Sightseeing at Dai Bi Pagoda - Famous ancient site in ancient Son Nam

Dai Bi Pagoda Nam Dinh, one of the rare relics in the lower Red River Delta dedicated to the Holy Tu Dao Hanh, still retains the ancient architecture of the Later Le and Nguyen dynasties (17th-19th centuries). .

Dai Bi Pagoda Nam Dinh, one of the rare relics in the lower Red River Delta dedicated to the Holy Tu Dao Hanh, still retains the ancient architecture of the Later Le and Nguyen dynasties (17th-19th centuries). .

Ancient features of the three-entrance gate of Dai Bi Pagoda. (Photo: Bich Hang/Vietnam+)

Son Nam Land is an ancient place located south of Thang Long Citadel (including today's Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh and Nam Dinh provinces), existing for nearly 400 years since the reign of King Le Thanh Tong ( 15th century) to the Minh Mang period of the Nguyen Dynasty (19th century).

Dai Bi Pagoda, located in Giap Ba village, Nam Giang commune, Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province, is one of the famous ancient sites of ancient Son Nam. This is a rare relic in the lower Red River Delta dedicated to the Saint Tu Dao Hanh.

Legend has it that Dai Bi Pagoda was built in Giap Ba village during the Ly Dynasty (11th century), when Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh brought his mother, Tang Thi Loan, here to take refuge and build a pagoda to practice.

Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh is one of three famous Zen masters (Duong Khong Lo, Giac Hai and Tu Dao Hanh), who had many contributions to the Ly Dynasty, and was also a high-ranking monk who attained the Dharma, and had great contributions in building built many pagodas, including Thien Phuc Pagoda (Tha Pagoda, Hanoi) and Dai Bi Pagoda (Nam Dinh).

Dai Bi Pagoda faces South, the direction of Prajna wisdom, on a beautiful, flat land in the middle of Giap Ba village. According to feng shui, this is a beautiful land shaped like a dragon's head, on both sides there are two small wells, people here call them dragon eyes.

Historical documents do not provide much information about the original size of the temple. Having gone through many ups and downs of time, today, only a few stone bases remain at Tam Quan.

Dai Bi Pagoda's worship hall. (Photo: Bich Hang/Vietnam+)

Through research on architectural materials and Han Nom documents still preserved at the relics such as genealogies, ordinations, and epitaphs, it can be seen that the current Dai Bi Pagoda was built and expanded in the 19th century. 17, Late Le Dynasty and restored and embellished under the Nguyen Dynasty (19th century).

The architectural work of Dai Bi Pagoda still today has a very large scale and many unique features.

With "foreign domestic" architecture, Dai Bi Pagoda has up to 60 compartments, mostly made of ironwood, the main material in religious and religious architectural works of Vietnamese people in the Red River Delta.

Looking at the overall plan, the pagoda includes architectural components such as three gates, main pagoda, two corridors, bell tower, and Patriarch's house. The entire project is arranged in a balanced and harmonious manner.

Looking from the outside, one can see that the pagoda's architecture seems to be gradually raised and spread out, massively following a main axis, making the whole project able to rise.

[The unique art of puppetry adoring the Holy Spirit is imbued with spiritual culture]

The three-entrance gate of Dai Bi Pagoda is not located in the middle but is built to the east, opposite the palace worshiping Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh in the upper palace of the pagoda.

The three gates still retain many carvings of the Later Le Dynasty and have a structure very similar to the inner Nghi Mon Temple of King Dinh, the Three Quan Temple, Diem Giang Pagoda (Gia Vien, Ninh Binh), or the Nghi Mon Thai Temple of the Le Dynasty ( Thanh Hoa).

The wooden doors of the temple are exquisitely carved. (Photo: Bich Hang/Vietnam+)

Behind the Tam Quan is the main pagoda architectural cluster including the front hall of the Three Jewels worshiping the Three Saints, the statues of the Nine Dragons, and the Seven Buddhas.

