues are still intact, without any need for repair. According to the elders, Nom Pagoda has suffered many terrible floods but the statues in the pagoda are still intact," said Ms. Muoi. The laterite wall built around the temple is very delicate, creating an ancient look for the temple. The stone bridge consists of 9 dragon-head spans, about 200 years old, reflecting on the Nguyet Duc River, connecting Nom village to the pagoda. The bridge surface is nearly 2m wide, made of monolithic green stone, fitted tightly together.
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