Long Thu Pagoda in Danang city

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Location: Long Thu Pagoda Stele lies in Long Thu Pagoda (now called An Long Pagoda), behind Cham Museum in Binh Hien Ward, Hai Chau District of Da Nang.

Characteristics: Long Thu Pagoda Stele is not only the oldest one in the area but also have a significant part in residential history research.

The stele of Long Thu Pagoda in Danang city was built in the time of Le Thanh Tong’s reign (1658). It was written by Le Gia Phuoc (religious name of Phap Giam) whose birthplace is in Hai Chau District. The information about the stele such as reasons for building, name of pagoda, names of people contributing into setting up the pagoda is legible on the this stele.

Buddha in turning up of a dragon’s head, according to the stele’s meaning, often assisted poor people so Buddhist believers come here for invoking. The pagoda for venerating the Buddha was constructed on Tran Huu Le’s garden. Other believers donated money to the pagoda construction, bell casting, and statue sculpture in 1653. Two big bells and many attractive statues were said to be thieved from the pagoda. In Tay Son – Nguyen Anh’s period, the pagoda was demolished. After the stele, surrounded by soil, was discovered, it was put next to the entrance. The pagoda was restored in 1961 in the similar constructing pattern as temporary ones of the south. The only prominent object is the antique three-door temple gate.

The stele, engraved both sides and made of grey sandstone, was 1.25m high, 1.20m wide, 0.21m thick in shape of circular-cap trapezium. There is a Chinese poem encircled by floral patterns, on the top engraved a sun, clouds, flowers, and two lions in the front of the stele. The Chinese poem has 368 word with 6 big ones placed flatly: “Lap Thach Bi Thu Long Tu”.

The Indochina government admitted Long Thu pagoda stele as a historic vestige by its accepted edict on 16th May 1925 and by Ministry of Culture and Information on 2nd December 1992.