Wat
Chùa Kh'leang
វត្តឃ្លាំង
Chùa Kh'leang (វត្តឃ្លាំង, Wat Khleang) is a Khmer Theravada Buddhist Wat on Tôn Đức Thắng street in Sóc Trăng ward, Cần Thơ, Vietnam.[1][2] It stands in the former Sóc Trăng province, and its history spans more than 500 years.[3][1]
History
The Wat's tradition dates its founding to 1533[3] or 1532.[2] In Khmer, kh'leang means "storehouse", a name that recalls the large rice store that stood in the area long ago.[1] The first Wat was built of wood with a thatched roof, which was later replaced with tiles.[3] The present main hall was completed in 1918, when Venerable Liêu Đuông was abbot; two craftsmen named Chao and Clao came from Cambodia to work on it.[2] From its first abbot, Venerable Thạch Sóc, the Wat has had 21 generations of abbots.[3] As of 2023 and 2026, the abbot was Hòa thượng (Most Venerable) Tăng Nô, who in 2023 also headed the Sóc Trăng provincial board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.[2][1]
On April 27, 1990, the Ministry of Culture and Information recognized Chùa Kh'leang as a national relic of architecture and art (Decision 84/QĐ-BVHTT).[1][2][3] As of 2023, it and Chùa Dơi were the two Wats in the city of Sóc Trăng with national relic status.[4]
Architecture
The grounds cover about 3.5 ha (8.6 acres) and are shaded by tall trees.[3] The main hall stands on a base about 1 m (3.3 ft) high, with doors on all four sides. Its wooden roof frame rises in three tiers and rests on 12 large pillars in Corinthian style, painted glossy black with golden dragons and fish. At the center sits a Buddha image 2.7 m (8.9 ft) tall, 6.8 m (22 ft) high with its pedestal; a Khmer inscription behind it records that Venerable Liêu Đuông, the 17th abbot, had it made with offerings from the family of Lum Sum.[3]
The decoration joins Khmer forms with Vietnamese and Chinese elements: carp, dragons and Chinese characters painted on the pillars, and Vietnamese motifs on the carved hanging panel inside the hall. Carvings of the krud (Garuda, a bird deity) and of bird-maidens adorn the main hall.[4] Yeak (guardian giants) stand at the steps in front of the main hall.[3]
The grounds also hold a sala (meeting hall), the abbot's residence, which keeps scriptures and records, monks' quarters and a guest house.[1][2]
Education
An intermediate-level Pali school, the Trường Bổ túc Văn hóa Pali Trung cấp Nam Bộ, stands in the grounds and trains Khmer monastics for the southern region.[1][2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Reatimes, Photo Travel: Kh'Leang, ngôi chùa cổ lưu giữ tinh hoa nghệ thuật giữa miền Tây (April 11, 2026)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Vietnam.vn, Thăm Chùa Kh’Leang, di tích kiến trúc nghệ thuật quốc gia ở tỉnh Sóc Trăng (August 9, 2023)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Buddhism Today, Võ Văn Tường and Huỳnh Như Phương, Danh lam nước Việt (undated)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 VOV5, Những ngôi chùa Khmer ở tỉnh Sóc Trăng (December 13, 2023)