Visit the 400-year-old ironwood pagoda in Thai Binh
Thai Minh/vietnamnet -
(VOVWORLD) - Keo pagoda in Thai Binh province is nearly 400 years old and was built with a large volume of ironwood. The construction period was only about two years, but it took 19 years to collect and transport the wood.
 Keo Pagoda in the northern province of Thai Binh was built from 1630 to 1632. |
 It is one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam. It covers more than 58,000 square meters. Initially, the pagoda consisted of 157 compartments, but at present, only 128 compartments are maintained. There are three large lakes in the pagoda complex. |
 The pagoda still retains statues and worship items dating back to the Le dynasty. |
 The two corridors with 33 compartments on each side are the place to prepare offerings. |
 The pagoda faces south with the Tam Quan gate being the beginning point and the bell tower being the end point. |
 All structures in the pagoda are made of ironwood, without rivets, but with only wooden joints to hold pieces of wood together. After several hundreds of years, the structures of pagoda remain solid. The supporting columns and rafters were carved with dragon patterns by local craftsmen. |
 The pagoda was built with several wooden volumes. It took local villagers nearly 20 years to collect enough wood to build the pagoda. |
 The roof of the pagoda |
 A 3-storey bell tower of over 11 meters is the highlight of the pagoda. A musical stone and bell of the Le Hy Tong Dynasty (1686) are hung on the first floor. A small bell is hung on the two upper floors. |
 In 2012, Keo pagoda was recognized as a special national relic. In 2017, the Keo Pagoda Festival received National Intangible Cultural Heritage status. |
 The dragon boat represents the fishing profession in the Red River area. |
Thai Minh/vietnamnet