Báo Quốc Temple
Báo Quốc Temple (Vietnamese: Chùa Báo Quốc) is a Buddhist temple in the historic city of Huế in central Vietnam. It was one of the three national temples of the city during the time of the Nguyễn dynasty.[1][2]
The temple is located on Báo Quốc Street, in the ward of Phường Đúc in Huế. It lies on the southern side of the
History
Báo Quốc Temple was built in 1670 by
During the era of the Nguyễn dynasty, which was founded in 1802 by Emperor Gia Long,[2] the pagoda was frequently renovated and expanded. In 1808, Empress Hiếu Khương, wife of Gia Long, patronized various construction projects, that included the construction of a triple gate, the casting of a large bell and a gong. The named of the pagoda was changed to Chùa Thiên Thọ. The abbot who oversaw these changes was Zen master Thích Phổ Tịnh. In 1824, Emperor Minh Mạng, the son of Gia Long, visited the temple and changed its name to its present title. He held the imperial celebration for his 40th birthday at the temple in 1830.[1][2]
Over the years, the temple began to decay, and in 1858, a series of renovation efforts began under Emperor Tự Đức, Minh Mạng's grandson, which were directly funded by the royal family. These continued until the end of the century.[1]
In the 1930s, Báo Quốc was the scene of a revival in Buddhist education in Vietnam. In 1935, a school for teaching Buddhism was opened, and in 1940, a monastery for training monks was created, which is still operating to this day.[2] In 1957, the latest phase of construction and renovation occurred under the auspices of the provincial Buddhist association, and overseen by the abbot of the temple and the director of Buddhist studies in the region, Thích Trí Thủ.[1]
Architecture and facilities
The temple is built on a plot of 2 hectares. Upon entering the temple through the triple gates, there is a spacious courtyard with a variety of plant life, surrounded by balconied buildings. On the left are stupas dedicated to Buddhist patriarchs, the oldest being that to Thich Giác Phong, which was built in 1714 and stands 3.30 m. The main temple building has four pillars with the figures of dragons built onto them.[1]
The largest statue in the temple is a triple statue of the Buddha with two sets of
In 1959, within the grounds of the temple, the Ham Long Primary School was opened, with the principal being Thích Thiên Ân. During the school year of 1961–62, the school expanded to cater for secondary education in addition to elementary schooling, with the first principal being Thân Trọng Hy. He was succeeded by Trương Như Thung, Thích Phước Hải, Thích Thiện Hạnh, Thích Đức Thanh and Thích Hải Ấn. The school was later renamed to Trường Bồ Đề Hàm Long (Ham Long
References
16°27′17″N 107°34′49″E / 16.4547°N 107.5804°E Bao Quoc Pagoda Information