SỞ PAGODA (PHÚC KHÁNH PAGODA)

The Pagoda’s official name is “Phuc Khanh Pagoda”; however, the local people often called by its ancient Vietnamese name “So Pagoda” (“So” means a sub-commune; in the Le Dynasty, the pagoda was originally the head quarter of a sub-commune, named “Thinh Quang sub-commune”; after a long time, the word “Sở” was used to name the pagoda. The pagoda now is located at no. 382, Tay Son street, Dong Da district, Hanoi city.

According to folk legend, Phuc Khanh Pagoda started to be built in the end of Tran Dynasty – beginning of Early Le Dynasty and was the place for the buddhists to practice Buddhism. By Restored Le Dynasty, the pagoda had become a well-known place of the capital. In the end of 18th Century, in the historic Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da battle, the pagoda was completely ruined. The article on the Bell which was casted in the 4th year of Canh Thinh reign (1796) show that: “Phuc Khanh Pagoda, Thinh Quang sub-commune suddenly was put under sword and fire, all the Buddha thrones, pagoda staff house, etc. were ruined… Now a Buddhist of Tran Quoc pagoda named Chieu Lien dropped by on his travel; he was loved by the people and invited to be the chief monk of the pagoda. He spent his effort persuading people from everywhere to combine with the people of the sub-commune to rebuild the pagoda”. Also according to the Bell’s article: Admiral Tran Van Le (of the Tay Son Dynasty) contributed his money to cast the bell and the Nine-Dragon statue in the pagoda.

In the resistance war against the French colony, Sở Pagoda was destroyed once again. After the country reunion, the pagoda staffs and the local authority persuaded people to contribute efforts in building it again so that there would be a place for kowtowing the Buddha. The current architecture is resulted from restorations in 1993, 1996 and 1998, and consists of: Entrance gate, Front Hall, Main Hall, Patriarch House, Mother Goddess House, Avalokiteśvara House, the Tomb tower are and auxiliary work items for daily living activities of the pagoda staff and visitors from everywhere.

The first item is the Entrance gate built in form of two storeys, two roofs with one overlaying the other and 8 roof sides altogether, roof corners curving like sabre tips. In upper floor, there hanged a big bell; on two side of the gate, there are two symbolic pillars embarked with a pair of “Nghe” (a supernatural lion-like creature) heading to each other, as if they were scanning the spirit of the people before they entering the religious place. The bodies of the pillars are embarked with parallel sentences in Chinese characters.

The Front Hall consists of 5 compartments, with close brick walls and extending frames at the sides, roof covered with traditional tiles. The frame sets are linked in form of “Overlaid beams and Gong hanging frame in upper and diagonal beam in lower” on 4 column rows. Ornaments are mainly presented in side sculptured wooden boards, diagonal beam, etc. with various and artistic subjects, showing a desire for a well-off and prosperous life with everything developing and growing, such as: old apricot blossom and daisy transforming into dragon, orchids, peach flower, lotus, pomegranate, custard-apple, etc. in artistic style of Nguyen Dynasty.

The Main Hall is a longitudinal house, lying in behind with 3 compartments, creating a general layout of "Đinh" (丁) character. This is a popular structure of religious works of Vietnam people in the Northern delta. The house is built with close brick walls and extending frames at the sides, roof covered with traditional tiles. The frame sets are linked in form of balanced “Gong-hanging beams and side beams”. Inscriptions are simple, mainly pure planning surface and decorative lines which are more of solidity.

The Mother Goddess House consists of 5 main compartments and 2 auxiliary side compartments. The Patriarch House consists of 7 compartments. These works contribute to a complete landscape of the pagoda. All these architectural works were built in traditional style. These are the place for worshiping ancestral chief monks of the pagoda and the god statues according to the worship of mother goddesses beliefs.

In the precincts of the pagoda, there is a work which is similar in appearance to a Square House, with two storeys, 8 roof sides altogether, corners of the roofs like curved sabre tips; the lower storey is open to 4 sides; inside it there is a statue of Avalokiteśvara with thousand hands and thousand eyes. There are large-sized wooden columns in the corners to support the roof corners. Ornaments are mainly presented in lower beams, roof corners, etc. with embossed lotus petal, daisy, crane, dragon, cloud which are in artistic style of Nguyen Dynasty.

Phuc Khanh Pagoda still preserve a large number of relics of various types and materials, notable of which are statues of Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Avalokiteśvara with thousand hands and thousand eyes, which are carved very beautifully, meticulously with balanced layout and of contemporary sculpture standard. According to some researchers, these statues were mainly made in 18th Century but they tend to bear artistic style of Tay Son dynasty.

Besides the Buddha statues system, the pagoda preserves 21 stone steles, 3 bronze bells dated to Le – Tay Son to Nguyen Dynasty. This is a source of precious historic materials which helps to study about the history of the land area, the pagoda, process of its restoration, repairs and various aspects of contemporary social life. In addition to the above-mentioned relics, the pagoda has many horizontal lacquered boards, door paintings in fresco, ornamental ancient scrolled paper book, parallel sentences, altars, thurible and other worshiping objects which are inscribed in a meticulous manner, showing the desire of the people of a prosperous live, harmonized weather, peaceful and prosperous country.

For a long time, Phuc Khanh has become a well-known pagoda in Hanoi capital thanks to its cultural, historic and architectural values as well as traditional religious activities. Especially, on the 15th day of July and January of lunar calendar every year, the pagoda celebrates a mass for the peace of the people to pray for peacefulness and prosperity of the country and the people, prosperity and happiness of every family. These annual activities attract a large number of buddhists and visitors from everywhere to the pagoda for kowtowing the Buddha and pray for peacefulness.

So Pagoda (Phuc Khanh Pagoda) was classified as National vestige in 1988.