Hanoi has a large system of temples and pagodas, therefore, it is very useful for anyone who cares about traditional regions and beliefs of Vietnamese people from the ancient times until now. In these various famous temples, Thay Pagoda is always a destination that cannot be missed for those who want to discover the cultural and spiritual life of Vietnamese people through Hanoi tours.
Thay Pagoda with the beauty of the natural landscapes as well as the cultural and historical values really created a fascinating destination for tourists when visiting Hnaoi. Located on the spectacular mountainous scenery of Sai Son, Thay Pagoda appears in silence, under the vague mist or in the crowded going to the pagoda.
About 20km away from the center of Hanoi city, Thay Pagoda is located at the bottom of Sai Son Mountain, also known as Thay Mountain or Phat Tich Mountain in Sai Son commune of Quoc Oai District, Ha Noi. In the space of majestic mountains and hills, the pagoda seems to bring a peaceful, quiet atmosphere. This temple is associated with monk Tu Dao Hanh, who had great contribution in teaching, healing people and founding the water puppet art.
According to egend, Thay Pagoda was built from the Ly (the 11th century), on the land with the shape of a dragon. Thay Pagoda is special and unique because every little details create a perfect form of a dragon. Sai Son Mountain which the pagoda leans on is the dragon’s tail, pagoda’s courtyard is the upper jaw, and lakeshore is the lower jaw of the dragon. In the middle of communal house, there is a small pond is called Thuy Dinh, that is Dragon ball. In this pond, many generations of Sai Son villagers reenact the water puppet show to commemorate the ancestors and also to preserve the native culture. Faded over time, the old Thuy Dinh evokes the antiquity and creates a space like in the fairy. Thay Pagoda architecture is the integration between indigenous beliefs with Buddhism, between the compassion of the Buddha and the sacredness of the Saint. Space of the pagoda is airy and consists of three layers, Ha (lower), Trung (middle), and Thuong (upper) creating a dragon head.
The art of sculpture is expressed apparently in a large system of statues in the pagoda. The artist has collaborated between wood and soil to shape the statues. The temple has two main systems of statues: the statues of Buddha and the statue of Saint.
Ha pagoda presents statues of Monsignor and Saint. The system of Buddha statues is set mainly in the Middle Temple. The statues are arranged on two main axes: the horizontal axis (time) is the statues of Tam The (past, present, future) and vertical (space) includes the infant statues of Tuyet Son - Maitreya – Shakyamuni. With each group of statues, artisans always focus on portraying charisma corresponding with the function of each statue. Two sides of corridor is statues of 18 Arhat, the embodiment of religious people with different biography, personality, and spiritual path, thus, they are also a lively and real group creating inspiration.
Statues of Tu Dao Hanh in three different lifetimes (Monk, Buddha and King) are worshiped in the Saint palace. The left of the palace worships body statue of Zen master made by eucalyptus wood, placed on the throne, behind the throne carved dragon heads, Rhino horn, and pearls. In the middle of the palace is the statue when he became Buddha, which wears lotus-shaped hat, clasps hands over his chest, and wears a robe. It is placed on a pedestal stone in Ly Dynasty with the shape of a lion wearing lotus. The right is the statue of Zen master after reincarnating as the son of Sung Hien Hau and becoming King Ly Than Tong. Thay pagoda also worships statues of parents of Tu Dao Hanh Zen master, who are Mr. Tu Vinh and Ms. Tang Thi Loan, and his two fellows, Giac Minh and Khong Hai Zen masters.
Thay Pagoda also holds festivals annually. Thay Pagoda Festival takes place from the fifth to the seventh day of March in Lunar calendar. During the festival, many monks and nuns, Buddhists and tourists from other parts come to participate. Because, not only religious rituals, Thay Pagoda Festival also has water puppet show bearing folk nuances.
Visit Thay Pagoda Festival, apart from sightseeing landscapes outside the pagoda, there is adventure hiking, exploring majestic and poetic nature here. Charming landscapes and lively legends of Tu Dao Hanh made Sai Son land become sacred.
