Nghe An (VNA) – The central province of Nghe An is bestowed with beautiful landscapes, imposing mountains, and expansive untouched beaches. The region is also home to many ancient pagodas with impressive architecture, one of which is the Lam Son Pagoda, built entirely from wood.
Located in Thuong Yen Village (Quynh Yen commune, Quynh Luu district) more than 250km from Hanoi, Lam Son Pagoda was built mainly with lim and sen wood. These hardwoods are among the four most precious in Vietnam, with a total volume of around 1,200 cubic meters used in the original construction.
The pagoda has been a spiritual and religious symbol for residents for as long as they can remember. With its impressive construction, it has become a must-see destination for visitors from other localities when arriving in Nghe An.
According to local elderly people in Thuong Yen village, Lam Son Pagoda was built in 1712 (the Restored Le Dynasty). Erected in a spacious elevated land lot, it was the gathering place for the religious practice of residents.
During the resistance war against French colonialists, the pagoda became a place for meetings and gatherings to mobilize residents to join and support the national liberation war.
Through the ups and downs over the decades, the pagoda was greatly damaged, and Buddhist statues as well as ceremonial objects also gradually lost.
Responding to the need for the religious practice of residents and Buddhist followers, on November 8, 2012, the provincial People’s Committee issued a decision approving the restoration of Lam Son Pagoda. One year later, on November 19, 2013, the provincial People’s Committee approved a detailed reconstruction plan for the pagoda on a compound of nearly 5,500 sq. m.
In late 2013, reconstruction and restoration work began on Lam Son Pagoda. The design followed the common pagoda architecture in the Red River Delta.
Like many other traditional Vietnamese pagodas, Lam Son Pagoda has various structures in its design, such as the Dai Hung Bao Dien (the main hall), the ancestor worship hall, two long corridors on the left and the right sides, a bell tower, a drum tower, a three-entrance gate, and other supporting buildings. All structures are made of lim and sen wood with a total volume of 1,200 cubic meters. In particular, the ancestor worship hall is built entirely with kien kien wood, including 7.58m-high pillars.
Worthy of note is a statue of Bodhidharma carved from a single block of nu nghien wood, which was recognized as a Vietnamese record by the Vietnam Guinness Organisation in December 2016.
Besides the wooden structure, one of the highlights of the pagoda is a 3.2m-high statue of Maitreya Buddha carved out from a single block of stone weighing more than 120 tonnes.
The Bodhidharma and Maitreya Buddha statues, along with a statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva standing next to the pond in front of the pagoda’s gate, are what makes Lam Son Pagoda stand out among its peers.
Nowadays, Lam Son Pagoda not only serves the religious needs of Buddhist followers but is also a must-see destination for visitors, thus helping develop the local economy and tourism./.
