The Hung Ky Pagoda located at Chua Hung Ky Lane in the Hai Ba Trung District of Hanoi is a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture built in 1932 in the style of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The Hung Ky Pagoda located at Chua Hung Ky Lane in the Hai Ba Trung District of Hanoi is a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture built in 1932 in the style of the Nguyen Dynasty.
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Unlike Vietnamese traditional pagodas built out of brick and wood, this pagoda is made from reinforced concrete and coated by enamelled ceramic panels, making it distinctively different. -- Photos: Kien Thuc
Though over 80 years old all of the beams, walls, ceilings and altars remain in excellent condition.
The mosaic of ceramic panels depicts a number of stories about the beauty of nature and people’s daily lives and Buddhism.
On the pagoda’s roof sits a large ceramic gourd said to contain a type of water used by Buddha to save all living things.
There are also panels describing various kinds of punishments dished out in hell to sinners. These striking scenes are supposed to urge people to choose good over evil.There are also panels describing various kinds of punishments dished out in hell to sinners. These striking scenes are supposed to urge people to choose good over evil.
The pagoda was built between 1931 – 1934 by a man called Tran Van Thanh and his wife Vu Thi Sau.
The pagoda was originally named Vu Hung but locals preferred the name Hung Ky.
Over the years the pagoda grew in popularity and today it is visited frequently by Buddhists and has been recognised as a cultural site by the municipal authorities.
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(Source:VOV)
