A jade statue of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of Vietnam Zen Buddhism, is being on display at Tu Dam Pagoda in the central city of Hue on March 19-25.

A solemn ceremony to commemorate the King-Monk and welcome his statue was held at the pagoda on March 24.

According to the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha – Thua Thien-Hue chapter, the jade statue, which is 3.25 metres high and weighs 7 tonnes, was on loan from the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Monastery in Uong Bi city, northern Quang Ninh province.

After Hue city, the jade statue will be displayed at central Da Nang city and Quang Tri province before returning to Truc Lam Yen Tu Monastery.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran dynasty, ascended the throne when he was just 21. He is famed for defeating Mongol invaders twice during his 15-year reign.

The King abdicated the throne when he was 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain practising and propagating Buddhism. He founded the Truc Lam School of Zen and worked to unify different Vietnamese Buddhism sects into Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.-VNA