Receiving and displaying the Jade Buddha statue for world peace

On March 27, Hoang Phuc Pagoda in My Thuy Commune, Le Thuy District (Quang Binh) held a ceremony to receive and display the jade Buddha statue for world peace.

The Jade Buddha for World Peace is a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni meditating on a lotus throne in the lotus position, made of jade. This is considered the largest and most solemn Buddha statue in the world with a height of 2.54m and a width of 1.77m. The Jade Buddha statue is assembled from 5 parts including the golden body, the fleshy protuberance, the halo, the lotus throne, and the alms bowl.

The jade Buddha statue for world peace was welcomed and displayed at Phat Tich Pagoda (Bac Ninh) in 2009. Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA)

The jade block used to make the Jade Buddha for World Peace was discovered in Northern Canada in 2000. The entire block weighs about 18 tons, has few blemishes, and is green in color. In 2008, a part of the jade block, weighing about 4 tons, was taken and sculpted into the Jade Buddha for World Peace by talented sculptors in Thailand.

After its completion in 2009, several countries, including Vietnam, were chosen to display the Jade Buddha with the belief that it would bring peace to the world. This is the second time Vietnam has been chosen to display the Jade Buddha for World Peace. It is expected that the Jade Buddha for World Peace will be displayed at Hoang Phuc Pagoda until April 5, 2016.

Hoang Phuc Pagoda - a national historical relic, where the jade Buddha statue of world peace is displayed, also known as Kinh Thien Pagoda, Quan Pagoda. The pagoda is associated with the life of propagating the Dharma of King Tran Nhan Tong and is also the place that nurtured and hid revolutionary cadres during the two resistance wars of the nation.

Hoang Phuc Pagoda is located on a high land, nearly 10,000 m2 wide, on the right bank of Kien Giang River, 4km south of Le Thuy district center. Currently, the pagoda still preserves many valuable ancient artifacts such as the statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and some bronze Dharma instruments that are very delicately cast. In addition, the pagoda also has a large bell cast during the reign of King Minh Mang.

In 2014, Hoang Phuc Pagoda was restored and embellished in the direction of keeping the old pagoda intact (the ancient pagoda style of the Tran Dynasty) including the outer gate, inner gate, Buddha tower, and pagoda's three treasures with a total investment of nearly 60 billion VND from socialized sources. Currently, Hoang Phuc Pagoda is a place for spiritual and cultural activities, preserving the traditions and cultural identity of the homeland. Hoang Phuc Pagoda is also a famous tourist attraction when coming to Quang Binh./.

According to VIETNAM+