For over 2,000 years of Buddhism in Vietnam, the famous name of Yen Tu Mountain has been associated with the name and career of Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong who founded the Truc Lam Zen sect bearing the typical Buddhist culture of the Vietnamese people. This “sacred land” is the “capital” of Buddhism of Dai Viet (the old name of Vietnam). With the unique landscape, architecture, culture and history, Yen Tu Relic and Landscape Complex has been recognised as a special national relic and a dossier is being prepared to submit to UNESCO for its recognition of the complex as a World Heritage Site.
Visiting the Buddhist sanctuary
On an early sunny day of May we made a pilgrimage to the Buddhist sanctuary on Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh Province, where more than 700 years ago, King Tran Nhan Tong left his royal palace to lead an ascetic religious life and founded the Truc Lam Zen sect with a unique Buddhist culture of the Vietnamese people.
On an early sunny day of May we made a pilgrimage to the Buddhist sanctuary on Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh Province, where more than 700 years ago, King Tran Nhan Tong left his royal palace to lead an ascetic religious life and founded the Truc Lam Zen sect with a unique Buddhist culture of the Vietnamese people.
Yen Tu Relic and Landscape Complex consists of three groups: - Yen Tu Historical Relic and Landscape Area (Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province) - The Area of Historical Relics of the Tran Dynasty in Dong Trieu (Dong Trieu District, Quang Ninh Province) - The Western Yen Tu Relic and Landscape Area (Yen Dung, Luc Nam, Luc Ngan and Son Dong Districts, Bac Giang Province) |
History says that King Tran Nhan Tong (1258 - 1308) who led the country to victory over the powerful Mongolian army of the Yuan Monarchy in two wars in 1285 and 1287 left his royal palace to go to Yen Tu Mountain to lead an ascetic religious life on a day in late 1299. This was an unprecedented event in the history of Buddhism in Vietnam. He founded the Truc Lam Zen sect and took the name Truc Lam Dai Dau Da. Later, people reverently called him “Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong”.
Every year, from the 10th of January according to the lunar calendar and through three spring months, thousands of visitors from everywhere flock to Yen Tu Mountain to attend the Yen Tu Festival to commemorate Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong, worship Buddha and contemplate the scenery in spring.
According to Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet, who is Head of the Management Board of the Buddhist Shangha in Quang Ninh Province and verger of Dong (Bronze) Pagoda on Yen Tu Mountain, in the initial days of leading a religious life, apart from practicing and studying the Buddhist tenets to disseminate Buddhist dharma, Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong also ordered the construction of a system of religious architectural works comprising pagodas, temples and towers of special architectural and artistic value, such as Dong, Bi Thuong, Suoi Tam, Cam Thuc, Lan, Giai Oan, Hoa Yen, Mot Mai, Bao Sai and Van Tieu Pagodas, and Hue Quang and Hon Ngoc Tower Gardens.
The statue of Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong in a meditative pose, 138 tonnes in weight, is the largest copper statue in Vietnam.
Dong Pagoda at the peak of Yen Tu Mountain, 1,068m above sea level, has been recognised as
“a bronze pagoda on the highest mountain in Asia” by the Asian Record Organisation. Photo: VNP’s file
Dong (Bronze) Pagoda was built in the Post-Le Dynasty (the 15th century).
It was cast with pure copper and is 3m high, 12m2 wide and weighs 60tonnes. Photo: Hoang Ha
Reverend Thich Van Phong chairs a ceremony at Dong Pagoda. Photo: Hoang Ha
Reverend Thich Khai Thien, verger of Dong Pagoda on the peak of Yen Tu Mountain. Photo: Hoang Ha
Hoa Yen Pagoda built in the Ly Dynasty (the 11th century) is the main one in the system of pagodas in Yen Tu. Photo: Trong Chinh
Mot Mai (one roof) Pagoda is located mid-mountain with its main roof half hidden in the mountain. Photo: Trong Chinh/
All the statues and worshiping objects in Mot Mai Pagoda were made from white stone
with an average size of 34-62cm and date back hundreds of years. Photo: Hoang Ha
The vestige of an ancient pagoda of the Truc Lam Zen sect. Photo: Trong Chinh
Bohi tree leaf-shaped bricks and...
