Long Thu Pagoda Stele

Location: Long Thu Pagoda Stele is located in Long Thu Pagoda (now called An Long Pagoda), behind Cham Museum in Binh Hien Ward, Hai Chau District of Danang.
Characteristics: Long Thu Pagoda Stele is the oldest one in the territory and plays an important role in local history research.
The stele was set up on period of Le Thanh Tong’s reign (1658), and was written by Le Gia Phuoc (religious name of Phap Giam) born in Hai Chau District. Reasons for building, name of pagoda, names of people contributing into setting up the pagoda are readable on the stele. According to the stele’s content, Buddha in appearance of a dragon’s head usually helped miserable people so Buddhist followers come here for praying. Tran Huu Le offered a garden on which a pagoda was built for worshipping the Buddha. Other followers contributed financially to the pagoda construction, bell casting, and statue sculpture in 1653. It is said that there were two big bells and many beautiful statues, but they were stolen. The pagoda was destroyed in Tay Son – Nguyen Anh’s period. The stele was covered by earth, and in 1903 it was found out and laid next to the gate. In 1961, the pagoda was rebuilt in the same architecture as current ones of the south. Only the ancient three-door temple gate is outstanding. Made of grey sandstone, the stele was 1.25m high, 1.20m wide, 0.21m thick in shape of round-top trapezium. It is sculpted in both sides. On the front is a Chinese poet surrounded by floral designs, on the top carved a sun, clouds, flowers, and two lions. The poet has 368 words, 6 big ones are put horizontally: “Lap Thach Bi Thu Long Tu”. On the other side are floral designs. Long Thu pagoda stele was recognized as a historic relic by the decree approved by the Indochina government on 16th May 1925 and a national historic relic by Ministry of Culture and Information on 2nd December 1992