Bai Dinh Pagoda is a great spiritual tourist destination. That is the feeling of tourists who have come to this sacred, mysterious and pure place. You may not know, Bai Dinh Pagoda is the temple that owns the most national records in Vietnam and is mentioned by the media as a large temple with Asian and regional records. What records do you think those are? Let’s find the answer with Vinlove in the article below.
Asia’s largest gilded bronze Buddha statue
Bai Dinh Pagoda is located in Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District, Ninh Binh Province. Bai Dinh pagoda complex includes two architectural works, Bai Dinh Tan and Bai Dinh Co Tu. Currently, both temples still exist and religious activities take place on the same 1,700-hectare campus. About 18km from Ninh Binh City and 100km from Hanoi capital, Bai Dinh Pagoda has become the center of activities and organizing spiritual and cultural events not only of Vietnam but also of the whole Asian region. Some programs of international stature can be mentioned such as: United Nations Day of Vesak Program 2014 and the International Buddhist Conference held in 2014 or the World Peace Prayer program, spiritual prayer. UNESCO’s idea of peace becoming a reality held in 2011 all took place here
The statue of Shakyamuni Buddha sitting on a lotus throne and reciting lotus flowers at the Dharma Master Palace holds the record as the largest pure bronze Buddha statue inlaid with gold in Asia. This record was established in 2012. This is also considered a symbol of the sacred, quiet Bai Dinh pagoda. The Buddha statue is 10 m high, weighs 100 tons, is gilded bronze, and is placed on a 1.5 m high pedestal. The statue was cast by bronze casting artists in Thuong Dong village, Yen Tien commune, Y Yen district, Nam Dinh province, supported by a reinforced concrete frame with imitation wood, nearly 30 m high to the roof; 44.7m long, 43.3m wide.
The largest bronze Maitreya Buddha statue in Southeast Asia
Maitreya Buddha statue is a familiar image in folk Buddhist beliefs, a symbol of human joy and happiness. It is not difficult to see the image of Maitreya Buddha with a bright smile, a stout body, and a comfortable sitting posture displayed in households, in temples, especially in some places. famous landmarks. Visit the spiritual tourist area of Bai Dinh Pagoda, the temple that is confirmed to set the most records in Asia for extremely sophisticated statues with “huge” size. Typical among them is the bronze Maitreya Buddha statue.
The 100-ton bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha seated on the hill of Bai Dinh pagoda outside Tam The palace is the largest bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha in Southeast Asia. Despite being at the top, pilgrims coming here cannot miss this place. Standing on high, admiring the beauty of the Buddha statue, praying for peace and peace for the family, nothing is so calm and relaxing. On the festival day of the temple, people from all over the world come to visit the temple. Many people also put money, rub on the Buddha statue to bring good luck during the pilgrimage.
The largest temple complex in Vietnam
Located about 2 hours by motorbike from Hanoi, Bai Dinh Pagoda is located on a sacred strip of land “mountains lying at the head of the river, clouds playing with mountains” in Sinh Duoc village, Gia Sinh, Gia Vien, Ninh Binh. Bai Dinh pagoda complex has an area established as the largest in Vietnam with 539 hectares, including 27 hectares of the ancient Bai Dinh pagoda area, 80 hectares of the newly built Bai Dinh pagoda area since 2003 and other items such as public works. cultural center, Buddhist academy, roads, parking lots, Dam Thi lake area… Especially, surrounding the pagoda are magnificent and poetic limestone arcs.
The new Bai Dinh pagoda includes architectural items located on terrain from low to high, 5 levels along the main road: Tam Quan Noi, bell tower, Quan Am shrine, Phap Chu temple and the top is Tam tower. Position. Prominent among them is Tam The Palace with a height of 34m and an area of 2370 m2, placing three Buddha statues 7.2m high, weighing 50 tons, cast in monolithic bronze, confirmed to be the set of Tam The ice statues. Vietnam’s largest coin.
The pagoda has the largest bronze bell in Vietnam
On the way to Bai Dinh pagoda, located on the left of the Arhat corridor, visitors will visit the bell tower. This place owns the record of the largest Dai Hong Chung in Vietnam (2007). The bell weighs 36 tons, diameter 3.45 m; 5.40 m high, used for chanting and worshiping, placed in an ancient bell tower with an octagonal architecture of 22 m high, with 3 curved roofs. On the body of the bell is engraved the Great Compassionate Prajna Sutra in the Buddhist scriptures in Chinese characters and many decorative patterns with Buddhist themes.
