Tam Bửu Pagoda

Tam Bửu Pagoda, also known as Tam Bảo Pagoda, is regarded as the Tổ đình (founding temple) of the Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa religion (abbreviated as "Hiếu Nghĩa"). This is a renowned monastic institution and a national historical monument in An Giang, Vietnam.

Tam Bửu Pagoda is located in Ba Chúc commune, An Giang province, about 200 metres from Tượng Mountain. The pagoda was built by Ngô Lợi, a patriotic figure in the Cần Vương movement and the Giáo chủ (religious leader) of the Hiếu Nghĩa religion, together with his followers, on 26 June 1882.

According to the An Giang Gazetteer, Ngô Lợi founded the religion in 1867 in Ba Chúc. Thus, before the pagoda was established in 1882, this place may have only been a farmstead or a simple hermitage made of wood and leaves.

It was not until the uprising of Ngô Lợi together with Lê Văn Ong and Võ Văn Khả, which broke out in Cai Lậy (Mỹ Tho) during the years 1877–1879 and was defeated, that, being fiercely pursued by the French colonialists, he led his followers and insurgents to retreat completely to An Định hamlet, established the pagoda, and waited for another opportunity.

To achieve its present appearance, the pagoda had to be restored many times due to being burned and destroyed by French troops.

In just 12 years (1876–1888), French troops came to An Định hamlet to burn down pagodas and houses; arrest, torture, and imprison people a total of seven times. Followers of the Hiếu Nghĩa religion call this the Religious Persecution (Đạo nạn).

And on 13 April 1978 (the full moon of the third lunar month), Pol Pot's troops from across the border (Cambodia) shelled Tam Bửu Pagoda's rear quarters, killing 40 people, injuring 20, and causing a section of wall to collapse.

A few days later, at 3 p.m. on 20 April, Pol Pot's troops crossed the border, quickly stormed the pagoda, and captured more than 800 people of all ages, confiscating all gold, silver, and valuables. Females were forced to go towards the Năm Xã canal, while males were escorted towards Cầu Sắt–Vĩnh Thông and Giồng Ông Tướng. Among them, four people who were elderly or ill and unable to walk were shot dead. The 800 people taken that day were beaten, raped, and then killed and left in the fields; only two survived and returned.

According to the Ba Chúc Hatred Memorial Stele, the number of civilians massacred was 3,157. Some were killed at the pagodas as mentioned, others in various locations. Currently, the Ba Chúc Ossuary displays 1,159 sets of remains; the rest have been buried by relatives or remain in deep caves on Tượng Mountain...

After Tam Bửu Pagoda was completed, Ngô Lợi sent people to Núi Dài (Ngọa Long Sơn) to cut cam đàn wood, a precious timber, to make a shrine called Long Đình (or Long Vị), which he designed and specified the dimensions for (about 3m high, each side about 2m and 1.5m).

Ngô Lợi greatly revered this shrine, as if worshipping a superior who was absent, whom followers called Đức Phật Vương (the Buddha King).

On 21 April 1885 (Year of the Rooster), French troops and their collaborator Trần Bá Lộc attacked Tượng Mountain and took many valuable religious artefacts, including the Long Đình, which was taken to the Saigon Museum. It was not until 11 May 1971 that this treasure was returned by the Republic of Vietnam government.

Not knowing whether the Long Đình still existed or had been destroyed by the French, the management board of the Tổ đình had another Long Đình made, though it was not identical or as skilfully crafted. This new Long Đình is now called Khánh Tổ by followers, as it is used to worship Đức Bổn Sư, i.e., Ngô Lợi.

In November 1888, after an internal betrayal, King Hàm Nghi was captured by the French. It is said that some of his close attendants escaped and, hearing of Ngô Lợi, came to Tam Bửu Pagoda to meet him. Not finding him, but realising that the Cần Vương movement here had been suppressed and weakened, they left after composing a few lines of poetry:

On 10 July 1980, Tam Bửu Pagoda, Phi Lai Pagoda, and the Ossuary were the three representative sites within the Ba Chúc Pol Pot Genocide Crime Evidence Area that were officially recognised as national historical monuments by the relevant authorities.