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Never before have I encountered a temple tower garden in Vietnam as magnificent and extensive as the one at Bo Da Pagoda. Nearly 100 brick towers stand in rows, meticulously layered according to the strict regulations of Zen Buddhism.
Bo Da Pagoda – an ancient spiritual sanctuary in Bac Giang
First is Duc La Pagoda
Second is Bo Pagoda, third is Trang Pagoda
(Duc La - Vinh Nghiem, Bo Da, Kim Trang)
Bac Giang and Bac Ninh stand as ancient cultural lands of the Vietnamese people, adorned with a network of ancient communal houses, pagodas, and temples along the Red River delta. Bo Da Pagoda (locally known as Bo Pagoda), formerly named Quan Am Pagoda, rests on the foothills of Bo Da Mountain, on the northern bank of the Cau River, in Tien Son commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province.
It was only on my second visit to this region that I had the chance to explore the revered ancient pagoda that had been heard of for so long. The narrow road winding through small villages amidst lush paddy fields leads to the base of a hill covered in greenery. The pagoda features a unique architectural style, both inwardly and outwardly, with nearly 100 connected chambers, exuding a rare sense of tranquility and serenity, even when compared to other ancient pagodas in the northern region.
Spanning over 50,000 square meters, Bo Pagoda's complex comprises the main pagoda (Tuu An Tu), along with two shrines dedicated to the Holy Mother and General Thach Tuong. The premises include three areas: the inner sanctuary, the tower garden, and the fruit orchard. Not many pagodas boast such extensive grounds, stretching across the hills as this one does.
Nestled against the mountainside, overlooking villages and rice fields, Bo Pagoda is not just an ancient pagoda but a breathtaking spectacle. It feels as if the surrounding forest is reaching out to embrace the serene premises of the pagoda. Today, there is no trace of the once eerie and ominous primeval forest (9th-10th century), when this area was called the 'Oh My God Forest,' due to the cries believed to be the lost souls of those slain when bandits roamed the woods.
The first strong impression for any visitor is the ancient wall dating back to the 11th century that encircles the pagoda, with bamboo groves on the outside forming a protective barrier. The narrow path leading to the pagoda gate feels like stepping into a fairy tale, thanks to the walls covered in moss on both sides.
The wall here is constructed using clay in a traditional technique, standing over a meter and a half tall, approximately half a meter thick. Clay is mixed with straw, stones, and gravel, placed in thick wooden molds, pounded until dry, then removed layer by layer, each about 40 cm high, stacked on top of each other in the same manner until they form a solid and sturdy tall wall.
Passing through several moss-covered tiled-roof gates, reminiscent of the Le Dynasty, leads to the inner sanctum of the pagoda. Travelers will be astonished to see the artistic arrangement of various types of pottery against a wall made of fired bricks, tiles, and delicate porcelain, creating a truly unique display.
Nearby are two well-covered wells, believed to be contemporaneous with the founding of the pagoda. The landscape architecture within the inner sanctuary and pagoda grounds is noteworthy, with the exquisite arrangement of trees, flowers, stones, and water, providing a sense of tranquility and self-contentment for both Buddhist followers and visitors in the serene and meditative space.
I have never seen a pagoda tower garden in Vietnam as beautiful and extensive as at Bo Da Pagoda. Nearly 100 brick towers are arranged in strict accordance with the Zen tradition. Only monks from the Linh Te Zen sect are allowed to stay and meditate here. The towers with lotus flowers on top house the ashes of nuns, while those with cylindrical vases hold the ashes of monks. Bo Da Pagoda is a major center for the Linh Te Zen sect, attracting numerous monks from various locations for meditation each year.
The pagoda houses a wealth of rare artifacts and documents, in addition to the collection of Buddha statues following the Truc Lam Zen school. These include ancient inscriptions, scrolls, scriptures, ancestral tablets, couplets, incense altars (Nine Dragons Court), two wooden lamps from the Le Dynasty, a bronze bell with the Tự Đức reign's inscription, and a long fishing rod on the roof. Notably, the oldest set of Buddhist scriptures in Vietnam (approximately 300 years old) is engraved on over 2,000 intact wooden panels, preserved at the pagoda.
Bo Da Pagoda dates back to the 11th century in the Ly Dynasty and underwent renovations during the Le Dynasty under the reign of King Le Du Tong (1705-1728). Alongside Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda (also known as Duc La Pagoda), Bo Da Pagoda is a significant Buddhist center in Bac Giang, following the Truc Lam Zen school. It enshrines statues of the Truc Lam three founders (Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa, and Huyen Quang).
In the past, Hương Tích and Bo Da were the two largest monasteries near the Thang Long imperial city dedicated to Quan The Am Bodhisattva. Bo Da is an abbreviation for Bổ Đà Lạc Gia, derived from the Sanskrit 'Potalaka,' meaning the mountain where the Bodhisattva Quan The Am manifested to rescue sentient beings.
As reported by Zing News
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Reference: Travel guide Mytour
MytourApril 21, 2016
