Hung Ky Pagoda – a unique heritage of Hanoi
VOV.VN - 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.
 |
|
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. |
 |
|
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. |
 |
|
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. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
