VietNamNet Bridge – Gia Quat Pagoda in Hanoi’s Long Bien District has become the first relic site to remove a pair of Chinese-style stone lions from its campus after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Dispatch 2662 that recommended that “strange objects” not be used at relic sites.

The two Chinese-style stone lions at the Gia Quat Pagoda.

The aim of the dispatch was to return the traditional beauty of Vietnam to relic and public sites. Objects that are inappropriate to Vietnam’s customs and habits should not be used.

On August 22, inspectors of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism visited the temple. The delegation was led by Deputy Minister Dang Thi Bich Lien.

In this extraordinary visit, the inspectors pointed out the mistakes in the layout of the temple, including the use of a pair of Chinese-style stone lions, plastic flowers and other items.

During the inspection, the temple’s chief nun said the stone lions would be removed on August 24 but were taken out two days before that.

"We returned the stone lions to the donor, and this person then gave them back to stone carving enterprise,” the nun said, adding that the temple had also corrected all other violations.

Nong Quoc Thanh, vice director of the Heritage Department (under the ministry), said people donated such objects to pagodas and temples to express their faith and pray for safety. They were not aware that their foreign style rendered them unsuitable for Vietnamese historical relics and that exhibiting these objects at recognised sites violated the heritage law. Following the ministry's guidelines, he recommended that the objects be sent back to donors as was done at the pagoda in Long Bien.

Returning the "strange objects" to the donors is the proper way to handle the matter, Deputy Minister Ho Anh Tuan spoke at a press conference held early this week. However, in reality it may not be so simple because some temples may fail to contact the donors.

Tuan confessed that handling the large number of foreign lion statues throughout the country was complicated, saying that the ministry would co-operate with related agencies to find the most appropriate method.

Art researchers Tran Hau Yen and Nguyen Duc Binh said that Chinese-style stone lions should be taken to the Village of Culture of Ethnic Groups to form a park to remind people about the unfortunate cultural confusion.

Thanh Van