An Phu Pagoda

INTRODUCTION TO AN PHU PAGODA RELIC

Welcome, dear visitors!

Welcome dear visitors to a spiritual cultural heritage of the heroic homeland Hoa Xa, which is An Phu Pagoda (Kim Quy Tu)

An Phu Pagoda, Dang Giang Village, Hoa Xa Commune, Hanoi City, has the Sino-Vietnamese name Kim Quy Tu has been ranked as a city-level historical and cultural relic under Decision No. 167-QD/UB dated February 25, 2000 of the People's Committee of Ha Tay Province (now the People's Committee of Hanoi City).

At the beginning of the 19th century, An Phu (Doan Xa Village) belonged to Dai Duong Canton, Ung Thien Prefecture, Son Nam Thuong Circuit. Under Nguyen Minh Menh, Son Nam Thuong Circuit was abolished, and An Phu belonged to Hanoi Province. At the beginning of the 20th century it was changed to Ha Dong Province. To this day, An Phu Pagoda belongs to Dang Giang Village, Hoa Xa Commune, Hanoi City.

From the capital Hanoi, go to Ha Dong, follow National Highway No. 6 to the Ba La Bong Do junction, turn left onto National Highway 21B, pass Binh Da - Nga Tu Vac - Van Dinh - to the beginning of the dike, follow the road to Phu Ly to kilometer 38 to reach the An Phu communal house and pagoda relic. The pagoda is right next to the national highway.

An Phu Village, Hoa Xa Commune has a history of formation and development from very ancient times. Therefore, the traditional village religious architectural system was also built early to meet the belief needs of the village community and to preserve the traditional cultural values of the nation.

Buddhism appeared in India in the 7th century BC and was introduced to Vietnam from the first centuries AD and has developed to this day. The pagoda was born and has existed along with villages, integrated with traditional local beliefs, and closely associated with the cultural and spiritual life of the community. Its purpose is to use Buddhist teachings and the compassionate Buddha to encourage good and deter evil, educating people in benevolence and righteousness.

At the same time, it also records the contributions of virtuous men and female believers in the community to the construction and restoration of the village pagoda. An Phu Pagoda was built as a place for all the people's belief and religious rituals, and also a place that actively contributes to strengthening the community spirit of the village, educating people in benevolence and righteousness so that they increasingly love their homeland and country.

An Phu Pagoda worships Buddha according to the Mahayana school, so it belongs to the religious architecture type of a pagoda.

An Phu Pagoda is not only a religious belief relic but also a site. It witnessed many historical events of the An Phu homeland. This place was a secret activity site for revolutionary cadres. The Buddha pedestal in the pagoda was a secret bunker; daily the monk Dang Xuan Hien fed and sheltered cadres, helping cadres from the free zone (My Duc) come to hide and operate, making the enemy confused. In 1952 the French enemy came and set up a post blocking our liaison route, devastated the homeland, and they set fire to destroy the relic.

1. Description of the relic

An Phu Pagoda (Kim Quy Tu) is located on a large plot of land at the edge of the residential area of An Phu Village and next to the national highway. According to the stories of village elders and survey documents, Kim Quy Tu has a long history of construction. Looking at the overall relic site, it has the following basic architectural items: the pagoda gate, the main pagoda (including the ceremonial hall and upper sanctuary), the ancestor hall, and the mother goddess hall.

a. Pagoda gate: Visitors coming to visit and sightsee at Kim Quy Tu Pagoda in Dang Giang Village, Hoa Xa Commune: the relic is right next to the road, and only a few dozen steps are needed to enter the pagoda gate. The gate has just been built in the two-tier, eight-roof overlapping-eaves style with lime and brick materials, and the roof is covered with ri tiles.

The two roof tiers of the pagoda gate are balanced according to the yin-yang rule. The four roofs of the upper tier represent yang energy; the four roofs of the lower tier are yin energy, heaven and earth, sunshine and rain.

b, Ceremonial hall: Passing through the pagoda gate into the pagoda courtyard, we see harmony and the tranquil mind of meditation. The Ceremonial Hall building consists of three bays with tiled roofs, four curved roof corners, and the roof ridge decorated with two dragons facing the moon. In front there is a wooden door system protecting the relic. Inside the Ceremonial Hall is the seat of Duc Ong and Duc Thanh Hien.

The porch part of the Ceremonial Hall is built like a three-bay house. On both sides are two guardian deity statues: the guardian encouraging good and the guardian punishing evil. In the central bay is a splendid lacquered and gilded altar, the place for the incense bowl and offerings to Buddha. This altar dates to the Tu Duc era and is carved with motifs of dragon transformation and the four seasons. A horizontal plaque with three Chinese characters Kim Quy Tu is decorated high above. In the central bay, it connects with the Tam Bao. A decorative nghi mon is hung below.

c, Upper Sanctuary: The Upper Sanctuary is the unified architectural part called the main pagoda. The Upper Sanctuary is built in the chuoi vo style joined in the shape of the Chinese character ding to the central bay of the Ceremonial Hall and extends backward, consisting of 3 bays 5.30 m wide and 5.40 m long. In the Upper Sanctuary, brick worship platforms were built rising gradually from the outside in, serving as the place for the Buddha statues of Kim Quy Tu Pagoda. Above hangs a horizontal plaque inscribed with four characters Huy Quang Nhat Tue. Viewed from the outside, Tam Bao has a unique architectural style with roofs and curved corners planted in layers.

