A ceremony was held in the Vu Thu district of Thai Binh province on October 5 to announce the Prime Minister’s decision to recognise the altar in Keo Pagoda as a national treasure.
The altar in Keo Pagoda was recognised as a national treasure. (Photo: baovanhoa.vn)
At the ceremony, the 2022 Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival officially opened.
The altar in Keo Pagoda has a total length of 227 centimetres, a width of 156 centimetres and a height of 153 centimetres.
The altar was elaborately and delicately carved and has been preserved almost intact. This is a handmade product with more than 1,000 skillfully carved motifs in a tight layout.
According to many researchers, the altar has a great historical, cultural, artistic, and technical value, and is the largest among the crimson and gilded altars at the worshipping and religious relic sites in Vietnam.
The Keo Pagoda Festival was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2017 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. It features religious rituals and communal activities, such as Buddhist offerings, palanquin parades, love duet singing on boats, and folk games.
The 2022 Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival will last until October 10.
