Hung Yen (VNA) – The Red River Delta province of Hung Yenis currently home to five national treasures, two of which are kept at HuongLang Pagoda - an ancient Buddhist temple in Minh Hai commune, Van Lam district.

Huong LangPagoda, also called Lang Pagoda, is one of the oldest of its kind in Vietnam.Dating back to the Ly Dynasty (1009 - 1225), it was built under the order ofQueen Mother Y Lan in the 11th century.

Aside from worshipping Buddha, it is also dedicated tothe queen mother, who made great contributions to national governance and thedevelopment of Buddhism during the Ly Dynasty.

The pagoda was destroyed during the resistance war against theFrench, but restoration started in 1955. It was listed as a nationalarchitectural - artistic relic site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism in 1974.

Huong Lang Pagoda is one of the few Buddhist temples witharchitectural and sculptural imprints of the Ly era in Vietnam, according tothe ministry’s Department of Cultural Heritage.

The unique objects from the Ly era stand out. Among them, twoare national treasures, namely a stone lion statue and a stone staircase datingback to the late 11th - early 12th century.

The stone lion statue, made from bluestone and sandstone,measures 280cm in length, 350cm in width, and 175cm in height. It comprises abase, a body, and an upper part which is a lotus-shaped base supporting astatue of Buddha.

The statue was made from many stone slabs assembled so tightlythat it looks like a single block. It is fully covered with sophisticatedlycarved patterns, giving the statue an elegant aura – a typical feature of theart of sculpture in the Ly Dynasty.

The stone staircase system is also a priceless sculptural work.Its six half walls, decorated with sophisticated patterns, divide the staircaseinto five paths to the main Buddhist temple.

Though the staircase system was partly damaged, itssophistication is proof of Huong Lang Pagoda’s size at the time it was built.

Experts said the stone lion statue and the stone staircasereflect Ly-era arts, which are imposing but elegant and deeply imbued with thewisdom of people and religious values at that time.

Thischaracteristic is an important basis for differentiating the arts of the LyDynasty with those of following dynasties.

In addition, Huong Lang Pagoda is also home to many otherstone architectural works serving as important materials for researchers to study the artsof architecture and sculpture a thousand years ago.

Thanks to itsspecial cultural, architectural, and historical values, the pagoda is now anattractive destination for visitors from far and wide.

Apart from thetwo national treasures at Huong Lang Pagoda, two other treasures of Hung Yen are beingpreserved at local pagodas and one at the State Treasury branch in theprovince.

Hung Yen ishome to a large number of relic sites appreciated in terms of history,architecture and fine arts.

The province boasts more than 1,802 relic sites and over 400traditional festivals.

It is also the hometown of many nationalheroes and men of culture, such as King Trieu Viet Vuong, who reigned from 548- 571; Pham Ngu Lao, a general in the Tran Dynasty in the 14th century; HoangHoa Tham, who led the Yen The Uprising against the French colonial forces between1884 - 1913; and late General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam NguyenVan Linh, who initiated the country’s Doi moi (Renewal) period./.