Admire unique and rare ancient Buddha statues in Nghe An

The 24-armed Chuan De Buddha statue at Phuc My Pagoda, Yen Son Commune, Do Luong District is one of the unique and rare ancient Buddha statues with a strange and beautiful structure and skillful sculpting art in Nghe An. The statue is 2.28m high, the width of the largest arm span is also 2.28m.

There are 18 arms on both sides of the statue, 9 on each side, including 6 in the front and 3 in the back. In addition, there are 2 hands placed on the head in the style of holding a “Buddha flower”, 2 hands clasped in front of the chest in the “lotus palm” position and 2 hands placed on the thighs in the “meditation” style. The hands are long, slender, wearing bracelets, slightly closed, raised forward as if cherishing.

At Phuc My Pagoda, there are also two ancient statues of Buddha Shakyamuni, with a plump, benevolent face, meditating on a lotus throne.

The statue of Buddha Mother Chuẩn Đề at Gam Pagoda, Xuan Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District is about 1.2m high. The statue is carved in a meditative position on a lotus throne. From the outside, the statue has a graceful, balanced beauty with a plump, benevolent face, radiant with compassion. On the head of the statue is a flower hat, the body of the statue is "dressed" in a flowing robe, with a rosary hanging. On both sides of the body are 22 arms, including 20 hands raised in different directions, 2 hands clasped in front of the chest in the "lotus palm" position.

Compared to the statue of Buddha Mother Chuẩn Đề at Phúc Mỹ Pagoda (Đô Lương), the statue at Gám Pagoda is smaller and has two fewer hands, without the two hands placed on the thighs in the "meditation" style and the two hands holding the Buddha's flower crown. However, the statue of Buddha Mother Chuẩn Đề at Gám Pagoda has similarities with the statues of the same type mentioned in Buddhist scriptures, the most recognizable thing is that some of the statue's hands hold objects such as weapons, lotus flowers... which are typical of the statue of Buddha Mother Chuẩn Đề.

The statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin with 12 arms, also known as the "human head carrying Buddha" statue at Ba But Pagoda, Lam Son Commune, Do Luong District, is believed to have appeared at the same time as this thousand-year-old pagoda.

The statue of Buddha Sakyamuni in Giai Pagoda, Thanh Khai Commune, Thanh Chuong District is a unique and rare ancient Buddha statue. The statue is about 1.6m high, made of wood, and depicts the Buddha in a meditative posture on a lotus throne with skillful art and a plump face. The costume is also softly carved with vivid details, further enhancing the noble beauty of the Buddha. This statue is associated with many legends about the construction of the pagoda and the Buddhist worship of the local people.

The stone statue of Pho Nghiem Pagoda, Nghi Thiet Commune, Nghi Loc District is a natural stone slab, dating back to the time the pagoda was built. The statue is over 1m high, located right in the middle of the main hall, and is commonly known as the Quan The Am stone statue.

The statue of Buddha Shakyamuni in Can Linh Pagoda, Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City is considered the most valuable Buddha statue in the rich and diverse system of ancient statues of the pagoda. The statue is about 1.2m high. The Buddha is carved in a meditative position on a lotus throne, with his right hand raised forward. The statue is painted red, radiating a benevolent and compassionate beauty... In general, the rare ancient Buddha statues in Nghe An are all made of wood with soft, lively lines clearly expressed on the face, shape, hands, and folds of the clothes. These unique statues have many cultural, historical, and artistic values... and need to be preserved and conserved. Through a survey, in Nghe An, the number of ancient pagodas that still preserve ancient statues is rare (can be counted on the fingers), and those that preserve unique ancient statues are even rarer.