When mentioning Tra Vinh, people think of the land of ancient Khmer pagodas and historical relics with many legends, associated with the journey to explore the South. Tra Vinh province has many Khmer pagodas, of which Ang pagoda is considered one of the largest pagodas, typical of Khmer pagodas in the province. Ang Pagoda, called Wat Angkor Raig Borei in Paly language, is located in Ward 8, Tra Vinh city. The pagoda is located in the scenic cluster of Ao Ba Om and the Khmer ethnic cultural museum, a highlight not to be missed in the tourist map of Tra Vinh. Looking from afar, you will see the temple's buildings with tower-shaped architecture rising straight to the sky, with a magnificent and magnificent beauty but no less solemn. According to historical books, Ang Pagoda was built in the 10th century (990) and was built on its current scale in the 3rd year of Thieu Tri, i.e. 1842 according to the solar calendar. Since then, the pagoda has been restored and repaired many times, including the construction of new auxiliary buildings such as monks' houses, main halls... but the main hall basically remains in the same state as when it was first formed. . Like many other Khmer pagodas in Tra Vinh, Ang Pagoda is a complex of architectural works including a monastery, a lecture hall for teaching Paly and Khmer script... surrounding the majestic main hall. The pagoda faces east, reflecting the Buddhist ideology that Shakyamuni Buddha in the west looked east to save sentient beings. The gate of Ang Pagoda is decorated with very intricate and sophisticated sculpture art with statues of lizards, fairies, and magical birds following traditional Khmer motifs. From the main gate is a wide walkway between two rows of ancient trees with large, tall trunks, creating a majestic stance for the temple. The walkway passes through a wide moat surrounding the area, creating a fresh, cool atmosphere. The pagoda's campus is 4 hectares wide with many endemic plant species on sand dune land such as star, dau, bamboo... including hundreds of ancient star and dau trees that shade the ancient pagoda all year round. The center of the Khmer temple is the main hall (Preah Vihea) worshiping Buddha, which converges and reflects the level of contemporary artisans in the art of architecture, painting, sculpture... The entire main hall is supported by pillars. by a system of 18 columns made of precious wood. Inside the main hall is a large space with 12 pillars decorated with dragon images, painted and gilded. The roof of the main hall of Ang Pagoda is uniquely structured, including three roof levels with beautiful and harmonious colors, of which the top two roofs are very high and steep, creating a sacred feeling that Buddhists must be very humble about. when looking up. The two gables are closed with two elaborately carved triangular wooden panels. The roof mounds have the snake god Naga with a curved crest, symbolizing the bridge between the world and Nirvana. The four walls of the main hall are unique murals expressing Buddhist thoughts, through the spiritual path of Shakyamuni Buddha. On the ceiling are four monumental frescoes showing four stages in Buddha Shakyamuni's life: Buddha's birth, Buddha's renunciation, Buddha's enlightenment and Buddha's entry into nirvana. The Buddha altar in the main hall of Ang Pagoda was also carefully crafted by artisans at that time. The entire pedestal is a lotus flower with many petals placed behind a wooden hammock carved very delicately with many images of flowers, leaves, and animals painted in red and gold. Like other Khmer Theravada temples, the main hall of Ang Pagoda only worships Shakyamuni Buddha in a meditating sitting position. In front of the main hall is a tower containing the remains of the monks who presided over the temple through the ages. What is special is that this is the only five-spired tower among Khmer temples in Tra Vinh. The five-spired tower is the influence of Hindu thought on the universe, nature and humans. After nearly two centuries of solidity and majesty surviving the effects of weather, wind, rain and time, Ang Pagoda is the pride of the Khmer people in particular, and of the Tra Vinh ethnic community in general because Unique, pinnacle values in the art of architecture, painting, and sculpture imbued with Khmer cultural identity, with certain exchanges with Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, and Thai cultures... In the spiritual life of the Khmer people, the temple is not only a place to practice and perform Buddhist rituals but also a place to preserve and transmit traditional cultural values from generation to generation. With those great material and spiritual values, Ang Pagoda was ranked a national historical-cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information, now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in 1994.
Tra Vinh 1101 view From January to December
Ngày cập nhật : 01/04/2023