The front porch's roof is wide, slightly low, and the symmetrical corners soar up, creating a gentle and elegant temple architecture. The wooden doors in the middle of the hall are carved with beautiful stylized dragons, flowers, and clouds.

The pagoda is decorated with Buddha statues like any other Vietnamese pagoda, but the difference at Dai Bi Pagoda is that on the right side of the Three Jewels, there is an altar to worship Patriarch Tu Dao Hanh and Zen Master Giac Hai - people who have made many contributions to Buddha. home country law.

The Three Jewels are in the middle, on the right is the Holy Palace (forbidden palace), on the left is the thousand-eyed, thousand-armed Guan Yin statue, the statue of Guan Yin sitting on the mountain; The Three Jewels include the statue of the Three Worlds.

The Holy Palace is a wooden structure, exquisitely carved in the shape of a palanquin in the Hau Le style, and inside there is an altar painted in vermilion and gilded with gold. The innermost shrine worships Mrs. Tang Thi Loan (Zen Master's mother).

Carved in the 17th-18th centuries at the altar of Saint Tu Dao Hanh. (Photo: Bich Hang/Vietnam+)

Inside the Holy Palace, most of it is made of ironwood. (Photo: Bich Hang/Vietnam+)

Behind the Buddhist pagoda is a two-story, eight-roofed bell tower, with translational meaning, expressing the cosmological thought of the Eastern people with many exquisite carvings in the artistic style of the Le and Nguyen dynasties. This is one of the most valuable architectural units of the temple.

Behind the bell tower is the Patriarch's church. Surrounding the pagoda cluster is a system of corridors, each row of 20 gable-style compartments along with the Mother Palace, giving the pagoda the typical architecture of a pagoda worshiping Saint Tu Dao Hanh.

The bell tower of Dai Bi Pagoda has a match bell architecture, 8 roofs with soaring knife heads. (Photo: Bich Hang/Vietnam+)

Besides its historical and architectural artistic value, Dai Bi Pagoda also preserves many valuable relics and antiques. Most notable are the 10 steles and 10 decrees of deification, of which the oldest stele was engraved in the reign of King Le Hy Tong, in the reign of Vinh Tri 4 (1679), the earliest decree on August 8, in the reign of Canh Hung 28 (1767).

In addition, the pagoda still retains many precious worship objects, especially incense burners, coffins and statues of Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh in the style of the Later Le period of the 17th-18th centuries.

Van Chang blacksmithing profession, Nam Giang, also contributed to the pagoda a number of relics such as iron lamps, tiger faces, and some elaborately turned wooden puppet heads, helping to make the pagoda's festival more rich and unique. .

Dai Bi Pagoda Festival is famous throughout the region, starting from the 21st to 24th of the first lunar month every year with many Buddhist rituals integrating with folk beliefs.

During the Dai Bi Pagoda festival, the most unique and typical is the puppet show worshiping the Saint (also known as the Oi Loi performance). Legend has it that this is a feat created and taught to the people by the Holy Tu Dao Hanh, demonstrating the noble human compassion and charity of the Holy Spirit to save the souls drifting at sea.

That is also the noble humanistic ideology of Buddhism in general and Vietnamese culture in particular to guide people to the values ​​of truth, goodness and beauty.

In addition, Dai Bi Pagoda also has a Vieng Fair (called Vieng Chua market), this is 1 of 4 Vieng Fairs in Nam Dinh province, holding a single session on January 8 right in the empty lot in front of the gate. pagoda.

People go to Vieng market with the meaning of buying good luck and selling bad luck. The items being bought and sold are ornamental plants, seedlings, antiques, old things..., bearing the mark of an ancient market.

With typical values ​​of history, culture and artistic architecture, Dai Bi Pagoda was ranked a National Monument in 1964; Dai Bi Pagoda Festival was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on January 22, 2020./.

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Update day : 30/10/2023