Phuoc Kien Tu (Lotus Leaf Pagoda)

Phuoc Kien Tu (Lotus Leaf Pagoda)

Phuoc Kien Pagoda is located in Hoa Tan commune, Chau Thanh district, Dong Thap province, established before the reign of King Thieu Tri. The pagoda is ranked as a historical-cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. According to abbot Thich Hue Tu, in the past the pagoda was very large, majestic, and possessed a spacious, pure, and cool space. Phuoc Kien Tu Pagoda was also an operational base, raising the mark of revolutionary cadres. However, unfortunately in 1966, war bombs completely collapsed the temple. After 1975, the pagoda was rebuilt with a simple, uncomplicated architecture including: entrance gate, Guanyin worshiping tower and main hall. Bomb craters are used by monks in the temple as lotus ponds. In the lotus pond there is a strange and rare lotus species not only found in Vietnam but also in Southeast Asian countries. The lotus pond at Phuoc Kien Pagoda has a square shape symbolizing the earth, and the lotus leaf has a round shape symbolizing heaven. Huge lotus leaves, as big as stilts, with a curved rim nearly an inch wide, very beautiful. It is known that this lotus species appeared in the temple's pond in 1992 and has existed until now. No one knows their exact name, so people often call them by many different names. Some people call it the king's lotus, sometimes it is called the lotus king, other times it is called the lotus, etc. Because of the strange lotus species, people often call the pagoda by the popular name "Lotus King Pagoda" or "Lotus Leaf Pagoda"... King lotus leaves are special in that they can shrink with the seasons. In the dry season, the leaves are only about 1 meter long, but in the wet season, the leaves are large with a diameter of 3 to 4 meters. The edges of the leaves are about 3 to 5cm above the water surface, their shape resembles the strappy hats of Quan Ho village girls. During the flood season, large lotus leaves can easily hold a person weighing 70 - 80 pounds without only slightly shaking the water surface. In the dry season, lotus leaves are only about 1 - 1.5 meters long. The upper surface of the leaf is smooth and light green, while the lower surface is thorny and has many large veins, divided into squares that are light red when young and gradually darken as the leaf ages. Lotus flowers bloom for 3 days and bloom twice a day, changing color continuously. The flowers bloom for the first time around 6 pm, radiating a fragrant scent until 12 am the next morning, then begin to close. At about 3 o'clock the flowers bloom again, and at about 4 - 5 p.m. they close their petals. From the initial pink-white color, each time the flower blooms it will get a little darker until it fades to a dark purple color. Phuoc Kien Pagoda is also associated with the story of the magical turtle and magical crane. In 1948, someone brought a turtle to the temple. This turtle hangs around the monk all day long, eating only vegetarian food and listening to Buddha's chanting. In 1966, the devastating war left the pagoda devastated and the turtles were taken away, but then the turtle thief brought the turtles to the pagoda to confess his crime. In 1999, a crane appeared in the temple and it often perched on the turtle's back, but later, there was an idea to capture the crane and return it to the conservation area. From then on, people no longer saw the crane, the crane flew away, and the turtle also passed away. The abbot embalmed the turtle's body and wore a rosary around his neck, placing it in a glass cage in the temple. Source: Dong Thap Trade, Tourism and Investment Promotion Center

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Rating : National monument

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