Nearly 50 billion VND spent on restoring an ancient temple dating back over 600 years.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of June 4th, the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Nghe An province held a ceremony to inaugurate the Great Hall (Main Hall), the Monks' Quarters, and to consecrate the three-faced Avalokiteśvara statue at Co Am Pagoda, Dien Minh commune (Dien Chau district).

Attending the ceremony were representatives from the Religious Affairs Department of the Provincial Department of Internal Affairs, the Department of Culture and Sports, the Nghe An Provincial Police, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An Province, the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, leaders of Dien Chau district and surrounding communes, along with a large number of monks and nuns from the Nghe An Provincial Buddhist Association, Buddhists, and people from within and outside the province.

Leaders of the Department of Culture and Tourism present flowers to congratulate Co Am Pagoda. Photo: Huu Tinh

According to surviving documents, the pagoda was built during the late Le Dynasty and is one of the most sacred pagodas in Dien Chau. Having endured over 600 years and bearing many historical imprints, the pagoda was recognized as a national historical monument by the Ministry of Culture and Information under Decision No. 3211/QD/BT dated December 12, 1994.

In 2010, the pagoda was permitted to be restored by the People's Committee of Nghe An province according to Decision No. 2802/QD.UBND-NC dated June 30, 2010. In 2011, the People's Committee of the province issued a decision approving Venerable Thich Thanh Tam as the abbot of Co Am Pagoda.

The pagoda is planned to be built on an area of ​​14 hectares and is expected to be constructed in several phases. The total cost for the restoration work in phase 1 is 46 billion 955 million VND. The construction funding comes entirely from social contributions.

View of Co Am Pagoda. Photo: chuacoam.com.vn

The inauguration and commissioning of the Great Hall of the Buddha, the monks' quarters, the three-faced statue of Avalokiteshvara, the Arhat Garden, and the Wish-Fulfilling Cave will contribute to the overall completion of the temple, meeting the religious needs of the people. At the same time, it will revive and promote the local cultural traditions and be linked to the construction of new rural areas.

Huu Tinh