Bac Ninh is a traditional city with many different tourist destinations compared to many other provinces in the North. In particular, the name of the city with the most temples and pagodas is for Bac Ninh. This place is located in the special ancient temples of Vietnam and must be mentioned first that Dau pagoda tourism – the most ancient temple in the country.
About Dau pagoda tourism
Dau Pagoda, also known as Vietnamese Han, is Dien Ung Pagoda, in addition there is also a name according to the Buddha’s teachings is Co Chau or Phap etc. Currently, the pagoda is located in Thanh Khuong commune, Thuan Thanh, a suburb of Bac Ninh province . This land is characterized by quiet, lyrical countryside. The location of the pagoda is in the heart of the cultural and calendar area of Bac Ninh, also the old Giao Chi district thousands of years ago. Bac Ninh is now a part of the flourishing Kinh Bac in the past. History has proven that this place was once the economic, cultural, and political center and also the cradle of the development of Buddhism. That is why tourism to Dau pagoda on stretcher attracts tourists to visit.
Famous Strawberry Temple in Bac Ninh
Dau Pagoda currently holds a record as the oldest temple in Vietnam with many interesting highlights of the feudal period. The pagoda was built in 187 and in 226 it was completed, meaning the life expectancy of the pagoda is 1752 years old. All the Buddhists of the cross directions recognize this temple as the ancestor of Vietnamese Buddhism. Studying the structure of the temple, it was discovered that this is the intersection between different Buddhist backgrounds. There is a bit like India and slightly Chinese Buddhism. Previously, Buddhism was introduced into our country by water, crossing the Dau River. For centuries, monks from India and China have come here one after another to spread the religion. Therefore, for a long time, Dau pagoda has become the center of interference with the beauty of Buddhism and then influences other areas, becoming a destination for local and regional Buddhists.
The panorama of Dau pagoda is seen from above
Experiencing many ups and downs of history, especially the erosion of time and the devastation of war, Dau Pagoda was quite damaged. There was a time when this temple changed to another name, remodeling different from its original shape, but the core values of the temple cannot be replaced by an era. Because the temple is associated with mystical and sacred tales that folk try to preserve, typically the story of the Mother Nuong Buddha.
Through many ups and downs, today this is a destination that attracts both Buddhists and tourists to visit
Impressive architecture of Dau Pagoda
Dau pagoda tourism is increasingly attractive because of its unique architecture. This is the main architecture of the Hau Le dynasty, ie the 17th and 18th centuries. The pagoda consists of three main houses including the upper house, the front hall and the burnt incense. This distribution is consistent with the ancient pagoda structure and is convenient for Buddhist activities.
The front road is the first place where Buddhists visit. There is a statue of the dharmapala located here, in the understanding of today’s people, it is the god to protect the peace that covers the security of the whole temple. Besides, the front of the street is to worship 8 Diamonds, along with the coordinates of Diem Vuong, Mac Dinh Chi or Tam Chau Thai Tu, Cuu Long statue is located near the tower. This layout is to ensure the harmony of the yin and yang part, with the close supervision of the aspirants.
Dau pagoda has bold features of pagoda architecture in the Hau Le Dynasty
The upper house is the seat of many messengers who embody gods and beliefs. Among them can be mentioned as the statue of Kim Dong Ngoc Nu, Mrs. Dau, Mrs. Dau, the lordship, the totem lady, … their god. It can be said that this is the place where Buddhists worship different gods, depending on the purpose of their prayers.
In the main courtyard of the pagoda, there is a lot of incense and incense, which is often visited by people who worship themselves. In front of the hall is the location of Hoa Phong tower. This is the most favorite spot for tourists to visit Dau Pagoda . Although this tower has a long lifespan, but is the part that often needs to be remodeled the most, of course its original appearance is not the same. However, the tower is still considered the spirit of Dau pagoda with quite impressive architecture.
Hoa Phong Tower is the highlight that adds beauty to the temple
Hoa Phong Tower is 17 meters high, consisting of 9 floors, the wall of the tower is built with large thermal bricks, even darkening. The front of the tower is marked with nameplates, the four right angles are soaring together. Inside the tower, there are four bronze fairy corners, many outward windows along with a very large bronze bell. This bell is a product from 1793 and adds a cake with a life from 1817.
In front of the temple is a clean natural ecological campus with a stone sheep nearby. This stone sheep is associated with a story a thousand years ago about a monk who in the process of entering our country to preach Buddhism accidentally lost his own sheep. The sheep then got lost in Dau pagoda, so it was taken care of by the people and there was such a story.
A corner of Dau pagoda
Information about Dau Pagoda tourism festival
Considered to be the ancestor of the Buddhist Association of Vietnam, every year, Dau pagoda often takes place with large-scale festivals, converging many large and small Buddhists across the country. The pagoda assigns the 8th day of the 4th lunar month as a milestone for the festival. Over a thousand years of history, each festival period has changed. In the old days of kings, the festive atmosphere was always polite, solemn and solemn, but today the atmosphere is often new and happier.
The pagoda ceremony at the beginning of the year has become an indispensable cultural feature of the Vietnamese people
The area around Dau pagoda has 12 villages working together to create a festival imbued with the identity of Bac Ninh. Currently, instead of just wrapping up the festival one day as before, the time has been extended. The Strawberry Festival takes place on April 8 and 9, but the 8th is still the main festival.
During the festival, people go to the temple to pray for peace for themselves and their families
Taking place in the festival, there are many rich activities, entertainment for those who are not Buddhists. The most prominent is still the procession of the statue of Phap Van, also known as the statue of Ba Dau, Phap Loi, Phap Vu, … from many temples in the village to the main pagoda. The purpose of the association is to pray for peace, good weather and good weather to help the population stabilize and prosper, attracting thousands of tourists to Dau pagoda .
luhanhvietnam/Photo: Internet