Bich Dong Pagoda - ancient architecture in the heart of Trang An cultural heritage, promises to bring you impressive spiritual and cultural experiences. Hãy nghe Trần Thuỳ Thanh Xuân (Đồng Nai) một travel blogger nổi tiếng bật mí .
Nestled in the Truong Yen mountain range in Ninh Binh, Bich Dong Pagoda is proud to be on the list of great attractions in the area. With its pristine natural landscape and a touch of tranquility, the pagoda is an ideal destination for those who want to temporarily escape the hustle and bustle of urban life. Immerse yourself in the peaceful space of the pagoda, leave all worries behind and enjoy the tranquility that this place brings. This place is known as "The second most beautiful cave in the South" with its pristine beauty and unusual tranquility.
1. Where is Bich Dong Pagoda?
Located in Dam Khe village, Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province, Bich Dong pagoda is an ancient pagoda built on the Truong Yen limestone mountain range. Along with Tam Coc, Mua cave, Hoa Lu ancient capital, Bai Dinh pagoda, ... Bich Dong is a famous destination in the Trang An relic complex.
With a nostalgic space and typical traditional architecture, the pagoda is a spiritual destination in the journey of discovery of many tourists. This place is sought by many people to enjoy the peaceful scenery, worship Buddha and learn about the unique history and culture of Ninh Binh.
Image source: Collected
2. History and significance of Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh
According to legend, Bich Dong Pagoda was built in 1428, a small pagoda in the middle of Bich Dong mountain. It was not until 1705, under the reign of King Le Du Tong, that two monks Tri Kien and Tri The renovated it into the current pagoda. The two monks came from two different hometowns, Vong Doanh and Nam Dinh, but shared the same aspirations and became brothers. After preaching and building pagodas in many places together, they came to Ninh Binh and decided to stop and practice here. Bich Dong Pagoda with its "mountain-facing-river" terrain was extremely suitable for practicing, so the two monks decided to donate their teachings and rebuild a new pagoda on the foundation of the old pagoda. The new pagoda is a cave pagoda consisting of 3 small pagodas, Thuong, Trung, and Ha, which still exist today.
In 1707, the two monks continued to cast a large bell, which is still hanging in the Dark Cave. Then in 1709, the two monks wrote the inscription for Bich Dong in Chinese characters. The pagoda was originally named "Bach Ngoc Thach Son Dong", but in 1774, Lord Trinh Sam changed its name to "Bich Dong". The pagoda was once known as "Nam Thien De Nhi Dong", the second most beautiful cave in the country, after Huong Tich Cave (Hanoi).
Image source: Collected
After 600 years of existence, through many historical ups and downs, Bich Dong is a place that preserves many historical imprints and carries within it great cultural values. In 2012, the Trang An scenic complex, including Bich Dong, was ranked as a special national monument, and in 2014, it was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural and natural heritage.
3. Architectural imprints of Bich Dong Pagoda, Ninh Binh
Bich Dong Pagoda, Ninh Binh was built in the style of ancient Vietnamese pagodas. The pagoda complex consists of 3 pagodas, 3 caves, including 2 dry caves and 1 water cave. Dry Cave includes Dark Cave halfway up the mountain, Bich Dong has a water cave called Xuyen Thuy Dong underground.
The most prominent highlight of the pagoda is the Tam-shaped structure in Chinese. Unlike the Xong-shaped pagoda with a connected incense burning room, the three buildings in the pagoda are completely separate. Accordingly, the structure consists of 3 separate parts: Ha Pagoda, Trung Pagoda, Thuong Pagoda, arranged along the mountainside from high to low.
4. When is the best time to visit Bich Dong Pagoda?
Each season, Bich Dong has its own color and attraction. Klook suggests some golden times to visit Bich Dong below:
- January to March of the lunar calendar: This is the time when many festivals take place at Bai Dinh Pagoda (in the Trang An complex). In particular, from March 8 to 10 is the time of the Truong Yen festival in Hoa Lu. Therefore, you can travel to Bich Dong this season and conveniently participate in special festivals.
- April: Although there are no special festivals, during this time, the weather in Bich Dong is dry and cool, very suitable for you to enjoy nature and participate in sightseeing activities.
- Late May and early June: This is a wonderful time to visit Bich Dong, when each green rice field turns yellow. The golden ripe rice fields, blending with the mountain and forest scenery, create a poetic landscape like a painting. This is a great time for those who love taking photos!