2. Artifacts in the relic

An Phu Pagoda currently still preserves artifacts. The system of round statues includes:

+ In the highest position is the set of statues Tam The Thuong Tru Dieu Phap Than. These statues have similar dimensions and postures. The statue sits in the lotus position on a lotus throne, with both hands placed on the lap in the meditation mudra, and an oval, full face looking downward. The hair clusters on the head are raised and arranged in orderly horizontal rows. The statue is 0.92 m high and 0.81 m wide across the thighs. The lotus base has five layers of petals opening according to the seated posture. All three statues are lacquered and gilded in the late Nguyen style.

+ The second layer is the Amitabha Trinity set, in the central recess is the Amitabha Buddha statue, flanked by Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta. The Amitabha statue is lacquered and gilded. It sits on a lotus pedestal with large, plump lotus petals. It sits in the two-fold posture, with legs crossed in a circle distinguishing yin and yang. The shoulder measurement is 28 cm, and across the knees is 26 cm.

The two statues of Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta have female forms, embodying fullness and plenitude. They have round faces, short necks, and large, long ears. Their heads wear Buddhist golden crowns, with a sun in the center radiating wisdom. Their hands are thick, palms broad, and arms plump. The statues are made in the late Nguyen art style with distinctive local character.

+ The third layer is Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin. The statue is in a posture with the right foot exposed. The statue is 1 m high and 0.56 m across the thighs, consisting of nine pairs of hands arranged as follows: on each side there are 7 arms extended to the sides, very slender and symmetrical. In front of the abdomen there is a pair of hands facing upward in the meditation mudra, and a pair of hands in the standard meditation mudra. The statue's face is kind and solemn, with feminine features and a neck with 3 rings. On either side are the statues of the Golden Boy and Jade Girl, carved with realistic facial features and approachable portraits. The newly carved statue follows the late Nguyen style.

+ The fourth layer is the Jade Emperor statue, with Nam Tao on the left and Bac Dau on the right: The Jade Emperor statue is carved in a seated posture on a square pedestal, with legs at right angles and hands placed on the knees holding a tablet as if ready to issue edicts and convey orders of the Heavenly Court. The head wears a flat-heaven crown with tassels from the four corners and decorative patterns. The face is robust, the eyes bright, and the black beard long. The body wears a yellow court robe.

The two statues of Nam Tao and Bac Dau are small-scale martial officials wearing armor and winged hats, looking straight ahead, always expressing uprightness and readiness to carry out duties upon orders. These three statues are strongly imbued with local folk character.

+ Outermost on the Tam Bao is the nine-dragon throne. In the center of the nine-dragon throne is the statue of the infant Shakyamuni standing on a lotus throne. The statue is bare-chested, with the left hand pointing to heaven and the right hand pointing to earth.

In the Bai Duong is the place of Duc Ong and the Dharma Protector Encouraging Good on the right; the left compartment is Duc Thanh Hien and the Dharma Protector Punishing Evil. The two protector statues stand, wearing golden helmets and armor. The Encouraging Good protector holds a bright pearl in his left hand. The Punishing Evil protector holds a long sword in his right hand.

Duc Ong wears a crown and court robes with majestic cloud-and-fire patterns. Duc Thanh Hien wears a seven-Buddha crown and a softly draped cassock.

Overall, the statues in the Buddha hall of An Phu Pagoda are not numerous and not large in size, but they are meticulously carved according to traditional folk sculpture art.

The artifacts in An Phu Pagoda also include:

- 1 incense table from the Tu Duc era

- 1 bronze bell cast in the Tan Mao year of Thuong Nguyen

- 3 Buddhist sutra books

- 1 wooden fish

- 1 horizontal plaque inscribed Kim Quy Tu (Quy Dau year, reign of King Tu Duc)

- 1 large inscription bearing “Tue Nhat Quang Huy”

- 1 bronze incense bowl.

- 1 rear stele recording the name of the worshipped Mrs. Dao Thi Lo.

3. Scientific, historical, artistic and cultural value of the relic

An Phu Pagoda is a place of Buddha worship fulfilling the need for freedom of belief. It is also a place for community cultural activities.

An Phu Pagoda still preserves many precious artifacts such as the system of Nguyen-era statues and the bronze bell from the Tan Mao year of Thuong Nguyen.

An Phu Pagoda is an architectural complex consisting of many buildings: Front Hall - Upper Hall, Ancestor House, and Mother House. All these architectural items are the fruit of the diligent and creative labor of the people of An Phu village.

The pagoda bears traces of the resistance period. This was a secret activity location for revolutionary cadres.

We invite you to come to the An Phu Pagoda relic site to enter the serene space of …

Best regards!