Public art at Thien Lam Pagoda

Similar to the celebration of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara's birthday at Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang , Tay Ninh also has a celebration, also known as the birthday of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, held over three days: from the 17th to the 19th of February in the lunar calendar (corresponding to March 16-18, 2025). This is the largest traditional festival of the year at Thien Lam - Go Ken Pagoda. This year, in addition to the usual program, there will also be a ceremony to cast a bronze statue of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

Dragons surround the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

Because the festival lasts for many days, the temple pays special attention to decorative art—from the entire grounds down to the smallest detail. Everywhere in the temple courtyard, you can see models, clusters of lanterns, and ornamental plants for visitors to admire or relax. But the most special are the public art installations attached to the existing statues.

Public art is a type of art associated with outdoor public spaces, including monuments often found in parks and historical and cultural sites. Here, these art clusters feature the four mythical creatures, associated with pre-existing monuments such as the statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni, the statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, as well as the four mountain deities surrounding the Bodhi tree in front of the temple.

On either side of the Buddha statue are a pair of phoenixes made primarily of orchids and familiar leaves. In front of the statue is a turtle (quy) statue, measuring 7 meters long and about 5 meters wide, mainly made of coconut fruit. Corn stalks extend from the turtle's shell, dividing its body into segments.

Perhaps the most remarkable are the dragon and unicorn figures beside the stone statue of Quan Thế Âm (Guan Yin) from Bà Mountain, as well as the statues of mountain deities on either side. These are nearly 5 meters long, made entirely of betel nuts, pandan leaves, onions, radishes, garlic, and chili peppers.

Yet, it remains majestic and powerful, as if carrying the gods. In the center is a set of seven dragons clustered around the Buddha; two pairs at the top are movable. Particularly charming are the pair of fish-transformed dragons placed in front of the incense burner. All are crafted from leaves, fruits, and vegetables very familiar to human life.

Statue of Buddha Shakyamuni.

There is still another form of public art, but it only appears in the float parade, starting at 5:30 PM on February 18th (lunar calendar) from Go Ken Pagoda. Each float is also a mobile work of art, crafted from flowers and foliage from the South.

All of these factors contributed to making the celebration of the birth anniversary of Quan Thế Âm (Guan Yin) at Thiền Lâm Pagoda more distinctive and richer in traditional folk identity.

NGUYEN

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/nghe-thuat-cong-cong-chua-thien-lam-go-ken-a187877.html