PHUNG THANH PAGODA

The pagoda has the pen name of “Phụng Thánh tự” (Phung Thanh Temple), located at 43 Cong Trang lane, Trung Phung ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi city.

According to legend, in the Ly Dynasty, there was a beautiful and benevolent Princess who often did many good deeds, so she was very popular with the people. One day, the princess traveled on a boat, when she came to a large lake (in the area of Phung Thanh pagoda today), she encountered a big storm that sank the boat. Upon hearing the bad news, the king sent his soldiers to recover her body, but could not find. People in the area believed that the Princess had become a Buddha since she did many good things. To commemorate her gratitude, the people chose the land by the lake to build a temple. Later, the villagers continued to build three additional wooden houses to worship Buddha. That is Phung Thanh pagoda today.

During the Tay Son period, Phung Thanh pagoda was located in the fierce Dong Da battlefield area, so it was ruined. By the Nguyen Dynasty, the pagoda was restored. On the night of December 26, 1972, during the B52 bombing on Kham Thien street, the entire Three Jewels House of the pagoda was destroyed entirely. In 1973, the head monk of the pagoda, Dam Anh, renovated the Three Jewels House of the pagoda and renovated the architectural items to worship Buddha, Ancestors and Mother Goddess.

Phung Thanh Pagoda campus is spacious and large that faces the South and has a lake. The current architectural works of the pagoda include Three-Door Gate, Three Jewels House, Patriarch house, Mother Goddess House, Reception House, Guanyin Tower, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Gong Tower and large surrounding garden. The pagoda has walls separated from the residential area, ensuring the solemn and quiet atmosphere for the pagoda.

The Three-Door Gate of the pagoda is built in the form of a stack of matchboxes with two floors and 8 floors. The top of the roof is covered with the image of the sun and the stylized dragon. Gate is built in the form of arch with the top decorated with 3 Chinese characters "Phụng Thánh tự" (Phung Thanh Temple), the two sides are decorated with parallel sentences with Chinese characters.

The Three Jewels House Tam Bảo (Three –Jewel House) is a “丁” shaped structure including Front Hall, Main Hall. The roof supporting frame is made of monolithic concrete with the aim at ensuring the durability and strength. The Buddha worshiping room in the Three Jewels House is decorated with Buddha statues. At the top is a set of statues of the Three Buddhas, followed by the Amitabha Buddha and the Three Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara with the Thousand Arms and Eyes, the Nine Dragons throne, and the Old Man and the Holy Monk.

The Patriarch house has the “丁” shaped structure including 5 compartments of Front Hall and 3 compartments of Harem. The roof trusses are interconnected in the design of 'Overlapping beams with gong frame above, columns, and eaves below'. On the beams, columns, and eaves, there are intricate carvings of overturned leaves, spiraling patterns, seal patterns, floral motifs, and dragon leaves. Notably, the doors of the Patriarch house are intricately carved with chrysanthemums, lotus flowers, coiling dragons, water patterns, and leaf motifs, reflecting the artistic style of the Nguyen dynasty.

The Mother Goddess House consists of 3 compartments of Front Hall, 2 compartments of Harem. The beams are connected together in the traditional method. This hall is dedicated to the worship of the Three Holy Mothers, the Five Venerable Mandarins, the Seventh Princeof Bảo Hà, the Tenth Prince of Nghệ An, as well as statues of the Boy and the Girl, in accordance with the beliefs of the Mother Worship cult.

After many years of being encroached, the pagoda management unit has cooperated with local authorities in Dong Da district and Hanoi city to clear households from the campus and return Landscape for relic. In addition to the major architectural units which have been renovated spaciously, the pagoda has been provided additionally with Drum Tower, Bell tower, Gong Tower; Guanyin tower, Tomb Garden etc.

Existed until today, Phung Thanh pagoda still keeps 29 round statues, 02 bronze bells, 09 stone steles and many great letter boards, doors painting in fresco, parallel sentences, curved letter boards, incense-table etc. with the art style of the nineteenth-twentieth century.

Every year, on the full moon day of January, the pagoda organizes vegetarian meals served by the Buddhists themselves. In addition, on weekdays, the pagoda is opened to welcome tourists who want to enjoy vegetarian dishes. Dishes provided by Phung Thanh Pagoda are famous everywhere and are well-known as “the most delicious vegetarian dishes in Hanoi” with such vegetarian dishes such as: meal rolls, pork-pie, fried pork-pie, bitter melon which are processed from ingredients rich in nutrients.

Experiencing many ups and downs of history, Phung Thanh Pagoda still retains many beautiful traditional architecture which is the harmony between architecture and surrounding environment, among architectural parts in the same overall. The pagoda is a peaceful and relaxing place for people to find the Buddha place to pray for a good and peaceful life.

Phung Thanh Pagoda was classified as a national relic in 1988.