Forgotten Nham Duong relic site gets restored

Nham Duong pagoda in Hai Duong province is under restoration. (Source: Internet)

Hai Duong (VNA) – The ruined Nham Duong relic complex in the northern province of Hai Duong, the cradle of the Tao Dong Zen Lineage in Vietnam, will be restored, according to the province’s People’s Committee.

The values of the relic in terms of history, culture and religion were brought under spotlight at a scientific conference held in Hai Duong on December 14.

According to Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Council, the Nham Duong pagoda was an affiliate of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Lineage from 1279-1400 under the Tran Dynasty, and after the Tao Dong Zen Lineage was introduced into Vietnam, the pagoda became the cradle of the Lineage in the country.

Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Director of Institute for Religious Studies, said the Tao Dong Zen Lineage entered Vietnam in the later half of the 17th century and Zen Master Thuy Nguyet is the head of the 36th generation of the Tao Dong Zen Lineage in Vietnam.

The Nham Duong pagoda is surrounded by nearly 30 caves of different sizes, with the most striking is Thanh Hoa Cave where Master Thuy Nguyet passed away.

In the caves, archaeologists excavated numerous artefacts dating from the stone and bronze ages.

The area was also a shelter for Vietnamese soldiers in the resistance wars against France and the United States.

The complex was recognised as a national cultural heritage site in 2003 and has currently under restoration.-VNA