As reported, at around 10:00 a.m. on October 23, a fire broke out at Pho Quang Pagoda in Xuan Lung Commune, Lam Thao District, causing a lot of damage.
Arriving at Pho Quang Pagoda on the afternoon of October 24, Lao Dong Newspaper reporter noted that this pagoda is located on the main road of Xuan Lung commune, only about 500m from the left dike of Thao River (Red River).
In the temple, authorities have surrounded the area with tarpaulins, stretched ropes, and sealed off the scene to serve the investigation into the cause of the fire.
Mr. Dao Van Dung - a resident of Zone 4, Xuan Lung Commune (near the temple gate) - recounted that Mr. Dung was one of the first people to discover that Pho Quang Pagoda was on fire. Although he tried to put out the fire, the fire spread very quickly and was difficult to control.
"When we arrived, the fire was already burning and spreading continuously. It was very painful and regretful. The pagoda has been with us for many generations and is a place for cultural and spiritual activities of the people. In the pagoda, there is a lotus stone pedestal, which is a National Treasure. The fire broke a corner of the pedestal," Mr. Dung confided.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu - a resident of Zone 4, Xuan Huy Commune - expressed: "I live in another commune but very close to Pho Quang Pagoda, only a few hundred meters across the Red River dike. Seeing the ancient pagoda that was associated with my childhood and memories burn down after only 2 hours, everyone was heartbroken, many people could not hold back their tears."
According to a quick report from the Lam Thao District People's Committee, although there were no casualties, the fire at Pho Quang Pagoda caused a lot of property damage, including: All the wooden parts, the roof tiles, the electrical system were burned down, and the clay and wooden statues in the Three Jewels were damaged by heat. Preliminary estimates show that the total value of material damage is about 25 billion VND.
Currently, the Ministry of Public Security is coordinating with the authorities to conduct an investigation to clarify the cause of the fire at Pho Quang Pagoda.
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).