Image source: Collected
5. What is attractive about Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh?
5.1. Ha Pagoda
To enter the pagoda, you will have to follow the stone bridge made of green stone slabs and then lead to the Tam Quan gate of the pagoda. There is a road located right at the foot of the mountain, paved with bricks with a length of about 55m, this is also the only way to enter Ha Pagoda. Ha Pagoda was built with a total of 5 compartments on a high platform at the foot of the mountain. The architecture of the pagoda is designed in the shape of the letter Dinh. The roof has 2 curved floors, including a total of 8 roofs. The columns at the Ha gate are made of solid stone, without joints, with a height of about 4m. At the time the pagoda was built, it took a lot of effort and meticulousness to create such stone columns.
Entering the inside of the pagoda, on the top of the middle room of the Tien Duong, there is a large character written in Chinese characters "Mao co than thanh". When translated, this sentence means that this pagoda is very sacred. In the upper area will be the place to worship Buddha, followed by pedestals arranged in order from high to low with worship items such as incense burners, lamps,...
Image source: Collected
5.2. Trung Pagoda
After visiting Ha Pagoda, go back to the yard and go north, you will see a path of 80 stone steps around the mountainside. This is the path leading to the middle of the mountain, where Trung Pagoda is located. Unlike Ha Pagoda, Trung Pagoda has a semi-roofed architectural style on the outside.
This is a quite unique pagoda with only the roof and the door exposed, the remaining architecture is hidden in the mountain cave. Trung Pagoda was built with three rooms to worship Buddha. Above the roof are carved two Chinese characters "Bich Dong" placed by order of Lord Trinh Sam. On the left side of the pagoda is the room to worship the Holy Mother.
Image source: Collected
5.3. Thuong Pagoda
To reach Thuong Pagoda, visitors must climb about 40 stone steps along the mountainside. This is a small pagoda located on the mountainside, at the highest position near the top of Bich Dong Mountain. The pagoda is about 60m higher than the brick yard on the ground. The pagoda was built in the Southeast direction and is to worship Buddha Quan Am. There are two temples on both sides, the Duc Son Than temple and the Tho Dia temple. Next to the pagoda is a water tank called "Cam Lo water tank" of Quan Am Bo Tat. From Thuong Pagoda, visitors will see 5 mountains standing independently facing Bich Dong Mountain, looking very similar to 5 canashes of lotus flowers. That is Ngu Nhac Son including: Hang Dua Mountain, Con Lon Mountain, Dau Cau Mountain, Gia Dinh Mountain, Tam Sang Mountain.
Image source: Collected
5.4. Toi Cave
A place not to be missed when coming to Bich Dong Pagoda Ninh Binh is Toi Cave. After making a pilgrimage to worship Buddha at the Upper Palace, you should climb 21 stone steps to reach the Dark Cave. Above the cave entrance, there is still a large bronze bell cast by two monks Tri The and Tri Kien in 1707.
Dark Cave is a fairly long space, with electricity inside so visitors can easily explore the cave. Inside is an extremely massive, majestic natural structure under the yellow electric light. You will see images of young boys, fairies, dragons, etc. carved in stone in great detail and meticulously. All are displayed right before everyone's eyes like a petrified fairy world. Near the cave entrance on the pahri side, there are 3 majestic stone Buddha statues symbolizing eternal existence. In the middle is Amitabha Buddha, on the left is a stone statue of Lao Tho and Quan Am Thi Kinh, on the right is Van Thu Bodhisattva.
Image source: Collected
5.5. Xuyen Thuy Dong
This is a water cave in a system of 3 caves, including 2 dry caves and 1 water cave, in Bich Dong. Xuyen Thuy Dong has a semicircular shape, the length of the cave goes through the mountain, along Bich Dong Pagoda above. What is special is that the cave entrance is on the opposite side of the path to the pagoda, so visitors often take a boat to visit this flooded cave first, then climb the mountain to Bich Dong when they reach the end of the cave.
Xuyen Thuy Dong is 350 meters long, about 6 meters wide, and up to 15 meters wide at its widest point. Over the years, the walls and ceiling of the cave have been worn down by water. Together with the arrangement of nature, the stone slabs in the cave overlap to form a dome, with many special shapes.
Image source: Collected
It is not too much to say that Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh is a unique temple architecture in Vietnam. If you miss this complex of works during your trip to Ninh Binh, it would be a real pity.
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