Thượng Khê Pagoda (Hưng Quang Temple)

According to local people, Thượng Khê Pagoda was built about 270 years ago. However, over the war years, the pagoda was used as a warehouse for military equipment and supplies, as a school, and as the operating office of the Thái Thượng Cooperative for a long time. By 2018, the pagoda's architectural structures had deteriorated, so the villagers together contributed labor and resources to rebuild the Tam Bảo and the Mother Goddess House as a common place for the religious and spiritual activities of the village people.

In the villagers' memory, the old Tam Bảo was built with a wooden structure, consisting of 5 bays, with large wooden columns and spacious grounds. Later it deteriorated, and the villagers rebuilt the Tam Bảo with reinforced concrete materials.

From the pagoda courtyard, after three steps up and down, is the Tam Bảo, comprising the Front Hall and the Upper Hall with a Đinh-shaped layout. This is the main structure of the pagoda, the largest in scale, and the place where many Buddha statues are arranged.

Front Hall It is made higher than the courtyard level; the veranda has 5 steps, paved with Bát bricks in the Công-shaped bond. The Front Hall consists of 5 bays; its frame is made of reinforced concrete but built in the traditional Vietnamese architectural style. The wooden frame has 5 rows of column bases (3 in front, 2 behind). The roof truss is of the giá chiêng – chồng rường type, the side truss is of the chồng rường type, and the veranda has a “tiền kẻ hậu bẩy” structure, with the front of the kẻ suốt type and the rear of the bẩy type. On the rường beams, images of flipped leaves are embossed. The Front Hall roof has one story and two roofs, with a gable wall of the bít đốc tay ngai type. In the middle of the roof ridge is embossed a wheel of reincarnation; at both ends of the ridge are embossed đấu nắm cơm; at the end of the roof-edge courses are built tay ngai. The front enclosure is a wooden plank door system at the front row of military columns. Both gable walls are built of brick and plastered.

The side bays of the Front Hall are where the statues of the Dharma Protectors – Khuyến Thiện (Encouraging Good) and Trừng Ác (Punishing Evil) – are arranged. The statues are quite large and carry the meaning of encouraging good and punishing evil to protect the Dharma; they are carved in the style of warriors, wearing armor and helmets, one holding a jewel and the other holding a weapon, standing. The Khuyến Thiện statue has a white-painted face, a gentle expression, and holds a jewel of good heart. The Trừng Ác Dharma Protector statue has a red-painted face, an angry expression, slanted eyes, thick eyebrows, and holds a weapon as if warning people to stay away from the path leading to all evil. These are benevolent deities who vowed to protect the Dharma, benevolent deities who voluntarily support Buddhism.

Upper Sanctuary It consists of 3 bays connected to the Front Hall and is also made of reinforced concrete. The frame structure has 4 rows of column bases (2 rows of main columns and 2 rows of military columns, but the military columns are made as enclosing walls). The roof truss and side truss are made similarly to those in the Front Hall in the giá chiêng – chồng rường and chồng rường styles. The roof system is of one story and two roofs, covered with di tiles. The two gable sides and the rear are enclosed by built walls.

The arrangement of Buddha statues is concentrated in the central area of the Upper Hall; these are newly installed statues for worship, while the old statues deteriorated and were returned to the earth when the new Tam Bảo was built.

The top row of statues is the set of the Three Worlds, the eternally abiding wondrous Dharma bodies, seated in the lotus position on lotus pedestals, with hands forming mudras placed in their laps; that is, the three thousand Buddhas of the three kalpas: the past associated with the Trang Nghiêm Great Kalpa, the present with the Hiền Kalpa, and the future with the Tinh Tú Kalpa. Among the three Three-World statues here, the central statue of the Hiền Kalpa has a different form from the two flanking Three-World statues and sits in the highest position. Below the lotus pedestal is a rectangular statue base painted vermilion. The Buddha statue is in the preaching posture, with hands clasped together. The statue's robe has two layers: the inner layer is tied in a knot before the belly, and the outer cloak is carved with angular ridges. The hair is in snail-shell curls piled high, the face is round and full, the eyes are half-closed, and the ears are large.

