Attracting thousands of domestic and foreign visitors to worship, when for the first time displaying models and images of 87 national treasures of Vietnamese Buddhism.
At the exhibition space "Vietnamese Buddhist Culture: Language, Traditional Culture, Architecture, Heritage", elaborate simulation versions, accurate scale and rare images of Buddha statues, medicines, recense, reliefs, wood works... are solemnly displayed. Of which, 20 Buddha statues were restored with a scale of 50% to 70% smaller than the original, giving viewers a panoramic view of Vietnamese Buddhist sculpture art through many periods, from the 4th century to the Nguyen Dynasty.
Attracting attention at the exhibition is the restoration of the statue of King Tran Nhan Tong with the same size as the original, recreating the image of the king - Zen master - founder of Truc Lam Zen sect with green stone, which was recognized as a national treasure in 2020.
In addition, the restored version of the A Di Da statue of Phat Tich Pagoda under the Ly Dynasty, expressing the delicate and solemn beauty of Buddhist art at the beginning of independence, is also a highlight in the exhibition space. Her tragic face, meditation figure and sharp carved details made many people unable to hide their emotions when they examined them with their own eyes.
Many visitors stopped for quite a while before the version of the Quan Am statue with thousands of eyes and thousands of hands of But Thap Pagoda - a superficial symbol of the spirit of suffering and saving suffering. The statue was restored with high technique and meticulousness in every detail. This is also a statue with top spiritual and artistic value of Vietnamese Buddhism.
This is the first time I have seen with my own eyes the versions of treasures that I have only seen in books and newspapers. Each statue has its own beauty and contains the spirit of compassion and the intelligence of Buddhism - Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) shared when visiting the exhibition with her children and grandchildren.
Also at the exhibition area, images and documents about Tuyet Son statue of Bi Pagoda, the statue set of Tam The Phat of But Thap Pagoda, Linh Ung Pagoda, or Quan Am Tong Tu, Quan Am Hoa Son... are arranged scientifically, combined with short explanations to help viewers easily understand the date, material and cultural - spiritual values of each artifact.
The exhibition also has a display area of historical Buddha paintings, tea meditation space, pagoda paintings, enlightenment, medicine and ancient medicine, recreating the depth of Vietnamese Buddhist culture - where the spirit of Southern and Northern tones converge.
According to architect Dinh Viet Phuong - Head of the restoration team, the restoration of Buddha statues took more than 2 years to complete, with the criterion of "inner city but close to the public".
