08/04/2026
Timeless beauty of a national treasure
Giám Pagoda in Cẩm Giang commune is a well-known spiritual site, home to unique architectural features, including the Cửu phẩm Liên Hoa tower, recognized as a National Treasure in 2015.
The wooden tower, around 300 years old, stands 4.44 meters tall with nine tiers, each featuring five layers of lotus petals symbolizing 9 stages of Buddhist attainment.
The structure measures 1.2 meters on each side. Craftsmen used a central ironwood pillar, surrounded by six columns carved with dragon motifs, connected by an interlaced beam system.
On each side of the Cuu Pham Lien Hoa tower are three Buddha statues, totaling 18 statues per level. At the top tier, a single large Buddha statue, about one meter tall, is placed beneath the roof.
With a total of 145 Buddha statues, the structure weighs around four tons, yet it can rotate smoothly with a gentle push by hand.
The Cuu Pham Lien Hoa at Giam Pagoda is an ancient artifact of significant Buddhist architectural and artistic value. Along with similar structures at But Thap Pagoda in Bac Ninh province and Động Ngọ Pagoda in Hai Phong, it is considered one of three surviving masterpieces of traditional Vietnamese Buddhist wood sculpture.
lethiphuongthao