The bell tower in Bai Dinh pagoda (Ninh Binh) is the place to keep the largest “big” Dai Hong and “terrible” bronze drum in Vietnam today. The bell tower was built with an octagonal shape, 3 floors high, with 2 stairs up and down to visit Dai Hong Chung and Bronze Drum. Prominent in the bell tower is the largest Dai Hong Chung in Vietnam made by a Hue artisan. The bell was cast in Hue, then took many days to be transported to Bai Dinh pagoda and placed in the bell tower.
The pagoda area has the largest jade well in Vietnam
Bai Dinh Pagoda is also home to the largest jade well in Vietnam . This record was established in 2007. From Tam Quan, 300 stone steps down to the foot of Bai Dinh mountain is a jade well. The moon-shaped well is very wide, 30 m in diameter, 6 m deep, the water in the jade season is reflected in the sky and clouds. And the special thing is that the well never runs dry. The stone railing running around the well looks very beautiful. The land around the well is square, has an area of 0.6 ha with 4 corners and 4 octagonal floors. All year-round, the trees are green and blooming. Legend has it that nearly 1,000 years ago, Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong used water to decoction and cure diseases for poor people and for Crown Prince Duong Hoan.
In the past, no one knew, Zen master Nguyen Minh Khong (the founder of Bai Dinh pagoda) was told by the gods to have a precious water source at the foot of the mountain near the temple. After that, he took water from the well to make medicine for the people. Today, when the ancient and new Bai Dinh pagoda is embellished and built, Ngoc well is also remodeled. Currently, the well has a moon-shaped face, nearly 30m in diameter and about 6m in depth. Around the mouth of the well was built of Dinh mountain stone. The campus around the well is built in a square with an area of up to 6,000m2, the four corners are 4 octagonal floors. The surrounding landscape is planted with shady trees. To get to the well, you have to go through a very beautiful stone gate.
The temple area has the longest Arhat corridor in Asia
Visitors to Bai Dinh Pagoda will be extremely impressed with two long, closed corridors leading to the mountain pagodas and the way down. It is also the longest Arhat corridor in Asia . This record was set in 2012. The length of each corridor is about 1,700 m with 250 compartments, each space is 4.5 m x 4.5 m. The two corridors are made of 10,000 cubic meters of wood and are carved and assembled by 100 artisans and 700 workers.
First, we must understand that Arhat is a disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni. In Hinayana Buddhism, Arhat is the final state of a being on the path to liberation, has passed the four stages (four fruits) as Arhat, reached a very high achievement, that is, cultivation has been completed. Enlightenment, to the eternal tranquility of Nirvana, free from the cycle of birth and death. In Mahayana Buddhism, Arhats are replaced by Bodhisattvas. If he is liberated for himself, then the Bodhisattva has the ability to help others to be liberated as well. Therefore, according to the concept of Buddhism, the Arhats placed in Bai Dinh pagoda are to close, guide, and teach sentient beings.
The temple area has the most Arhat statues in Vietnam
Bai Dinh Pagoda is a large temple complex with many Asian and Vietnamese records, established as the temple with the largest gilded bronze Buddha in Asia, the temple with the longest Arhat corridor in Asia, and the Maitreya statue. The largest bronze temple in Southeast Asia… This is the largest temple and owns the most records in Vietnam. In particular, the pagoda is also confirmed to have the most statues of the Han Han in Vietnam.
Walking in the Arhat corridor with a total length of nearly 3 km, visitors will admire a large number of Arhat statues. Each row of corridors has 250 Arhat statues carved in monolithic stone, each statue is from 2 to 2.5 m high. The special thing that shows the talented crafting hands of Ninh Binh stone masons is that each statue has a different shape and spirit, expressing the religious philosophy with emotions of joy, anger, love, and anger. people’s daily life. Therefore, Bai Dinh Pagoda is holding the record as the temple area with the most Arhat statues in Vietnam .
The pagoda planted the most Bodhi trees in Vietnam
Bai Dinh Pagoda is the temple that has planted the most bodhi trees in our country so far. According to Buddhist legends, the Bodhi tree played an important role in the Buddha’s life because the Buddha sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree and gradually enlightened to the teachings of Buddhism. Since then, according to beliefs, there was a nun who came to that Bodhi tree to take branches and plant them in India.
Therefore, when the Bai Dinh pagoda was built, 100 3rd generation Bodhi trees extracted from Indian Bodhi trees were brought here to show the sacredness of the temple. All the Bodhi trees planted on the occasion of the United Nations Day of Vesak in Vietnam in 2008 have so far amounted to thousands of trees growing around the pagoda.
Through this article, you certainly understand why Bai Dinh Pagoda is now an ideal spiritual tourist place not only for domestic tourists but also international tourists. You can worship Buddha to pray for peace and luck while enjoying the wonderful natural scenery and unique architecture. If you haven’t been to this place yet, what are you waiting for, pack your bags and go.