Along with the Tran Royal Temple relic, Pho Minh Pagoda is one of the famous spiritual destinations, impressing visitors with its ancient, green and peaceful features.
Overview about Pho Minh Pagoda
Pho Minh Pagoda is also known as Thap Pagoda, located in the West of Tran Royal Temple, in Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City. The pagoda was built under the Ly Dynasty, and in 1262, under the Tran Dynasty, it was expanded in scale and grandeur. Up to now, although it has been restored many times, the pagoda still retains many traces of Tran Dynasty art.
Pho Minh Pagoda was once a place of practice and chanting for many emperors and noble mandarins of the Tran Dynasty. As a famous relic in the Hong Duc map drawn in 1470, the pagoda is considered a great scenic spot of Dai Viet (one of the old name of Viet Nam). This is also one of the places of practice of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong with monks Phap Loa and Huyen Quang – the Three First Patriarchs of Truc Lam zen sect. After the death of the emperor, the successor Emperor Tran Anh Tong ordered people to make a stone palanquin and build a tower on top, then placed 7 of the 21 relics of his father in a precious stone box and brought them into the Pho Minh tower in front of the temple.
In 2012, Pho Minh Pagoda was ranked as a special national monument by the Prime Minister. The architectural works in the pagoda are elaborately carved, bearing the mark of the Tran Dynasty.
Pho Minh Pagoda is also a place to preserve many valuable antiques, contributing significantly to the study of the economy, politics, culture and society of Viet Nam under the Tran Dynasty.
It is now very large pagoda which includes a lotus pond, a floating house, and lush old trees, attract many tourists to visit and worship.
Unique architectural features at Pho Minh Pagoda
The Tam Quan (Triple gate) of the pagoda has 3 entrances, brick walls, ancient tiled roof, designed in the style of “two floors, four roofs”.
Under the 3-level stone steps at the entrance, there is a pair of stone squirrels from the Tran Dynasty carved from a monolithic stone block, in a running position from top to bottom and the entire steps are wrapped in rectangular blocks of green stone.
The main architectural complex of the pagoda includes 9 front rooms, 3 incense rooms, the upper hall also has 3 rooms but is wider, arranged in the shape of the Sino-Vietnamese letter “工”. The door set in the middle of the front hall consists of 4 large, thick ironwood panels, carved with dragons, water waves, flowers and geometric patterns.
The two middle panels are carved with a pair of large dragons facing the Sun, considered a quite perfect sculpture. Like the pair of stone crocodiles on the three-door steps and the pair of dragons on the steps in the middle of the front hall, this set of doors still retains the imprints of the Tran Dynasty’s carving art.
In the pagoda, there is a statue of Tran Nhan Tong entering Nirvana (lying statue); two other statues of The Early Patriarchs of Truc Lam zen sect made of wood, painted red, gilded, intact after 300 years; and a number of beautiful and splendid Buddha statues. This set of statues was recognized as a national treasure on January 30, 2023. The large bell of the pagoda is casted in 1796.
The statue of Tran Nhan Tong entering Nirvana.
Behind the main hall, separated by a narrow yard, is an eleven-room building extending in the shape of the Sino-Vietnamese letter “一”. In the middle are five rooms of the ancestor’s house, on the left are three rooms of the monk’s house, on the right are three rooms of the worship hall. In the ancestor’s house is a statue of Lady Mac, who used to contribute to the restoration and practice at the pagoda.
The statue of Lady Mac
The statue is carved from white stone, sitting on a lotus throne. Two corridors connecting the front hall and the 11-room building form the outer circle of the Sino-Vietnamese letter “国”.
In the pagoda yard, in addition to the tower, there are two stele houses on both sides. The stele house on the right covers the stele dated 1916, talking about Pho Minh tower.
While the stele house on the left has a stele dated 1668, talking about the pagoda. Both of them are put on the back of a stone turtle.
Pho Minh Tower
The most valuable structure, playing a leading role in the pagoda and preserved quite intact to this day is Pho Minh tower. Located in front of the altar house is a 21m high tower, built in 1305 which looks like a three-level lotus flower. The pedestal and the first level are constructed of engraved grey stone while the other levels are built of brick. On the top of the conical shaped tower is a stone in the form of a pen.
The tower has total 14 floors, upper floors all have arched doors facing four directions. The stone altar is placed in the heart of the first floor of the tower, stylized with lotus petals. The tower is decorated simply but still very beautiful with winding patterns, spectacular dragons playing with clouds. Although the tower weighs some 700 tons, it has surprisingly stood steady on sunken land for over seven centuries.
Located in the middle of a lowland area with an ancient temple roof, lush old trees, many centuries have passed but Pho Minh Tower still stands firm, creating a majestic and otherworldly landscape. Pho Minh Pagoda and Tower, together with Thien Truong Temple (worshiping the Tran Emperors) and Co Trach Temple (worshiping Tran Hung Dao), have created a relic site that is not only valuable in terms of art but also has great historical significance.
Source: collected by An
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