Bo Da pagoda, home to Vietnam’s biggest tower garden

Lying on Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) Mountain and facing Cau River, Bo Da Pagoda is a centre of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism. The thousand-year-old tower garden is located outside the worshiping hall, encircled by an old brick wall. Inside the towers is the bone-ash and sarira of over 1,000 monks and nuns. The pagoda was built in the 11th century, under the Ly Dynasty but badly damaged during wars in subsequent centuries. Not until the Le Dynasty under King Le Du Tong (1705 – 1728) was the pagoda reconstructed and more or less retains the shape it has today. Compared to other pagodas in northern Vietnam, Bo Da is unique for its architecture. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The pagoda’s tower garden is considered the largest and most beautiful of its kind in Vietnam. This is a place the bone-ash and sarira of over 1,000 monks and nuns are kept. Most of the towers are 3-5m high and have three or four stories. These towers, inscribed with the dates of birth and death of the monks and nuns, are a valuable source for researchers of Lam Te Buddhism. The pagoda appears to be a closed complex from the outside yet features hundreds of compartments that all open into one another on the inside. The special structure provides visitors with a sacred, secluded refuge from the outside world. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Visiting pagodas on the first days of the Lunar New Year is a deep-rooted tradition of Vietnamese people. “Bo Da pagoda is remarkable for its feng shui characteristics, architecture, woodblocks, guardian god statues, and the largest tower garden in Vietnam,” said Venerable Tu Tuc Vinh, who is head of the Bo Da Pagoda. The pagoda covers a large area, consisting of three main zones: a garden, a main worshiping hall, and a tower garden. The pagoda is also home over 2,000 Sutra woodblocks, arranged in eight bookcases. To date, hardly any of them have ruined. The Bo Da Pagoda was recognized as Vietnam’s special national relic site in 2016. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A long wall around the tower garden was built from mountain rocks, bricks and clay, creating a serene and deep look for the garden. The Bo Da Pagoda was built in the 11th century during the Ly Dynasty, the golden age of Buddhism in Vietnam. The pagoda has survived several wars and been renovated many times throughout the centuries. Although the complex appears to be closed from the outside, once getting to the inner area of the pagoda, visitors probably get lost within a maze of corridors and shrine rooms. Tourists may wish to pray in the sanctuary hall or absorb themselves in a sacred atmosphere in the tower garden along the hill outside the pagoda. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The Bo Da pagoda is also home to over 2,000 Sutra woodblocks dated from the 18th century. Carved on “thi” wood (Diospyros decandra) that is light, pliable yet durable, the woodblocks have survived time and weather without any preservative. Those priceless woodblocks are now carefully preserved and protected in the pagoda’s library but can be shown to visitors if they ask for permission of the monks. From February 16 to 17 of the lunar calendar, the Bo Da Pagoda and the local administration host an annual festival in Tien Son commune, which attracts thousands of monks, followers and tourists. The festival includes a prayer, folk music performances and sightseeing. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The pagoda was built in the 11th century, under the Ly Dynasty but badly damaged during wars in subsequent centuries. Not until the Le Dynasty under King Le Du Tong (1705 – 1728) was the pagoda reconstructed and more or less retains the shape it has today. Compared to other pagodas in northern Vietnam, Bo Da is unique for its architecture. The pagoda is dedicated to three religions of the same root - Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism along with the three Truc Lam (Vietnamese Zen Buddhism) ancestors. It is among the few pagodas preserving intact its Vietnamese ancient architecture. The Bo Da Pagoda was recognised as Vietnam’s special national relic site in 2016. (Photo: VientamPlus)

Because of the massive influence of Lam Te Buddhism, most of the pagoda’s famous carved woodblocks bear the Sutras of Zen Buddhism. In the 18th century, the monks at the pagoda carved Buddhist Sutras on wood to print the texts so that they could be used to preach the philosophy. More than 2,000 woodblocks containing the Sutras are arranged on eight bookcases. The woodblocks are 44cm long, 22cm wide and 2.5cm thick. Some are larger, measuring 150cm long, 30cm wide and 2.5cm thick. If all the Sutra woodblocks were laid side by side, they would cover an area of 250 sq.m. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The hundreds-year-old Bo Da Pagoda in the northern province of Bac Giang is rich in historical and cultural values. The pagoda covers a large area, consisting of three main zones: a garden, a main worshiping hall, and a tower garden. Le Anh Duong, Chairman of the Bac Giang Provincial People’s Committee, said the Bo Da Pagoda is a significant relic site in Bac Giang. “What makes the pagoda special is that it is a place of worship not only Buddhism but also Confucianism and Taoism, which is called “Tam giao Dong nguyen” (or three religions harmonising as one),” he said. Visiting pagodas on the first days of the Lunar New Year is a deep-rooted tradition of Vietnamese people.  (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The Bo Da Pagoda was recognised as Vietnam’s special national relic site in 2016. Its architectural complex consists of nearly 100 ancient compartments, which all open into one another, and features a distinct layout that resembles the word “quốc” (國-“state”) in Chinese. Therefore, although the complex appears to be closed from the outside, once getting to the inner area of the pagoda, visitors probably get lost within a maze of corridors and shrine rooms. Tourists may wish to pray in the sanctuary hall or absorb themselves in a sacred atmosphere in the 2-arch tower garden along the hill outside the pagoda. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The pagoda is regarded as one of the major Buddhism centres in Vietnam due to its significant historical and cultural values. Outside of the Bo Da Pagoda is an 8,000 sq.m tower garden encircled by an old brick wall. Most of the towers are 3-5m high and have three or four stories. Inside 97 of the towers are the ashes of more than 1,000 monks. These towers, inscribed with the dates of birth and death of the monks, are a valuable source for researchers of Lam Te Buddhism. With its many tower tombs, Bo Da’s tower garden is considered to be the biggest and most beautiful in Vietnam. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The Bo Da Pagoda and local authorities host an annual festival in Tien Son commune from February 16 to 17 of the lunar calendar, attracting thousands of monks, followers and tourists. The festival includes a prayer, folk music performances and sightseeing. Bac Giang province boasts a huge treasure of cultural heritages, including a collection of woodblocks at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Quan Ho (love duet) folk songs, and Ca tru (ceremonial singing), which were recognised by UNESCO as cultural heritages. Relic sites related to the Yen The Uprising, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (Yen Dung district), and the Bo Da Pagoda (Viet Yen district) have been recognised as special national relic sites. (Photo: VietnamPlus)