Construction of the Phu Dong Thien Vuong Monument began
On October 26, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and Hanoi City started casting the first batch of bronze of the Saint Giong - Phu Dong Thien Vuong Monument in Phu Linh Commune, Soc Son District, Hanoi.
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Sculptor Kim Xuan and the sketch of the Saint Giong Monument. (Photo: thanhgiong.vn) |
The Saint Giong Monument is located at the top of Da Chong Mountain, 297m high, on the Soc mountain range and is part of the Soc Temple-Non Pagoda-Vietnam Buddhist Academy relic complex.
According to legend, this is where Saint Giong, after defeating the enemy, took off his armor and ascended to heaven.
The monument was cast according to a model created by sculptor Kim Xuan, simulating the image of a young Saint carrying ivory bamboo in his hand, urging his horse towards the blue sky. The statue is nearly 12m high at the top, 16m in extension and is cast from pure bronze.
The total weight of the statue is about 85 tons. After being cast, the statue was carried to the top of Da Chong mountain and is expected to be completed before the Soc Temple festival (6th day of the first lunar month).
The entire monument will be completed in September 2010, celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.
COMA Construction Mechanical Corporation is the contractor for the statue pedestal foundation. Nam Dai Phong Company Limited and artisan Vu Duy Thuan (who participated in successfully casting the bronze Buddha statue at Non Pagoda) directly cast the bronze statue of Saint Giong.
The Saint Giong Monument project was started by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Information in July 2004 (phase 1), with the construction of roads up and down around the monument area.
In October 2007, the Hanoi People's Committee decided to transfer the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha as the investor of the project to build the Saint Giong Monument (implementation phase) under the method of socialization.
On January 26, 2008, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the Hanoi People's Committee held a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the construction of a monument on the top of Da Chong mountain, Phu Linh commune, Soc Son district.
The total estimated cost of the project is about 50 billion VND, of which the statue casting alone is about 25 billion VND.
According to VNA
