Hanoi (VNA) – Chuong (or Bell) Pagoda in the RedRiver Delta province of Hung Yen bears historical values ofthe land in northern Vietnam.

Locatedin Nhan Duc commune, Hien Nam ward, Hung Yen city, ChuongPagoda is part of the Pho Hien – a historical and cultural relic complex thatattracts tourists to Hung Yen province.

Legend has it that in a cataclysmic year, a gold bell on a raft floated downthe river to the alluvial ground of Nhan Duc Hamlet.

The villagers built a pagoda to hang the bell. Every time the bell was struck,its sound travelled for thousands of miles. Thus the temple is called Chuong (Bell)Pagoda.

The pagoda has the same structure as many pagodas in the north, consisting of athree-door entrance gate, forecourt, front-worshipping rooms.

Behind the three-door entrance gate is the stone bridge dated back to 1702.There is a path in the middle of the ground.

“I have come here for many times. Isee the pagoda not only is a sacred place but it also has a beautifullandscape. As far as I know, the pagoda is the oldest in the north,” Luu Thi Ngoc Lan, a local visitor said.

Chuong Pagoda is famous for many Buddha statues, notably are 18 Arhats,four Bodhisattvas and the King of Hell’s Seven Court Halls along the two corridors.

According to monk Thich Thanh Hai fromthe Chuong Pagoda, the statueshere date back hundreds of years.

“They are made of soil, different with those in Tay Phuong Pagoda which aremade of wood.The statues need to be kept dry so that they remain intact,” he said.

With its historical, cultural and architectural values, Chuong Pagodahas been recognized as an artistic-architectural relic by the Ministry ofCulture, Sports and Tourism in 1992, and has become a popular touristattraction.

Many said a visit to Hung Yen would be incomplete without seeing Chuong  Pagoda./.