VietNamNet Bridge – A 4-ton bronze statue named Huyen Thien Tran Vu at Tran Vu Temple, Thach Ban Ward, Long Bien District in Hanoi has been recognized as a national treasure.

On the occasion of the Festival of Tran Vu Temple (the third day of the third lunar month) on April 9, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented the certificate of National Treasure of Vietnam to the bronze statue Huyen Thien Tran Vu, which was cast in 1802.

The Huyen Thien Tran Vu statue weighing 4 tons, 3.96 meters high is one of the largest monolithic statue in Vietnam. It is also the pinnacle of Vietnam’s ancient bronze casting art.

In Eastern culture, Huyen Thien Tran Vu is the saint who administers the north. Since the ancient times, the Vietnamese have worshiped Saint Tran Vu. Ngoc Tri Village (now Thach Ban Ward, Long Bien District) is one of the locations worshipping Tran Vu.

According to the 1820 stone stele at the temple, King Le Thanh Tong, on the way to the capital after attacking Chiem Thanh, stayed one night at the location where the temple is now.

He met Saint Train Vu in his dream. The King, thus, built the temple for Saint Tran Vu. In 1788, local people raised funds to cast a bronze statue of Huyen Thien Tran Vu. Fourteen years later (1802) the statue was completed.

On the occasion of the Festival of Tran Vu Temple (the third day of the third lunar month) on April 9, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented the certificate of National Treasure of Vietnam to the bronze statue Huyen Thien Tran Vu, which was cast in 1802.   Huyen Thien Tran Vu statue was carved with the face of a Taoist hermit.   He wears an armor jacket with intricate patterns. In 2005, the temple management board painted the statue with black and was trimmed with gold.       The left hand exorcises magic while the right hand puts on the sword handle.   The snake wrapped sword opposes the turtle back. This is also the characteristic of the statues of Huyen Thien Tran Vu.     The knees of the statue are covered with tiger-faced patterns, trimmed with gold.

Photo: Zing

Thanh Van