Ancient pagoda that has existed for more than 9 centuries preserving national treasures
Nghia Xa Pagoda, also known as Vien Quang Pagoda, is located in Xuan Truong commune, Ninh Binh province. According to historical documents, the pagoda was started from the Ly Dynasty, more than 900 years ago. Due to changes in the flow of the Red River, the pagoda has undergone 3 relocations before stabilizing in Nghia Xa village as it is today. With special historical, cultural and architectural value, in 1991, Vien Quang Pagoda was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic.
The pagoda is currently located on a campus of about 5,000m2, bearing the "domestic and foreign" architecture characteristic of ancient Buddhist works. The overall structure includes many large-scale and imposing items, still preserving the architectural imprints of the Later Le Dynasty (XVII - XVIII centuries) through the spatial layout, wooden structure system and sophisticated traditional carved motifs.
Not only valuable in architecture, Vien Quang Pagoda is also a place to preserve many precious artifacts and antiques, including the stone stele dated Thien Phu Due Vu 3 (1122). With special values in history, culture, fine arts and documents, the stone stele of Nghia Xa Pagoda was recognized by the Prime Minister as a National Treasure. This is a unique artwork typical of the Buddhist fine arts style of the Ly Dynasty in the 12th century and the Le Trung Hung Dynasty in the 16th century, a golden period in the history of Vietnamese Buddhism.
Mr. Pham Ngoc Nam - Deputy Head of the Management Board of Nghia Xa Pagoda relic, Xuan Truong commune - informed that, according to historical records, the stele of Nghia Xa Pagoda was compiled by Luc Thuong Thai Su Ly Tuong Dinh during the Ly Dynasty and recarved during the Le Trung Hung period at the end of the 16th century. The content of the stele contains profound literary values with contents of Buddhist philosophy, making an important contribution to the study of Ly - Tran period literature.
Worry before the rainy and storm season
Having existed for more than 9 centuries with the fluctuations of time, the pagoda is currently seriously degraded, many items are heavily damaged, posing a risk of unsafety and need to be repaired and restored soon.
Real-world records show that the three-entrance gate of the pagoda has a situation of peeling plaster, and old bricks that have weathered are clearly visible in many locations. The bell hanging bar made of ironwood shows signs of termites and degradation. The elaborately carved ironwood door system is also damaged by termites in many locations, causing significant damage.
More worryingly, many important load-bearing components have been damaged, no longer ensuring load-bearing capacity. The roof in many places has collapsed, requiring temporary treatment. To avoid the risk of collapse, the pagoda was forced to temporarily replace some positions with bamboo, and at the same time reinforce concrete beams to increase safety for the roof.
The forbidden palace area is considered the most seriously degraded place. The roof above is clearly hanging down and is currently temporarily supported by bamboo trees. The walls are long cracks.
Mr. Nam added that the degradation of Nghia Xa Pagoda has lasted for more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly serious. Many items are heavily damaged, making travel in the inner sanctuary area potentially unsafe, especially when the rainy and storm season is approaching.
Regarding the above issue, Mr. Tran Huu Khanh - Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Xuan Truong commune - shared that the locality has conducted inspections and verified the actual status of the relic and has a detailed assessment report on the level of degradation of Nghia Xa Pagoda.
Faced with the reality that many items are heavily damaged, the locality has proposed to competent authorities to pay attention. According to the initial proposal, the cost of restoring the entire project is estimated at over 1,000 billion VND.
