Unique Hang Uc pagoda in Yen Bai under development

The pagoda is situated in a cave in the middle of Tham Then mountain, a semi-flooded area of Thac Ba lake. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Hanoi (VNA)- Hang Pagoda is located in Uc village, Tan Lap commune, Luc Yen district, and that is why it has the name of Hang Uc. In the cave, ruins of an ancient temple are kept, and there are traces of two altars and a terracotta lion statue. On the terracotta ruins, there are dragon drawings, Apsara fairies, and god birds, illustrations of past artistic representations considered important to the culture at that time.

Amazing archaeological findings

Since 1971, researchers have found a number of unique terracotta relics carved with dragons and fairies, traces of a rare Tran Dynasty Buddhist altar in Yen Bai. (The Tran Dynasty lotus altars found in other localities were usually made of stone rather than terracotta.)

In September 1997, Yen Bai Provincial Museum discovered more than 80 other relics with rich carvings, especially fairies with kind faces.

The most commonly found artifacts are decorative dragon pieces with characteristics of the dragon motif of the Tran Dynasty. Images of lions were also found in the cave.

In addition, archaeologists discovered unique Champa features on the altar consisting of 4 statues of the god Garuda, considered the king of all birds.

In the cultural beliefs of Champa people, the god bird Garuda has a structure that is half human and half bird.

Along with the god bird, the Apsara dancer statue runs across the sides to the end of the altar (there are 3 statues on each side). Goddess Apsara is a celestial goddess in Hinduism and Buddhist mythology.

The beautiful natural landscapes, charming scenery in the semi-submerged area of Thac Ba Lake, Hang Uc Pagoda attracts many visitors to the area. The cave pagoda has many naturally formed stalactites that are likely millions of years old.

There is a lot of interesting information about the age of the pagoda, and the premise for the time that saw the introduction of the Champa culture. Also featured is the cultural exchange evident between Buddhism and the Champa culture and art that visitors can experience when coming to the pagoda.

The area of Tan Lap and Tan Linh communes is home to the Tay, Nung, and Dao ethinic minority groups, each with their own unique cultural identities.

From Hang Uc Pagoda, it is convenient to connect with cultural and tourist attractions in two communes Tan Linh, Tan Lap and the National Historic Landmark of Thac Ba Lake.

However, the Hang Uc Pagoda has not yet been invested and renovated, so it is in a dilapidated state.

Locals hope authorities pay attention, research, and restore Hang Uc Pagoda to its former glory so that it becomes a cultural-spiritual work, a cultural-religious activity point connecting the community. Spiritual tourist destinations have the potential to attracts tourists from all over the world.

The good news is that the People's Committee of Luc Yen district now has a policy to invest in a road system to Hang Uc Pagoda and caves. They are also looking at investments in the electric lighting system, the internal road in the cave, and an arrivals area for visitors. Locals expect that Hang Uc Pagoda will be an attractive cultural and spiritual address, an attractive landscape for tourists when visiting the area.

Nong Thi Thu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of Luc Yen district, said that the district has been invested by the province with a road from Tan Linh commune through Tan Lap commune to Phan Thanh commune with a total capital of 79 billion VND.

This road helps socio-economic development, including tourism development. The district is implementing a tourism development project with specific solutions to exploit the potential of the locality and benefit local incomes and economy./.