The ceremony for installing the statue of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara on the summit of Phoenix Mountain.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon and evening of January 11th, the Buddhist Management Board of Nghe An Province and the monks and Buddhist followers of An Thai Pagoda (Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province) solemnly organized the ceremony of enshrining and invoking the spirit into meditation the statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara on the top of Phuong Mountain in Quynh Long Commune (Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province).

The 12-meter-tall, 140-ton statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, made from a single block of white stone, is placed right in the middle of Phuong Mountain peak – behind An Thai Pagoda – on a 2-meter-high reinforced concrete pedestal. The statue was crafted by artisans from Nam Dinh province at a total cost of 1.3 billion VND.

Statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara at Phoenix Mountain

The Quan Am (Guan Yin) statue complex on the summit of Phuong Mountain has been surveyed and planned for construction by the competent authorities on a plot of land larger than 4 hectares, with main construction items such as: a monument square, a temple dedicated to the Three Jewels, a monks' quarters, a guest house, a lecture hall, a meditation tea house, a Bodhi tree pavilion, a natural eucalyptus forest, a well, a parking lot, etc. The entire project is estimated at over 50 billion VND and is expected to be built within 3 years.

An Thai Pagoda is known to have a long history and underwent major renovations during the reign of Tran Minh Tong (1324-1329). According to the Yin-Yang theory, the pagoda is situated in the center of a "four-spirit gathering" formation, with four deities attending: the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise.

Ritual of invoking the spirit into meditation

Today, the pagoda still preserves three ancient statues in the style of the Late Le Dynasty: a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and two statues of Manjushri and Samantabhadra. Particularly noteworthy is the sacred ancient well, at the bottom of which is a wooden plank inscribed with the words: "Thien Thanh Giap Ty year, the well was dug in 1024 during the reign of King Ly Thai To, Thien Thanh era." On this occasion, the monks and Buddhist followers of An Thai Pagoda sincerely held a ritual offering, praying for the prosperity of the country, the enduring existence of Buddhism, and the peace and well-being of all people.

Huu Tinh