VietNamNet Bridge – While not needing any preserving chemicals, the remains of two Buddhist monks have not decomposed. And the statue with a bare foot--are unique statues in Hanoi.

Buddha on King's back

The Hoe Nhai Pagoda in Ba Dinh District is located on a large campus with a lot of old areca and bodhi trees. The pagoda consists of two sanctums, each sanctum having five compartments, the main hall of three compartments and the ancestor house with seven compartments. There are two three-storey towers on the yard, next to two large stone steles.

In the pagoda, tourists will see a statue called "King performs penitence." According to the pagoda’s manager, this statue is the result of an accident of Vietnamese Buddhist monk in 1678. At that time, Buddhism was no longer the national religion but Confucianism.

King Le Hy Tong issued an ordinance to expel all Buddhist monks to the forest. Venerable Chan Dun, the second founder of Hoe Nhai Temple submitted a casket containing a report to the king. He said that there was a pearl inside the casket.

When the king opened the box, he did not see that pearl, only the report about the Buddha’s assistance to the sustainable existence of dynasties. Later, the King issued a royal decree of penance and changed his attitude to Buddhism. From this fact, a statue featuring the Buddha sitting on the back of a king has been placed in the pagoda since then.

The wax statue

Thousands of people attend Buddhist monk’s funeral

The Quan Su Pagoda in Hoan Kiem district now displays the real-size statue of Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, former vice president of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha.

The statue was brought to the temple on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the Venerable’s death. Many people are very surprised when they see the statue because it is too real, like a living person.

The statue is made of wax in Thailand. This is the gift of Thai Buddhists to Vietnamese Buddhists.

The statue with a bare foot

The Boc Pagoda in Khuong Thuong village, Dong Da district is one of the famous temples in Hanoi, which is ranked as a national historic site.

The ancient temple is situated on a busy street. Besides the main hall worshipping the Buddha, there is an altar for three Duc Ong. On this altar, there are three Duc Ong statues, including a bigger one, who sits on a step. This statue is very special, with one foot on the shoe and the other outside the shoe, which is different from all other Duc Ong statues in pagodas in Vietnam. Until now, no one knows the origin of this statue.

Two mummies in Dau pagoda

Dau pagoda's mummies - Invaluable treasures

More than 20km away from Hanoi, the Dau temple is famous--with two mummies of Venerable Vu Khac Truong and Venerable Vu Khac Minh.

The story has it that after reciting prayers, the monks burnt themselves by the innermost lire of meditation, they died under the altars of statues and their followers protected their bodies in meditativeness and coated them with special paint, then put them in closed­in temples.

Present world science has self-affirmed that embalmment shall satisfy 3 conditions as follows: There should be chemical; intestines and brain shall be moved away; the dead body should be kept in closed box.

In 1983, science has proved by radiograph (monk Vu Khac Minh) and concluded that: There is no mark of chisel; no phenomenon of intestine, brain moved away and joints adhere closely as shown; Weight: 7kg

This is the most special culture heritage in Dau Pagoda. It's also a product of spiritualism culture, the most sacred and interesting. The pagoda is admitted by Ministry of Culture and Information as "culture historical" monument.

Many scientists now in Vietnam have yet to decipher the mystery of not needing a drug to determine which cells marinated of two angels were not decomposed.

A visit to Dau Pagoda will also help visitors to see rare and precious exhibits: bases and stone-bases from Ly Dynasty decorated with lotus flowers. On the staircases of the main hall, there are two stone dragons, a masterpiece of Tran Dynasty. The dragons were built in round bodies, winding as waves on blocks of stone; it's really an artistic masterpiece. Visitors will be deeply interested in the ancient traditional architectures, the sculpture pictures on beams, columns or panels... all depict legendary traditions: fairies on dragons, boys fighting tigers, or four sacred animals: dragon, lion, turtle and phoenix (long, ly, quy, phuong) or 4 seasons: pine-tree, butter­cup, ivory-bamboo and apricot (tung, cuc, truc, mai). The sculpture designs look very beautiful, realistic.

All architectural works and projects: the main hall, the worship house, the temple, the male and female monks' houses... were built of rectangular­ - shaped bricks (Mac Dynasty). The typical identities on the bricks lie in patterns of sacred animals: houses, dragons, carps to turn into dragons or vegetation and flower world.

Pha Le