1. where is Tam Chuc Pagoda
Located in Ba Sao commune, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province - about 70km from Hanoi city, Tam Chuc pagoda is considered the largest temple in the world up to now. The pagoda is located in the romantic and lyrical Tam Chuc tourist area.
Tam Chuc Pagoda occupies 144 hectares of the total area of 5,100 hectares of Tam Chuc National Tourist Area. This is a large-scale tourist destination, combining spiritual, ecological and resort tourism. In addition, there are many other services with 6 functional subdivisions.
Together with Perfume Pagoda (Hanoi) and Bai Dinh Pagoda (Ninh Binh), these three temples are linked together to become the largest spiritual tourism axis in Vietnam, attracting a large number of tourists from all over the world.
Surrounding the pagoda are limestone mountains and natural forests. The back of the pagoda is leaning against That Tinh mountain, facing Tam Chuc lake with 6 rocky islands floating on the lake surface creating an extremely majestic and peaceful landscape.
2. What is special in Tam Chuc Pagoda
From Tam Quan Gate to Quan Am Palace, you will pass through the Cot Kinh Garden. This is a large garden with 32 columns of Buddhist scriptures, restored according to the version of Buddhist scriptures at Nhat Tru Pagoda, a national treasure in Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh.
The sutra columns at Tam Chuc pagoda are made from Thanh Hoa green stone. Each column weighs about 200 tons, designed in the style of a lotus - a lotus bud with a hexagonal body, meticulously sculpting the teachings of the Buddha.
The ancient Tam Chuc pagoda was built during the Dinh Dynasty about 1,000 years ago. Because of its special location surrounded by Tam Chuc lake in front and That Tinh mountain range behind, the temple is associated with the legend of "Tien Luc Nhac - Hau That Tinh".
To get to the temple, visitors will have to climb 299 stone steps
Legend has it that in the past, there were 7 bright stars on 7 mountains in Tam Chuc region, the embodiment of 7 fairies who came to earth to wander. Because they were so fascinated by the beautiful scenery of the charming mountain place, the girls were too busy playing and did not return.
Therefore, God sent someone to bring down the bell to call them back 6 times, avail. 6 small islands emerging in the middle of the lake are likened to 6 bells left by heaven, are Luc Nhac; and the other 7 mountains are Seven Tinh.
After that, some people went to Seven Stars Mountain to carve and burn fire, in order to take away those 7 stars. However, the great fire caused the 4 stars to fade away, leaving only 3 stars. That Tinh Pagoda in Tam Chuc village has since been named Ba Sao pagoda, and Ba Sao town is also named after that.
Quan Am Temple is the place to worship Buddha with thousand hands and thousand eyes. There is a very large yard here, an airy and quiet space, with a view towards the garden of pillars
The next destination on the main path is Tam The Palace. Located at an altitude of 45m above sea level, the temple has 3 curved roofs, built in the typical Vietnamese temple architecture. This is also the largest hall, enough room for 5,000 Buddhists to perform at the same time
On the walls of Tam The Palace are reliefs of Nirvana - the place of fairyland.
In here people worships monks To Dat Ma, Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong, Zen Master Khuong Viet, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Zen Master Do Phap Thuan, etc., who have contributed to the development of Buddhism in Vietnam.
In front of Tam The Palace, there is a Bodhi tree extracted from the 2,125-year-old Bodhi tree, a treasure of Sri Lanka, presented by the President of the National Assembly of Sri Lanka.
The highest place that any Buddhist wants to conquer when coming to Tam Chuc Pagoda is the Jade Pagoda (Alien Altar) located on the top of That Tinh Mountain. The first section of the way to the Jade Pagoda is a steep road covered with rubber ledges to help visitors move more easily. The way to the Jade Pagoda is a rock climbing path through the forest.
Nearly 300 steps up to enjoy the fresh and cool air amidst the pristine forest.
Jade Pagoda is located at an altitude of 200m above sea level. The temple is 15m high, built with 2,000 tons of red granite blocks stacked together without cement or glue. All building stones are made in India and transported to be installed in the Vietnamese ancient architectural style
It will not be a waste of effort to climb the mountain because from Ngoc Pagoda, you can admire the panoramic view of Tam Chuc mountain appearing in front of your eyes, as beautiful as a charming feng shui picture.
Standing from the Jade Pagoda, visitors can cover the entire scene of Tam Chuc pagoda
In 2019, Tam Chuc Pagoda was chosen for the United Nations Vesak Celebration, with the participation of thousands of dignitaries, Buddhist followers and researchers. This event contributes to bringing the image of Tam Chuc Pagoda closer to domestic and foreign tourists