Tay Ninh is a land bordering Cambodia, known for many famous religious works, a sacred and peaceful land. And the splendid beauty of Go Ken ancient pagoda is one of the special features that attracts tourists to come here. Let’s explore with Vietdreamtravel.vn the detailed beauty of Go Ken and the heroic historical stories hidden inside this special pagoda.
General information Go Ken pagoda
Location: Long Trung hamlet, Hoa Thanh ward, Tay Ninh province.
Go Ken pagoda (Vietnamese: chùa Gò Kén; chùa means pagoda) is a famous ancient pagoda located in Hoa Thanh ward. The pagoda also has another name, Thien Lam ancient pagoda, and was built on a land area of nearly 6,000 square meters. Around Go Ken Pagoda are vast green fields with large tree canopies creating a poetic and lyrical scene.
The entrance of Go Ken Pagoda
The pagoda has a large space with an impressive architectural system. At first glance from the outside, you will feel that the pagoda is of the Northern Buddhist sect with the typical architectural style of pagodas in Vietnam.
The land built in the pagoda in the past was quite high, often called a hill. The name of the pagoda – Go Ken, come from a family of climbing plants, with red ripe fruits, sweet to eat but not sour. The name Go Ken still exists today even though this plant species no longer exists around the pagoda.
History of Go Ken Pagoda in Tay Ninh
Go Ken Pagoda (Thien Lam Co Tu) was started to be built by the monk Thich Tri Luong, the abbot of the pagoda, in 1904. At that time, the pagoda was built simply with simple materials, mainly bamboo.
After many historical changes, Go Ken Pagoda was officially restored and renovated in 1970. After many changes, in 2007, Venerable Thich Thien Nghia continued to restore and add many works. Thanks to that, Go Ken Pagoda has a new appearance and the spacious beauty it has today.
Discovering the Buddhist architecture of the Northern Sect
Go Ken Pagoda has a large space with many interesting cultural activities, bringing a different religious experience.
The construction of Go Ken Pagoda is about 450 square meters with the whole area covered with tiled roofs, the main door is arched and the gable wall is open. The special structure of the pagoda evokes the space of a Christian church nestled in the middle of a space with many Buddha statues. This special feature turns Go Ken Pagoda into one of the works that is both familiar and unique.
The architectural complex of Go Ken Pagoda consists of 3 rooms, 6 wings and is divided into many categories. The pagoda includes the main hall, bell tower, preaching tower, garden… Inside the main hall, it is not designed horizontally, without layers from front to back following the traditional path of pagodas in the South.
The architectural style at Go Ken Pagoda is innovative with two rows of columns running long, each row includes 6 columns. The two rows of columns divide the space into 3 separate parts but are still relatively airy.
Just past the main hall, you can see 14 altars which are carved in a sophisticated and quite beautiful way. In particular, there is also a 3-meter-high Buddhist altar decorated with parallel sentences, large characters and prominent golden panels.
In addition, the bell tower and the scaffolding tower with a structure interwoven between stone and wood are also one of the impressive architectures at Go Ken Pagoda. At first glance, the tower is both rustic and simple but extremely sturdy.
Worshiping Buddha and discovering exquisite statues
Worshiping Buddha is one of the common things that tourists do when coming to Go Ken Pagoda. In the sacred space of the pagoda, you can find Buddha statues with impressive and sophisticated lines.
Standing out right in front of the pagoda yard is the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni meditating under the cool green Bodhi tree. The statue is exquisitely carved with a meditative portrait of Buddha, creating a peaceful and gentle feeling.
The statue of Buddha Shakyamuni meditating
The most impressive thing at Go Ken Pagoda is the 25-meter-high statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara riding. The 7-meter-high statue of Bodhisattva riding is solemnly placed on a white lotus pedestal in the middle of the lake.
In the grounds there is also a 25-meter-long statue of Buddha entering Nirvana with a majestic white color. Furthermore, the pagoda also has many unique simulations and designs such as Lumbini Garden, Maitreya Buddha Temple and 9-storey Xa Loi Stupa.
The statue of Buddha entering Nirvana
In addition to the main hall, Go Ken Pagoda also impresses with the Bell Tower and the Teaching Tower – two structures built of stone and wood, creating a rustic yet sturdy beauty. This is where important religious activities of the pagoda often take place.
Source: collected by An
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