Huong Duong Pagoda

Huong Duong Pagoda is also known by its Sino-Vietnamese name "Vinh Minh Tu". At the beginning of the 19th century, Huong Duong was called Le Xa, belonging to Huong Duong Commune, Binh Lan Canton, Thuong Phuc District, Thuong Tin Prefecture, Son Nam Trấn.

Huong Duong Pagoda is an ancient pagoda located in an airy, peaceful space with many green trees. In front of the pagoda is a semicircular lake. The pagoda's architecture remains quite intact, including: Tien Duong (Front Hall), Thuong Dien (Upper Hall), Nha To (Ancestor House), Nha Mau (Mother House), and Nha Khach (Guest House).

The main pagoda is built in the "dinh" style, comprising 5 bays of Tien Duong and 3 bays of Thuong Dien. These structures all feature: gable-end walls, closed gables; sloping roofs covered with local tiles. Inside is the wooden architectural structure. On the roof ridge and roof edges, the character "dinh" is embossed, and square kìm ornaments shaped like dou are attached to hold the roof edges. The house frame is made with four rows of load-bearing columns supporting the trusses with upper "gia chien" and lower "ke" structural systems. On the purlins and the inner side of the cau dau, the bodies of the ke bay are decorated with floral patterns and seal-script characters. The pagoda's architecture has few decorative patterns, with artistic effort reserved for carving statues and ritual objects.

Huong Duong Pagoda has 24 ancient statues. In the Upper Hall, the first layer is the Tam The (Three Ages) set at the top, close to the rear wall of Thuong Dien. The second layer is the Di Da Tam Ton (Three Amitabha) set: in the center is the Amitabha statue, flanked by Quan Am (Avalokitesvara) and Dai The Chi (Mahasthamaprapta). The third layer is the Shakyamuni Buddha statue, followed by Nam Tao and Bac Dau. Finally is the Cuu Long (Nine Dragons) throne. On either side are Tho Dia (Earth Deity) and Giam Trai.

Outside the Tien Duong are altars to Duc Ong and Duc Thanh Hien. In the side bay are two statues of the Dharma Protectors, Khuyen Thien (Encouraging Good) and Trung Ac (Punishing Evil).
Source: Hanoi Scenic Sites and Relics, Volume 02