Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa relic is in Đồi Chùa area, Thạch Tú village, Đồng Quế commune, Lập Thạch district, Vĩnh Phúc province, about 10 kilometres at the south-east far from Lập Thạch town, 3 kilometres at the south far from Tam Sơn town (where has famous Bình Sơn stupa under Trần dynasty, 13th – 14th century).
Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa relic is in Đồi Chùa area, Thạch Tú village, Đồng Quế commune, Lập Thạch district, Vĩnh Phúc province, about 10 kilometres at the south-east far from Lập Thạch town, 3 kilometres at the south far from Tam Sơn town (where has famous Bình Sơn stupa under Trần dynasty, 13th – 14th century).
Nowaday, whole of Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa architecture was ruined. A big mass of architectural material and decoration types were found in cultivation process in Đồi Chùa area. Vĩnh Phúc people’s committee give to guideline build, restore Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa in the near future. National Museum of Vietnamese History and The Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism off Vinh Phuc province surveyed and investigative digged this relic.
Architectural vestige
After clearing the floristic composition covers the surface of Đồi Chùa area, we confirm there are two different short, high base levels, the high level is about 600 sq metres, the short one is about 1800 sq metres. Around the base levels still remain embankment stone sign, and many stairs at the southwest which lead to Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa base?
Edge vestige
On the surface of two base levels, architectural material appears densely, rectangular bricks, hook-tile and stupa corner fragments, bodhi-leaf decoration of Trần dynasty are almost.
Upon the field survey result, four investigative holes in different positions, the southeast of Đồi Chùa was paid much attention. Strata structure of these holes showing that there are 3 culture/architecture layers, but the third layer is the most noticeable which contained the vestiges of foundation support at the depth of 0.4 to 0.8 metre. The architectural signs be confirmed relate directly to Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa contain:
- The stone-edge vestiges at the depth of 0.4 to 0.7 metre (in the first hole) arranged relative straight, only a thin layer where used grey sedimentary rock and quartz rock (from 0.1 to 0.15 metre on the yellowish-grey clay layer mixed many gravels, 8 metres length, from 0.3 to 0.6 metre wide, from 0.2 to 0.3 height. The size’s stones are stable, from 0.3 to 0.4 metre thick, overlapped each other without adhesive, to make the edge along gently follow the hillside on the yellowish grey clay layer mix macadam, sedimentary rock and quartz rock.
Architectural wasted materials of Trần dynasty
- The vestige of clay layer extend surface of the first yellowish grey base at the southwest, 4.2 metres wide, from 0.3 to 0.5 metre thick. The extended layer separated with the brownish red laterite by quartz rock layer, about 1 metre wide create a hedge in order to keep soil and stick two extended surface layers.
- The vestige of ash was found at the hole to check stone base structure of Trần dynasty above. The ash track and fired ground lie next to the foot of stone foundation at the southnorthern, at 0.4 metre deep, 3 metres far from northeast holewall, 1.20 long, 0.45 wide, 0.03 thick.
- Architectural wasted materials of Trần dynasty lie at the depth of 0.2 to 0.7, distribute in the holes at the north of the mound. Wasted materials contains many material types to build the stupa, stupa decorative fragments, the dragon, bodhi-leaf, the terra-cotta roof stupa’s edging, tile fragment, many types of pottery, porcelain, terra-cotta products…etc. Maybe it is a result of material collection process in the cultivation process recently, when the stupa architecture had been ruined?
A big quantity of artifacts, almost are types of terra-cotta materials and decorations what plentiful about decorated form and motif to show apart of Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa’s appearance of Trần dynasty. Besides, there is a little of different artifact type as: iron nail, pottery fragment, porcelain, terra-cotta…etc what get characteristics of Trần dynasty.
Dragon head in architectural decoration
Base on the architectural vestiges and strata happenings to show the vestige of Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa architecture clearly, suitable to the folk handed down. About Kim Tôn stupa, to base on the foundation sign and dirtribute tightly the artifacts could be confirmed, maybe stupa position lie at the east (south) of Đồi Chùa. The build and decoration materials were found in order to prove Kim Tôn stupa was built with the solid stone foundation, upon directly on the hill base, the size of each edge about 4 to 4.2 metres with 13 floors?
About Kim Tôn pagoda, we could base on the tile tracks in the hole, and the unique artifact distribution are the tile fragments focus mainly at the west (north). The noticable point, the tile and the architectural material between Kim Tôn and Tây Thiên pagoda are the same, reflect the relation between two architectural constructions in a region at the same time.
The located symbol of the number floor on the architectural material
The study result showed, Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa’s architecture was heavy influence. A big mass of Kim Tôn’s materials and decorations be found on the large area, from Đồi Chùa to the streams of the foot of Hình Nhân mountain, but, that architectural
foundation almost was ruined completely.
Stupa roof’s angle
However, the architectural vestiges and the artifacts were found in the holes to confirm the presentation of Kim Tôn pagoda/stupa’s architecture of Trần dynasty. Those are useful documents for study process about Buddhism architectural art of Trần dynasty, and it is science datum to serve for restoring this vestige in the future.
Đoàn Cư