Xuan Canh Pagoda (Quan Am Temple)

Quan Am Pagoda (also called Thuong Lao Pagoda). According to the stone stele “Quan Am Tu Bi” dated to the 5th year of Vinh Tri (1680), indicating that the pagoda was built early. The pagoda underwent major restoration in the 5th year of Khai Dinh (1920).  Previously, the pagoda was located at Quan Am area, about 400m from its present site. Two ancient stupa tombs remain there today. The old pagoda had a large architectural scale and was famous throughout the region. After many renovations, the most recent in 2012–2014, the pagoda had its main hall, Patriarch's house, Mother's house, and three-entrance gate restored. The pagoda's planned layout remains fairly complete with main structures including: Gate, main pagoda, Mother's house, Patriarch's house, and guest house. The new three-entrance gate was fully reconstructed in wood with four large sturdy columns dividing three entrances into the Zen realm. The central gate is taller and wider than the two side gates; each gate has a roof covered with fish-scale tiles, with curved corners and upturned eaves. The roof ridge is decorated with lively and beautiful sacred animals such as dragons, unicorns, and phoenixes. The gate doors are sturdy, made in the upper-lattice lower-panel style, each leaf carved with chrysanthemums, lotus flowers, seal characters, and the Buddhist wheel of reincarnation…The main pagoda has a layout in the shape of the character “ding” includes the front hall, incense-burning hall, and upper sanctuary. The front hall has 5 bays and 2 side wings, with closed gable ends, ngai-style brackets and pillar markers, roofed with local tiles, the ridge decorated with lime-flower motifs, and in the middle of the ridge are four raised characters “Quan Am Co Tu”, with kìm heads molded at both gable ends. In front of the central bay of the pagoda is a stone mat decorated like a lotus pond with cloud-and-wave patterns and the character “Van” in the center. Decoration on the architecture is mainly inverted-leaf patterns, molded edges and lines, while the dư ends are decorated with dragons. The upper sanctuary connects with the front hall running lengthwise to create a floor plan in the shape of the character “ding” with 3 bays and 1 side wing, built with closed gable ends. The trusses are made in the giá chiêng chồng rường style with lower kẻ resting on walls, decorated with stylized flowers and leaves… Inside is a stepped platform for arranging worship statues. The upper sanctuary of Quan Am Pagoda has full sets of statues such as the Three Times Buddhas, Amitabha, Guanyin, Jade Emperor, and Nine Dragons. In addition, there are sets of Dharma Protectors, Duc Ong, Holy Monks… The Mother's House and Patriarch's House are built behind the Three Jewels Hall with 7 bays, closed gable walls and ngai-style brackets. The system of folding doors is sturdy, the roof is covered with fish-scale tiles, and the floor is paved with bricks. Inside are statues of the Mother and Patriarch. To the left of the upper sanctuary is a 3-bay guest house. 

The pagoda preserves a number of valuable worship statues of high artistic value: nearly 40 Buddha statues, 3 Mother statues and 3 Patriarch statues. The volume of stone relics remaining at Quan Am Pagoda is quite substantial and includes many types: stone stele, stone reliefs and stone nghê. 13 stone steles, including ancient ones such as the stele dated the 5th year of Vinh Tri (1680); 2 steles dated the 13th and 14th years of Chinh Hoa (1692–1693); 4 steles dated Vinh Thinh (1709, 1710, 1707, 1720); 1 stele dated the 19th year of Chinh Hoa (1698) and some steles without dates… 4 stone reliefs, two of which are on the back of the two Chinh Hoa steles. The reliefs all carve images of patron deities who contributed greatly to the pagoda. The two stone nghê are not intact, but what remains shows that these relics were crafted quite meticulously and elaborately. The pair of nghê bears strong artistic style of the 18th century. A bronze bell “Quan Am Tu Chung” dated the 20th year of Minh Menh (1839) along with many other worship objects such as altars, curtains, incense burners…Dinh - Xuan Canh Pagoda was ranked by the Ministry of Culture and Information, now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as a National-level Historical-Artistic Relic in Decision No. 06/2000/QD-BVHTT dated April 13, 2000.