Patterns are imbued with imprints of the Truc Lam Zen sect in Thien Dinh Tower. Photo: Hoang Ha
“a bronze pagoda on the highest mountain in Asia” by the Asian Record Organisation. Photo: VNP’s file
Dong (Bronze) Pagoda was built in the Post-Le Dynasty (the 15th century).
It was cast with pure copper and is 3m high, 12m2 wide and weighs 60tonnes. Photo: Hoang Ha
Reverend Thich Van Phong chairs a ceremony at Dong Pagoda. Photo: Hoang Ha
Reverend Thich Khai Thien, verger of Dong Pagoda on the peak of Yen Tu Mountain. Photo: Hoang Ha
Hoa Yen Pagoda built in the Ly Dynasty (the 11th century) is the main one in the system of pagodas in Yen Tu. Photo: Trong Chinh
Mot Mai (one roof) Pagoda is located mid-mountain with its main roof half hidden in the mountain. Photo: Trong Chinh/
All the statues and worshiping objects in Mot Mai Pagoda were made from white stone
with an average size of 34-62cm and date back hundreds of years. Photo: Hoang Ha
The vestige of an ancient pagoda of the Truc Lam Zen sect. Photo: Trong Chinh
Bohi tree leaf-shaped bricks and...
Patterns are imbued with imprints of the Truc Lam Zen sect in Thien Dinh Tower. Photo: Hoang Ha
Over time and through the historical vicissitudes, Yen Tu still retains a gigantic treasure of Buddhist culture of the Vietnamese people from 700 years ago with dozens of pagodas, hundreds of temples and thousands of ancient precious relics which contain invaluable spiritual and ideological values of the Truc Lam Zen sect and the splendid culture of the Dai Viet (13th – 15th century).
The first destination of our pilgrimage was Giai Oan (Exoneration) Stream where legend has it that many imperial concubines and beauties committed suicide because they could not advise King Tran Nhan Tong to abandon his religious life to return to the palace. Feeling pity for them the king had a pagoda built to absolve them, thus the stream has the name Giai Oan.
We continued climbing up 500m higher, and then walking along a path shaded by green pine trees and reached Hue Quang Tower Garden. It is the place where a tower with the statue of Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong inside is situated. The statue is 62cm high and made of marble, featuring a monk in a meditative pose.
Near Hue Quang Tower Garden is Hoa Yen Pagoda which was built during the Ly Dynasty (the 11th century). Above Hoa Yen Pagoda there are Bac and Vang Waterfalls with cool and pure water all year round. We went up on the stone steps and visited the pagodas with many traces which have been recorded in historical books. Finally, we reached the top of Yen Tu Mountain at a height of 1,068m above sea level where Dong Pagoda is. This is a unique and incomparable pagoda which has been recognised as “a bronze pagoda on the top of the biggest mountain in Asia” by the Asian Record Organisation.
The first destination of our pilgrimage was Giai Oan (Exoneration) Stream where legend has it that many imperial concubines and beauties committed suicide because they could not advise King Tran Nhan Tong to abandon his religious life to return to the palace. Feeling pity for them the king had a pagoda built to absolve them, thus the stream has the name Giai Oan.
We continued climbing up 500m higher, and then walking along a path shaded by green pine trees and reached Hue Quang Tower Garden. It is the place where a tower with the statue of Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong inside is situated. The statue is 62cm high and made of marble, featuring a monk in a meditative pose.
Near Hue Quang Tower Garden is Hoa Yen Pagoda which was built during the Ly Dynasty (the 11th century). Above Hoa Yen Pagoda there are Bac and Vang Waterfalls with cool and pure water all year round. We went up on the stone steps and visited the pagodas with many traces which have been recorded in historical books. Finally, we reached the top of Yen Tu Mountain at a height of 1,068m above sea level where Dong Pagoda is. This is a unique and incomparable pagoda which has been recognised as “a bronze pagoda on the top of the biggest mountain in Asia” by the Asian Record Organisation.
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