So Thuong Pagoda

So Thuong Pagoda is named after the former village's place name; its Sino-Vietnamese name is Hung Phuc Tu. The pagoda now belongs to Yen So Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi City.

So Thuong is an ancient Vietnamese village located on the left bank of the Red River, south of the Thang Long capital, an area with a very early history of establishment and development, with a strategic position controlling the southern waterway of the Thang Long capital. So Thuong Village was formed at the end of the 15th century and was originally the land of An Duyen or Yen Duyen during the reign of Le Thanh Tong (1460-1479). The land of So Thuong was a military-agricultural settlement estate, both large and full of ponds and lakes, with conditions to develop into a prosperous village and at the same time a very important military base on the waterway to protect the southern side of the Thang Long capital during wars of national defense.

Like many other pagodas in the area, So Thuong Pagoda was built to worship Buddha in order to satisfy the cultural and spiritual needs of a community. According to the inscription on the bronze bell of the Canh Thinh era (1797), it shows relatively accurately the date of the pagoda's initial construction and its restoration and carving of Buddha statues. So Thuong Pagoda was built on a large plot of land behind So Thuong Temple, with a spacious and dignified scale, and together with So Thuong Communal House in front, it forms a famous relic and scenic cluster in the area. During the resistance war against the French, the village communal house was destroyed for scorched-earth resistance, and the pagoda was also quite severely damaged. However, the pagoda's remaining architectural works still bear strong traditional religious architectural style. The triple gate is built in a two-tier five-gate style, with a vertical architectural layout formed by a system of ceremonial pillars; the lower tier has three large arched doors, and the upper tier is built with four roofs, overlapping eaves, and roofs covered with imitation tubular tiles; in the center of the ridge is a relief of two dragons flanking the moon, the roof corners are all decorated with curled-tail dragons, and on the outer face are three Chinese characters for the pagoda's name, Hung Phuc.

Continuing from the main gate along both sides of the wall are two small gates, built of brick with a style similar to the main gate but smaller in size. Passing through the triple gate leads into a garden courtyard harmoniously arranged with the buildings. Two square houses serve as the stele house and Quan Am Pavilion; the architecture of these two buildings is similar, in the style of square houses with eight roofs, covered with local tiles, and the roof corners are decorated with dragons curved upward. Beyond these two buildings, on the right is a stupa garden consisting of five stupas. These are the stupas of the abbots and patriarchs of the pagoda who have passed away. Inside the two square houses is a large courtyard paved with square bricks; on both sides of the courtyard are two rows of side corridors, each row with five bays in the style of gable walls with closed ends, roofed with local tiles.

The main pagoda has a Dinh-shaped structure consisting of the front hall and the upper sanctuary. The five-bay front hall is built on a foundation 50 cm higher than the courtyard, with brick edging around the foundation. The entire veranda roof of the building is built in the triple-gate style, with overlapping eaves and four roofs, covered with local tiles, a type of thin tile with curved tips like ripples; in the middle of the upper roof ridge is a relief of two dragons flanking the moon, and the roof corners are decorated with stylized dragons in relief. In the center is a scroll-shaped panel, and on both sides are reliefs depicting Buddhist stories. At the two ends of the front hall are two ceremonial pillars, with four stylized phoenixes in relief on top. The upper sanctuary has three bays, one end connected to the middle bay of the front hall and running lengthwise toward the rear. The interior has four rows of columns, and the roof-supporting trusses are structured in the stacked-beam style; the roof is covered with local tiles, and the ridge is built in the Dinh-shaped ridge style. The floor is paved with square bricks.

So Thuong Pagoda originated in the Le era and has existed for several hundred years. Through the vicissitudes of the nation's history, the pagoda has also undergone many changes in architectural appearance and natural landscape. Nevertheless, the imprint of the pagoda's historical formation is still shown through its system of artifacts. Although not large in number, the artifacts all carry representative value of the art of carving over the past several centuries. Typical is a set of 30 round statues of various sizes created in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Most notable is the Nine Dragons throne and the infant Shakyamuni statue made of bronze in the year Canh Thinh (1797), together with the casting of the bell and the repair of the pagoda. The set of Buddhas of the Three Ages is also a sculptural work carrying the artistic value of the 18th-century Le era.

Bronze artifacts include two bells, one of which bears the Canh Thinh era (1797), with a total height including the handle of 1.06 m and a diameter of 58 cm; the body of the bell is decorated with patterns. This is a rare artifact marking the golden imprint of the nation's history in the Tay Son period. The presence of the bronze bell from the time of King Canh Thinh of the Tay Son and the line of dates and inscription on the bell still preserved intact demonstrate love for the homeland and country and respect for protecting a truly legitimate and heroic dynasty in the history of the struggle to defend the nation. In addition, the bronze bell is also an artistic work created with elaborate and refined craftsmanship through decorative patterns, and at the same time a valuable historical source with historical names of people and places reflecting changes and the piety of the people of So Thuong. The written source recorded on the body of the bell has contributed significantly to the study and research of local history, customs, and practices.

In 1991, the people of So Thuong discovered in the ground beneath the pagoda a number of rare blue-and-white glazed porcelain artifacts of artistic value from the 18th century, such as a white-glazed porcelain jar with blue painting, its body decorated with dragon and cloud motifs and four monkey-head motifs near the neck; and a white-glazed wine vessel with blue painting. In addition to the typical artifacts mentioned above, the pagoda also preserves 6 horizontal plaques and 8 pairs of couplets whose content praises the merits of Buddha and the beauty of the pagoda. So Thuong Pagoda is a center of cultural and spiritual activity for a community and a valuable historical source regarding the existence of the ancient village of So Thuong through historical dynasties. So Thuong Pagoda was ranked as an artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in Decision No. 95/QD-BVHTT dated January 24, 1998.