Kh’Leang pagoda, a national architectural heritage in Soc Trang

via VOV5/ Vietnam Net, 03 July 2023: The 500-year-old Kh’Leang pagoda in Soc Trang province, Vietnam, has been recognized as a national architectural heritage due to its intact condition and unique Khmer architecture.

In the past Kh’Leang pagoda hold sutra books written in ancient Khmer characters on pages made of leaves. These precious artifacts are now kept at the exhibition house of Khmer ethnic culture in Soc Trang province.

Thach Thi Loan, a tour guide at the exhibition center, said, “The Khmer wrote on palmyra palm leaves and corypha lecomtei leaves. They cut the leaves into pieces, soaked them in water, and pressed them dry to resist termites. The sutras written on corypha lecomtei leaves are about 500 years old. There are book collections on different topics, such as pedagogy, Buddhism, medical treatment and medicinal herbs, and culture.”

Like other Khmer temples in the South, the monks of Kh’Leang pagoda teach children during their summer vacation. They teach the Khmer language, dignity, life philosophy, filial piety, and behavior.

Source: Kh’Leang pagoda, a national architectural heritage in Soc Trang