Sacred land of Xuan Ang

(Baonghean) - In the first days of the year, many people in coastal areas come to Lu Son Pagoda (Nghi Quang Commune, Nghi Loc) to pray for blessings and good fortune in their offshore trips, and pray for calm skies and seas so that their offshore trips will always be peaceful.

The pagoda is located at the foot of the Lu Son mountain range, stretching in an arc shape along the lower reaches of the Cam River, one of the fierce battlefields during the American war. According to the elders, this land used to have many historical relics of pagodas, temples, shrines, a countryside rich in historical and cultural traditions. Among those cultural and religious works, Lu Son pagoda is ranked at the top because of its location, scale and landscape. The pagoda is made of ironwood, each row has 5 pillars. From the pagoda yard to the lower hall, one must climb 18 stone steps, each step is about 30m long.

The temple grounds used to have many ancient trees, including 5 large ebony trees, which 2-3 people could not hug. In the temple, there are hundreds of statues of different sizes made from materials such as bronze, wood, and terracotta. In front of the temple yard, there used to be a stone stele recording important information about the history of its formation, unfortunately now it is lost. Lu Son Pagoda is located in Xuan Ang village, Thuong Xa commune, Nghi Loc district (now Trung Tien hamlet, Nghi Quang commune), the pagoda was built around the end of the Le dynasty - the beginning of the Nguyen dynasty. Through many generations, this is where the people of Thuong Xa area entrust their spiritual life, expressing their wish for a peaceful life, especially for those who work as fishermen all year round at sea.

Tombs of the ancestors in the grounds of Lu Son Pagoda.

Like many cultural architectural works in the region, after two fierce wars, Lu Son Pagoda seriously degraded. Around 1964, the US Air Force bombed heavily, destroying some of the pagoda's architecture. People had to temporarily dismantle the pagoda and hide the structures, Buddha statues, sacrificial objects, stone steles... In the years after the war, life encountered many difficulties, so the pagoda could not be restored.Therefore, most of the wooden structures were damaged, many statues, sacrificial objects and stone steles were lost. However, in the minds of the people of Nghi Quang commune, Lu Son pagoda always exists, Buddha and Bodhisattvas always watch over and protect. Every time there is a festival or before going to sea, fishermen come to the old pagoda to pray. A few years ago, the people in the area donated money to build a temporary pagoda on the old land and erected a Buddha statue to burn incense and worship and organize religious activities.

Visiting Lu Son Pagoda, we were led by Mr. Nguyen Trung Tao - a resident of Nghi Quang to the temple grounds to admire the ancient tombs of the Patriarchs. These tombs have existed for hundreds of years, built in ancient architectural style, engraved with Chinese and Sanskrit characters. The tombs are covered with moss, many have peeled off, large cracks have appeared, all bearing the mark of time. According to legend, hundreds of years ago, the abbots who passed away were all buried in the temple grounds. The complex of ancient tombs in the Lu Son Pagoda grounds is an affirmation of the long history of the famous pagoda in Nghi Quang.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Tao also took us to the Commune People's Committee, where the ancient bell of Lu Son Pagoda is kept. The bell is made of bronze and engraved with the words "Lu Son Tu Chung" (Lu Son Pagoda Bell). The carved patterns are beautiful and delicate, and in the middle of the body there are small Chinese characters recording relevant information. Accordingly, the bell was cast in the 9th year of Minh Mang (1828), which is nearly 200 years ago, when Xuan Ang village restored Lu Son Pagoda. The bell of Lu Son Pagoda is still preserved intact, with a height of 120 cm, a diameter of 51 cm, and a weight of about 80 kg, contributing another proof to affirm the long history of Lu Son Pagoda, long associated with the spiritual life and beliefs of the residents of the sacred land of Xuan Ang.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thanh, Chairman of Nghi Quang Commune People's Committee, said: "In 2014, the commune and district prepared a dossier to submit to the Provincial People's Committee to restore Lu Son Pagoda to meet the aspirations of the people. Hopefully, the dossier will soon be studied and approved by the province." The people of the ancient Xuan Ang village, Nghi Quang commune today, are looking forward to hearing the bell of Lu Son Pagoda ringing every afternoon, adding to the peaceful scenery of a rural area at the estuary...

Cong Kien