Trung Pagoda

Trung Pagoda, also known by its Sino-Vietnamese name Dai Bi Tu (Great Compassion Temple).

The main pagoda has a layout in the shape of the Chinese character “二”, consisting of the Front Hall and the Upper Hall. The Front Hall comprises a five-bay side building whose roof trusses are simple and oriented toward durability. The main columns are decorated with couplets and a system of horizontal plaques and y mon panels. Connecting from the central bay of the Front Hall is the Upper Hall, where a system of Buddha statues is arranged. The Buddha statues at Trung Pagoda were created from the late 19th century to the 20th century and include more than 30 wooden statues. The three statues of the Buddhas of the Three Times all sit on lotus pedestals placed on the back of a green lion (this animal is a symbol of wisdom). The second layer is the Amitabha statue, flanked by two attendant statues standing in attendance. Next is the statue of Shakyamuni entering nirvana, the most unique statue in the relic site. Shakyamuni is depicted lying on a lotus leaf, his head resting on his left hand, with the robe falling softly and draping over his body. Outside is a large lotus flower symbolizing enlightenment. According to Buddhist legend, when Shakyamuni was preaching, he held up a lotus flower, and only his great disciple Mahakasyapa smiled; later he was regarded as the first patriarch after Shakyamuni entered nirvana. The Nine Dragons Throne has at its center the image of the infant Shakyamuni with a bare torso, wearing shorts, his left hand pointing to heaven and his right hand pointing to earth; the arched canopy is made with soft motifs vividly depicting nine dragons spraying water and many deities, guardian generals, and musicians playing music and singing to celebrate Shakyamuni’s birth. At the very bottom are two statues, the Earth God and the Kitchen Supervisor. On the side of the Upper Hall is a set of statues of the Ten Kings of Hell. On one inner side is a Thousand-Armed Guanyin statue with many pairs of hands seated on a lotus pedestal. On the other side is a Guanyin statue in the lotus sitting position.

In the Upper Hall there are currently statues of Duc Ong and Saint Hien with their assistants Gia Lam, Chan Te, Diep Nhien, and Dai Si. Two Dharmapala statues are placed outside the Front Hall in martial-general attire. One is Khuyen Thien (Encourager of Good) and one is Trung Ac (Punisher of Evil). In the side section of the Front Hall there are several statues of patriarchs of the transmission-of-the-lamp lineage. These are the statues most closely associated with Vietnamese thought.

Among the relics currently preserved, a stone incense altar is notable. The stone incense altar is placed in the central bay of the Front Hall, with dimensions of 105 cm deep, 142 cm long, and 88 cm wide; the lotus pedestal is 123 cm long, 80 cm wide, and 90 cm high. The body of the incense altar is rectangular, and the four corners of its body are carved in relief with images of the Garuda bird with beak, wings, belly, legs, and arms clearly and vividly depicted in the posture of supporting a lotus throne; the bird deity’s chest wears a khanh ornament, and the border has small beads. The bird deity’s beak is sharp, its arms swell with muscles, its fingers grip tightly, and its whole body strains to support the full weight of the lotus throne. The bird’s folded wings behind are carved more simply than the overall figure of the bird deity. Each face of the incense altar is divided into a square panel, inside which are decorated soft relief dragons and some stylized sun-like motifs. The base of the incense altar is stepped; the upper part is a stylized lotus flower, and the lower part is stylized clouds and water waves. The front face has images of three dragons in coiled postures, with two dragons facing each other and a stylized sun.

In addition, the pagoda has preserved a bronze bell dated to the 19th year of Minh Menh (1838), 2 altar tables, 3 Tho Ha ceramic incense bowls...

Trung Pagoda was ranked as a historical-cultural relic by the People’s Committee of the former Ha Tay Province in 2006.