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The Diamond Statue Set of Doi Son Pagoda was recognized as a National Treasure in 2024.

07/01/2025

Among the 33 artifacts, the group of artifacts that Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has just signed a Decision to recognize as National Treasures in the 13th period of 2024 includes the Kim Cuong statue set of Doi Son pagoda, Duy Tien town. The statue set consists of 6 Kim Cuong statues in the form of half round statues, half reliefs. This set of artifacts is associated with the ancient Sung Thien Dien Linh tower that collapsed a long time ago. According to cultural researchers, after the tower collapsed, people were able to keep 6 Kim Cuong statues standing guard at the tower door...

The Diamond Statue Set of Doi Son Pagoda was recognized as a National Treasure in 2024.

Doi Son Pagoda, Tien Son Commune, Duy Tien Town.

Doi Son Pagoda dates back to the Ly Dynasty, its Chinese name is Dien Linh Tu (Dien Linh Pagoda). From the Mac Dynasty until now, the pagoda has had the Chinese name Long Doi Son Tu (Long Doi Son Pagoda), located on the top of Doi Mountain in Nhat Ha Village, Tien Son Commune, Duy Tien Town, and is commonly known as Doi Pagoda.

Originally a small hermitage that existed from the 10th to 11th centuries, in 1054, the pagoda was expanded and built by King Ly Thanh Tong and Princess Y Lan. During the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong, the pagoda continued to expand and built the Sung Thien Dien Linh stupa (1118-1121) to become a famous place and a royal palace, the center of Buddhism in our country. The Sung Thien Dien Linh stupa stood firm for 3 centuries, until the beginning of the 15th century, when the Ming invaders came to invade and destroyed the stupa. Fortunately, the pagoda still has the Sung Thien Dien Linh stele, 6 Kim Cuong statues, and the Kinnari bird statue from the Ly dynasty. Through the Le So, Mac, and Nguyen dynasties, Doi Son pagoda was restored.

The largest restoration was during the Nguyen Dynasty, with over 100 large and small rooms, built in the style of "inner public, outer private". In March 1947, Doi Son Pagoda was destroyed by war once again. After 1954, peace was restored in the North, the government and people of Doi Son commune (old) carried out restorations, the largest in 1958, completing the main works here. In 1992, Doi Son Pagoda was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as a National Historical and Cultural Relic. In 2018, Doi Son Pagoda was ranked as a Special National Relic.

The Diamond Statue Set of Doi Son Pagoda was recognized as a National Treasure in 2024.

Entrance to Doi Pagoda.

Through many historical events, although the old pagoda and tower no longer exist, the results of archaeological excavations at Doi Son Pagoda have revealed architectural traces with layers of foundations, stone embankments and thousands of Ly Dynasty artifacts such as bricks, tiles, pedestals, beams, animals... In particular, the Sung Thien Dien Linh stele, which has been recognized as a National Treasure, along with 6 Kim Cuong statues carved from monolithic stone, are typical representatives of Ly Dynasty sculpture art. Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Lam Bien, a cultural researcher, said: "If the statues at Phat Tich Pagoda have lost their heads, Kim Cuong at Doi Pagoda are still quite complete... The costumes of the Long Doi statue and the entire Phat Tich Pagoda are in the form of a warrior, called the "humiliation" armor to protect against the "arrows" of desire.

The Diamond Statue Set of Doi Son Pagoda was recognized as a National Treasure in 2024.

 The first, second and third Vajras.

According to the Ha Nam Museum, the set of 6 Kim Cuong statues of Doi Son Pagoda were carved in the style of statues - reliefs from a single block of sandstone. These are the remaining 6 statues in the set of 8 Kim Cuong statues, with similar shapes and sizes: head wearing a helmet, body wearing gold armor, feet wearing high boots, two hands holding a sword, standing majestically, protecting Buddhism. Each statue is crafted in the style of relief on a rectangular block of stone with two straight sides, the lower edge is level, the upper edge is beveled at a 450 angle.

The Diamond Statue Set of Doi Son Pagoda was recognized as a National Treasure in 2024.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth Vajras.

The Kim Cuong statues of Doi Pagoda are artifacts of special value, representing a trend and style of a dynasty in a historical period. After 900 years, the statues are unique original artifacts, the most typical, unique and complete Buddhist sculptures remaining in the Ly Dynasty pagoda to this day. The treasure also contains many messages about the historical, cultural and aesthetic values ​​of the Vietnamese people under this dynasty. The thoughts and patterns on the statues also reflect the relationship, cultural exchange and influence between Dai Viet nation under the Ly Dynasty and major cultures such as China, India and Champa in history. Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Lam Bien affirmed: “The Kim Cuong statues at Doi Pagoda are about half a century later than the Kim Cuong statues at Phat Tich and are more or less no longer in their original standing form, the decorative details on the robes are also reduced, but these are still very rare and strange statues. However, the stylized chrysanthemums in full bloom combined with tigers, spiral patterns and tassels on the hem of the robes have given these statues a true intrinsic value (both artistically and spiritually).

What scientists have confirmed so far: The statues provide many valuable documents for research on history, fine arts, religion, ancient costumes, cultural exchanges and influences between Dai Viet nation in the Ly dynasty and major cultures of the region in history... contributing to affirming the development of contemporary society.

Source: baohanam.com.vn

 

 

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