(Cinet)- Hanoi city invests into a project to restore Ba Kieu temple with a worth of VND 23.2 billion (roughly US$1.1 million) in the city’s budget.
Located in Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hoan Kiem district, Ba Kieu temple was built under the reign of King Le Than Tong (1619 -1628) to worship Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh and princesses Quynh Hoa and Que Hoa.
The altars are all in the back of the temple with wooden doors separating them from the rest of the space. Originally, this part was not accessible to the public as it was considered sacred. Now it is open, but only on the 1st and the 15th days of the lunar month.
The primary figure of worship, to whom the central altar is dedicated, is the “Mother Goddess,” Lieu Hanh. Belief in powers supports a combination of popular folk religion as well as Buddhism, feminism, and nationalism. She is worshiped as a goddess of fertility and abundance. Thus, many women seeking to become pregnant will worship at this temple.
The main altar has a bas relief, dating from the period of the origin of the temple, hanging on the back wall of the glassed-in partition, with Lieu Hanh in the center wearing a red jacket (the color can’t be seen) and the Mothers of the Forest and the Sea on either side. In front, still in the glass case, are statues of the Mothers of the Sea, the Sky and the Forest, with Lieu Hanh again in the center.
From January 2007, a vast clock has been counting down, from 1,000, the number of days until ten centuries since the founding of Hanoi will be celebrated in October 2010.
During the 2015 -2016 period, the project will be implemented to restore the temple’s foundations, re-render its surface, replace the roof and restore original decorative patterns.
The project is a part of the Hanoi city authorities’ effort to safeguard downgraded historical, cultural, religious, architectural and artistic constructions of the capital whose value were recognised by the State.
It was recognized as a cultural and historical vestige in 1994.
Đăng ký: VietNam News