The ancient pagoda was built on a total area of 8,000 sq m. Before 1945, it was a hiding place for documents, books, and newspapers belonging to revolutionary cadres. It was also where late revolutionary musician Van Cao used to stay. His song “Tien Quan Ca” was produced on-site.
Not just a revolutionary pagoda, Tieu Dao is also imbued with the soul of a craft village – Bat Trang. The villagers of Giang Cao have introduced unique handicraft products, creating a unique cultural identity. And this is considered a way for them to preserve the values of traditional craft villages.
Visitors will be able to immediately feel the uniqueness of the pagoda, because its main features are built in traditional brick. The roof pillars are made of solid wood with carefully carved patterns. All worship items such as altars, statues, hammock doors, pillars, porch pillars, and roofs are made from ceramics by skilled artisans in the craft village. In addition to using ceramics and porcelain as materials for worship statues and architecture, Bat Trang artisans also paid special attention to the patterns and small details of the altar and pagoda columns to create harmony in the overall architecture.
The statues inside are also ceramic.
In particular, the Eighteen Arhats section was built on a total area of up to 300 sq m. In addition to the statues, the accompanying motifs include a large painting on the wall. This has increased the beauty of this sacred place.
Tieu Dao Pagoda has 78 statues made from ceramics, exuding the beauty of craft village products.
Notably, in the main hall, two colossal statues guarding the main gate of the pagoda were cast by local artisans in a single block of ceramic.
Honouring the cultural value of the craft village in the spiritual space has contributed to making this place more meaningful than ever. With this approach, the pagoda is an ideal place for visitors who wish to immerse themselves in a quiet space and enjoy the traditional life found in the Vietnamese countryside./.
