Thích Ca Pagoda (Phương Viên Pagoda)

Thích Ca Pagoda (Phương Viên Pagoda)

Phương Viên Pagoda is currently located in Phương Viên Village, Sơn Đồng Commune, Hà Nội.

Phương Viên Pagoda has the Sino-Vietnamese name Thích Ca Tự. Local people usually call it Thượng Pagoda to distinguish it from Giữa Pagoda in the same village. Phương Viên has the vernacular name Vạng Village.

The pagoda is located by the dike at the head of the village in the northeast direction. The outer three-entrance gate is right at the foot of the dike, built of brick in three reduced tiers in the shape of a stupa; the corners of each roof tier have upcurved finials, and the roofs are coated with lime mortar. From the outer three-entrance gate, a path leads into the main pagoda to the inner three-entrance gate, repaired in 1945. In 1947, the pagoda was burned and destroyed by the French colonialists; in 1953, local people repaired it so that the pagoda has the appearance it does today.

The Tiền đường (Fore Hall) and Thượng điện (Upper Hall) are structured in the shape of the character “đinh,” as a square two-story building with eight roofs and curved floral motifs at the corners; its frame has four main columns and twelve secondary columns connected by beams, purlins, and braces. It is decorated with carvings of dragons in the artistic style of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In the upper gallery hangs a bell bearing the inscription: “Thích Ca Tự Chung,” cast in the twelfth month of the Đinh Tỵ year, the fifth year of the Cảnh Thịnh era (1797).

Thích Ca is the name of the World-Honored Buddha. In the past, the pagoda foundation lay on a turtle-shaped mound, consisting of an arched shrine, and a leaf-roofed pagoda was built there for worship. Later, a worship alcove was built on a platform in the second bay of the Tiền đường (Fore Hall). Phương Viên Pagoda preserves many valuable artifacts, including the bell cast in 1797, the fifth year of the Cảnh Thịnh era, with the inscription “Thích Ca Tự Chung.” The interior of the pagoda is arranged with 12 large and small statues, clearly demonstrating a refined sculptural style. Most notable are three gilded Tam Thế (Three Ages) statues, a bronze Quan Âm Chuẩn Đề statue weighing about 200 kg, and statues of Ngọc Hoàng, Nam Tào, and Bắc Đẩu. In the Tiền đường, there are also statues of Đức Ông and Thánh Tăng, arranged solemnly but close to everyday folk life.

Phương Viên Pagoda was ranked as an architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1997.