The fire at Pho Quang Pagoda broke out at around 10am on October 23. At around 10:15am, the Fire Department arrived at the scene and the fire was brought under control and extinguished at 11:40am.
Authorities determined that there were no human casualties, but property damage was estimated at 25 billion VND. The fire destroyed all the wooden parts, the roof tiles, the electrical system was damaged, and the clay and wooden statues in the Tam Bao temple were damaged by heat.
Before the fire, Pho Quang Pagoda had a unique spiritual architecture. This ancient temple is a national architectural and artistic relic.
Pho Quang Pagoda (also known as Xuan Lung Pagoda) was built in the 14th century under the Tran Dynasty, belonging to the Northern Sect. The pagoda was built in the shape of the letter Cong, with tiled roofs and two levels.
The upper pagoda has 3 compartments with a width of 10m and a length of 7m. The lower pagoda has 5 compartments with a width of 16m and a length of 13.5m. The overall architectural plan of the pagoda includes: Tam Quan - bell tower, stele house, Tam Bao building.
The pagoda is about 800 years old and still preserves many valuable relics and antiques from many eras from Tran, Le and Nguyen. Most notably, in the main hall there is a lotus stone pedestal crafted in 1387, used as a Buddhist altar and has never been moved since then. In 2021, this stone pedestal was recognized as a National Treasure.
Two stone steles in the pagoda, one of which was created in 1628, record information that the pagoda was once damaged and was restored in 1626 by the mandarins Tin Quan, Phu Xuyen Marquis Nguyen Hieu Dung, Si Phu Nguyen Van Vi and about 70 association leaders. The upper hall, the incense hall, the front hall, the back hall, the three gates... were all beautifully restored.
The remaining stele, created in 1634, is engraved with an 8-line Tang Dynasty poem by Pham Su Manh in 1377 about his inspection tour in this region - excerpt from the Book of Vietnamese Han Nom Inscriptions (Hanoi, 1993).
Many locals and tourists who visited the temple expressed regret when the fire devastated the temple, burning down many parts of the main hall. Authorities are urgently investigating to clarify the cause of the fire.