The second row of statues is the set of Amitabha holding a flower and two assisting bodhisattvas.

The third row of statues is the Amitabha Trinity, consisting of a large Amitabha Buddha seated on a lotus throne with hands forming mudras placed in the lap. On either side are the assistants: Bodhisattva Guanyin on the left and Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta on the right.

The fourth row of statues is the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed statue; to the right is the statue of Guanyin of the South Sea.

The fifth row is the set of statues of the Jade Emperor and Nam Tào – Bắc Đẩu (the Southern and Northern Dipper deities).

The bottom row is the Nine Dragons throne, installed recently. In the center is placed the statue of the newborn Shakyamuni, carved with one hand pointing to heaven and one hand pointing to earth, in accordance with the Buddhist story “Above heaven and below earth, I alone am the honored one.”

On the right side of the Upper Hall, on the left is placed the set of Holy Monk statues and two assistants, Diệm Nhiên – Đại Sỹ. The Holy Monk statue is carved as an image of a monk wearing a Tỳ Lư Thất Phật hat, usually sitting with legs dangling, in the posture of preaching salvation or forming the Abhaya mudra or Auspicious mudra. On the left side of the Front Hall is also placed a statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva standing on a lotus pedestal.

On the right side of the Front Hall is placed the set of Đức Ông statues. The Đức Ông statue sits with legs dangling on a pedestal, in the form of a civil mandarin wearing a winged hat, with a red face.

In addition, above the longitudinal beams and military columns in the Front Hall and Upper Hall are hung horizontal plaques and parallel sentences; these relics have also only been put into use in recent years, contributing to enriching the system of worship objects at the pagoda.

b. Mother Goddess House

The Mother Goddess House is located to the left of the Front Hall and was newly built with brick and steel materials. The floor is five steps high (higher than the Tam Bảo floor) and paved with Bát bricks in the Công-shaped bond. The roof is covered with di tiles. The interior is divided into three different spaces: the central bay houses the Mother Goddess altar, the right bay houses the Sơn Trang altar, and the left bay houses the altar of Lord Trần Triều. The central bay houses the system of Mother Goddess statues; the top row is the Thượng Thiên Mother, below are the Three Palaces of Holy Mothers, the Five Venerable Mandarins, and the Three Princes. The right bay houses the Sơn Trang altar. The statues have been newly installed for worship.

The Patriarch House is behind the Tam Bảo and was built in a modern architectural style. The Patriarch House is on the second floor, combined with the guest house on the first floor. The concrete architecture is simple, with a truss structure and crossbeams resting on enclosing walls. The roof system has one story and two roofs, enclosed around by brick and plaster. In the interior of the central bay is placed the set of Buddha Patriarch statues and two assistants; in front is placed the statue of Bodhidharma; the altar on the right houses the statue of Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin; on the left is placed the statue of the Patriarch.

Due to the impact of nature and war, Thuong Khe Pagoda has been restored many times, rebuilt with new materials but still following the traditional architectural style. The pagoda still preserves a number of valuable relics, including a bronze bell created in the 2nd year of Bao Dai (1927). This proves the existence of the pagoda during the Nguyen dynasty.

   * Artistic - aesthetic value

Thuong Khe Pagoda and Thuong Khe communal house are located in the same grounds, forming a relic complex worshipping both deities and Buddha, becoming the center of cultural, religious and belief activities for the whole village. Although the current architecture is the product of restorations in recent years, it still retains many features and structures of ancient architecture. The relics in the pagoda, the worship statues, have only recently been brought into worship in the pagoda, but they are relics that not only have artistic value but also carry sacred elements tied to the land and people here.

    * Cultural - scientific value

The pagoda together with Thuong Khe communal house existing to this day is evidence of the cohesion of the residential community in this area. Since its establishment, it has truly become the center of religion and belief for the local people. The existence of the pagoda is evidence of the prosperity and influence of Buddhism on the people here. Religious and belief activities at the pagoda are emphasized, especially on Buddha's Birthday, prayer for peace, prayer for the deceased... To this day, although customs and belief activities have been simplified, the main festivals are still maintained, demonstrating the solidarity of the residential community.