Phú Hữu Pagoda (Long Sơn)

Hanoi is the capital, the national political and administrative center, and also one of Vietnam's major centers of culture, history, and tourism. With a long history, longstanding cultural tradition, and a rich heritage system, Hanoi currently preserves many historical-cultural relics, architectural and artistic relics, traditional festivals, and tangible and intangible cultural values of special significance. These are important resources for developing cultural tourism and community tourism, contributing to promoting the image of a cultured, civilized, modern capital rich in identity.

Among the system of historical-cultural relics in the capital, Phú Hữu Pagoda, Phú Hữu village, Vật Lại commune, Hanoi city, is an architectural work of historical, cultural, and religious value.

Phú Hữu Pagoda (whose Sino-Vietnamese name is Long Sơn Tự), located in Phú Hữu village, formerly Phú Sơn commune, Ba Vì district, now in Vật Lại commune, Hanoi city, is a place of worship of Buddha and Bodhisattvas of the Mahayana tradition. The pagoda was built on a large, high plot of land on a hillside near the village, facing north. The pagoda was ranked as a National-level architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information under Decision No. 3211/QĐ-BT dated 12/12/1994.

Previously, the pagoda architecture included a three-entrance gate, a bell tower, an ancestor house, a monks' house, the main pagoda, and two side halls; now only the main pagoda in the Đinh (T) shape, two side halls, and the three-entrance gate with a large garden around remain.

The three-entrance gate to the pagoda is a small structure combined with a protective wall in front of the main pagoda; this gate was built recently and could not reproduce the old gate style. Outside, on both sides of the main gate, there are two tall, large ceremonial pillars. The pillars have square cross-sections. The tops of the pillars are decorated in relief with stylized floral designs, with lantern panels left plain and square on both sides; at the two corners of the three-entrance gate there are two smaller ceremonial pillars, shaping the relic site.

Inside, in front of the main pagoda, on both sides of the courtyard are two side halls (left and right vu) with simple structures, using truss and crossbeam style, roofs covered with traditional tiles, gable walls of the blind-gable type, and open frontages creating a spacious, airy space suited to the function of the architecture. The main pagoda was built in the Đinh (T) shape, including a front hall and a rear sanctuary. The entire pagoda area is located on a wide hillside, so the architectural works are placed at different elevations, creating an imposing position for the relic site.

Phú Hữu Pagoda currently preserves a number of precious artifacts made of various materials and types, including: 06 carved wooden horizontal plaques, 01 pair of parallel sentences in lacquered red and gilded letters on a black background, with decorative borders, 02 carved wooden y môn panels following traditional motifs 'Two dragons flanking the sun' and the four sacred creatures. The carving technique and style date from the 19th-20th centuries; 01 box-shaped wooden incense altar, measuring 1.2m x 2.2m x 0.7m, with motifs of chrysanthemum transforming into dragon, turtle, unicorn, and phoenix; 01 stone stele dated 'Bảo Đại sixteenth year (1941)' recording the merit of Mrs. Phùng Thị Tảo (Dharma name Diệu Tần), 82 years old, a local resident, who donated 100 quan of money and 9 mẫu of rice fields to the pagoda for her parents' afterlife; 01 bronze bell dated 'Bảo Đại vạn niên tri thập niên' (1940); a system of 27 round statues made of wood and fired clay; notably the Hộ Tam Châu statue. Hộ Tam Châu was originally a bandit who was enlightened and converted, so the statue is made in a standing position on a high stone base. The statue is depicted as a military mandarin, wearing a helmet and short armor. A square face, high nose, sword-shaped eyebrows. The statue's two hands are brought in front of the face, palms facing each other, with a sword placed horizontally across the chest on the two arms to express the power of Buddhist enlightenment.

The Phú Hữu Pagoda relic bears strong features of traditional Vietnamese pagoda architecture, is closely attached to the cultural and religious life of the people, and at the same time contributes to preserving the historical, architectural-artistic values and cultural identity of the Đoài region. During the resistance war against the French colonialists, right after the success of the August Revolution in 1945 until 1949, the pagoda was used as the working headquarters of agencies and mass organizations. During the anti-French resistance in the locality, the tunnels at the pagoda were places where communal guerrilla cadres came and went and operated. This place witnessed the loyal and steadfast examples of guerrilla cadres in the face of the enemy associated with the historical imprints of the locality, contributing to educating generations about the tradition of patriotism and pride in their homeland.

With these values, Phú Hữu Pagoda is not only a space for practicing Buddhist worship but also a place that preserves, inherits, and promotes traditional cultural heritage values, contributing to enriching the cultural identity of the Đoài region, educating morality, encouraging goodness, and safeguarding the cultural traditions of the local community.