Pho Quang Pagoda, an 800-year-old national cultural heritage site in the northern province of Phu Tho, went up in flames on Wednesday.
Smoke began rising from the main hall of the pagoda at around 10 a.m. and fire engulfed the hall within minutes.
Pho Quang Pagoda in Phu Tho Province goes up in flames on Oct. 23, 2024. Video by Le Thuy
Hundreds of locals attempted to put out the blaze with water but were unsuccessful.
Lam Thao District police dispatched five fire trucks and dozens of officers to the scene at 10:30 a.m. By noon, the fire was contained, but most of the main hall’s structure had been destroyed.
Pho Quang Pagoda was recognized as a national cultural heritage site in 1980. It housed many valuable relics and artifacts, particularly a lotus-shaped stone pedestal from the Tran Dynasty (1225 to 1400) featuring intricate carvings, which was declared a national treasure in 2021.
The pedestal had some of its lotus petals broken during the fire.
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A stone lotus altar, a national treasure, is damaged after a fire at Pho Quang Pagoda in Phu Tho Province, Oct. 23, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Department of Cultural Heritage |
According to the Xuan Lung Commune People’s Committee, 27 clay and wood Buddha statues and the entire pagoda’s furnishings were damaged.
Initial estimates put the financial damage at around VND25 billion (US$985,000).
No casualties were reported as no one was inside the pagoda at the time.
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The main hall of Pho Quang Pagoda in Phu Tho Province is damaged from a fire on Oct. 23, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Department of Culture Heritage |
The Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has requested local authorities to assess the damage and propose a restoration plan.
Phu Tho Province police are investigating the cause of the fire.
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