Three donation boxes at Dong Yen Pagoda were completely ransacked by thieves.

One of the three donation boxes had its back broken open by thieves who stole all the money. Photo: Huu Tinh

Accordingly, on the evening of April 19th, when Buddhist followers came to the temple to chant prayers, they discovered that the locks on three donation boxes placed in the main hall of the temple had been broken by thieves.

The temple promptly reported the incident to the local authorities. At the scene, law enforcement found the temple's main door had been pushed off its hinges, and the backs of three donation boxes had been broken open.

According to the temple's management board, it is impossible to know the exact amount of money stolen from the three donation boxes. However, it is estimated to be over 10 million VND because the temple recently held a meditation retreat and a memorial service, attracting many Buddhists and local people who made donations.

After discovering that three out of four donation boxes had been broken into, the temple checked the donation money in the box under the Ancestral Hall and counted nearly 4 million dong.

Dong Yen Pagoda is a Buddhist structure dating back to the 15th century. Construction and renovation of the pagoda began in March 2016. After nearly a year of construction, the various components of the project within the 1,500 m² grounds have been completed.²The completed projects include: the Three Treasures Hall, the Mother Goddess temple, and the Ancestral Hall, with a total estimated investment of nearly 10 billion VND.