Two national treasures in a famous sacred ancient temple

(Dan Tri) - Thien Mu Pagoda is not only famous as the ancient pagoda with the most beautiful scenery in Hue but also preserves two national treasures, attracting many tourists.

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Thien Mu Pagoda (also known as Linh Mu) is located on Nguyen Phuc Nguyen Street, in Huong Long Ward, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province. The pagoda is located on Ha Khe Hill, on the left bank of the Huong River, built by Lord Nguyen Hoang in 1601. This is one of the 20 famous scenic spots (Than Kinh Nhi Thap Canh) of Hue, with the poem "Thien Mu chung thanh" composed by King Thieu Tri, recorded on a stone stele erected near the pagoda gate.

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The front area is the symbolic architecture, associated with the history of formation, such as: The system of steps, 4 pillars, the foundation of Huong Nguyen temple, Phuoc Duyen tower; 2 quadrilateral stele floors, inside containing 2 steles engraved with literary works composed by King Thieu Tri; 2 hexagonal floors, inside containing 2 national treasures. In addition, there is another stele in front of Tam Quan gate, the stele is engraved with poems and prefaces by King Khai Dinh, erected in 1920. The most famous in the Thien Mu pagoda complex is Phuoc Duyen tower, 21m high, with 7 floors, built in 1884. Each floor of the tower has a Buddha statue, even in the past there was a golden statue.

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The space behind the Tam Quan gate is the architectural works of the shrine, the monk's house, such as: Dai Hung temple, Dia Tang temple, Quan Am temple, Trai house, guest house, flower garden, pine garden. On the 2nd floor of the Tam Quan gate, there is a painting of a large dragon with many beautiful decorative motifs, reigning in the middle of a cloudy sky but has been covered by a layer of red wood for various reasons. This is also the place to worship Lord Nguyen Hoang and Lady Thien Mu.

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In the ancient Thien Mu pagoda, there are many valuable antiques not only in terms of history but also in terms of art, including 2 National Treasures: the Dai Hong Chung bell and the stone stele engraved with the "Ngu kien Thien Mu Tu" by Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu about the restoration of the pagoda. These two antiques were recognized as National Treasures in 2013. According to the National History Museum, Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu, a person who greatly respected Buddhism, had a bronze bell cast 2m50 high, weighing 3,285 pounds (more than 2 tons) in 1710, and had an inscription engraved on it. In 1715, the Lord erected a stele 2m60 high, 1m25 wide, on a marble turtle base at the pagoda. The Lord personally wrote the inscription "Ngu kien Thien Mu Tu" and had it engraved on the stele.

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The "Ngu kien Thien Mu Tu" stele is a unique stone sculpture of Vietnam in the early 18th century with the largest size among the stone steles of the Nguyen Lords. The decoration and carving techniques on the stele reflect the inheritance from the fine arts of the Le - Trinh period, and at the same time have unique features of the stele style of the Nguyen Dynasty with characteristics of aesthetic value typical of a historical period. In particular, the stele is engraved with the Dai Viet Quoc Nguyen Chua Vinh Tran Chi Bao seal (the national seal of the Nguyen Lords, later the Nguyen Dynasty emperors), in two positions: the forehead of the stele and the body of the stele. According to the National Museum of History, the Dai Viet Quoc Nguyen Chua Vinh Tran Chi Bao seal was cast by Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu in 1709. In 2016, the Prime Minister issued a decision recognizing the Dai Viet Quoc Nguyen Chua Vinh Tran Chi Bao seal as a National Treasure.