The mountain range has Hang Sao Pagoda – Thai Sinh photo
1. Name of the Monument
Historical and cultural relic of Hang São pagoda, São village, Tan Lap commune, Luc Yen district, Yen Bai province.
2. Another name
Hang Sao Pagoda is also known as Huong Thao Tu. Perfume’s name is “Mountain Perfume”; Thao means “herb”, with the meaning “fragrance of trees in the high mountains”.
3. Type of Monument
Provincial-level historical and cultural relic.
4. The decision to announce the Monument
Decision No. 1395/QD-UBND dated September 17, 2009 of the People’s Committee of Yen Bai province recognizing Hang São pagoda, located in São village, Tan Lap commune, Luc Yen district, Yen Bai province as a historical-cultural relic provincial level.
5. Location and route to the Ruins
Hang São temple relic is located in São mountain with an altitude of 200m, belongs to the Southeast block of Phu Sa Phin range running along the northwest – southeast direction, in the territory of São village, Tan Lap commune, Luc Yen district, Yen Bai province. Hang São pagoda ruins are 1.2km south of Tan Lap commune People’s Committee, 25km north of Yen The town, 82km south of Yen Bai city. To get to the relic, you can go by road and waterway quite conveniently.
By road: From Yen Bai city, follow National Highway 70 Yen Bai – Lao Cai to Khanh Hoa junction, turn right along Dong Ho street about 10km to Sang village, Tan Linh commune, continue to turn right. The inter-commune road to Phan Thanh is about 7km to the relic.
Waterway: From Huong Ly port, tourists travel on Thac Ba Lake, upstream Chay river to São wharf to reach the monument.
6. Brief History of the Monument
Hang São Pagoda is locally known as São Pagoda. São is a village of Nhan Muc village, belonging to Lam Truong Ha canton, Chau Luc Yen in the past. Explaining the name of the pagoda, there is an opinion that in the past, there were often flocks of São birds that flew back and nested in the cave, so the name São was given to the pagoda.
Hang São pagoda, São hamlet, Tan Lap commune, Luc Yen district is located in the geological tectonic belt of the earth’s crust, the faulting process of the Southeast block of Phu Sa Phin range lasts from the Cambrian period 540 million years ago. ended in the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago. It can be said that this is a period with the most dramatic changes in our country’s history. During this period, Luc Yen was submerged under the sea in the sedimentary phases and was uplifted in the folding phases of the Mesozoic Caledonia and Kimetah mountain-forming movements. Therefore, the mountain ranges of Luc Yen region have the direction of Northwest – Southeast. The folding and uplift during mountain-forming activities have facilitated water permeation and dissolution of limestone into calcium carbonate and other physicochemical conditions that are the main causes of topography, geomorphology and fantasy. of the Ngoc Luc Yen earth cave system.
Hang Sao Pagoda is one of the famous and beautiful and sacred cave pagodas in Yen Bai. Originally, São pagoda was built by indigenous Tay residents in the 13th – 14th centuries to worship Buddha. In Le Trung Hung’s time, when Vu Van Mat built Dai Dong citadel, Chau Thu Vat town, Tuyen Quang town, seeing that his daughter Vu Thi Ngoc Anh was proficient in literature and martial arts, she was knowledgeable about farming, so Vu Van Mat recommended her to her. King Le and was appointed deputy general by King Le, in charge of military supplies and logistics. With her responsibility, Princess Bau of the Vu family brought up her farming experience in the lowlands, popularizing the indigenous Tay people and soldiers in the area to reclaim water, grow cotton and weave cloth. She and Prime Minister Vu Van Mat built an extensive system of Bau citadel. She is also the person who directly trains and exercises troops to supplement forces.
According to “Kien Van sub-Luc” by Le Quy Don, Ms. Vu Thi Ngoc Anh, due to her many merits in building the base and teaching people to grow herbs, was respected by people in the area as: “Lady princess”; “The Queen of Warehouses”; “Queen Gourd”; “Mrs Anh, the god of agriculture”. The locals also call her “Ba But or Mrs. n”. According to “Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi”, the main barracks of Ms. Vu Thi Ngoc Anh was Ben Lan citadel, where there was a martial arts training ground for soldiers. After her death, in memory of her merits, the villagers worshiped Ms. Vu Thi Ngoc Anh in the cave temple of São.
In the Nguyen Dynasty, with the emphasis on the restoration of communal houses, temples, pagodas and ritual sacrifices, the people of Sao village built a small pagoda with three cottages, structured in the style of a mallet to worship Buddha and Mrs. Vu Thi. Ngoc Anh is in front of the cave temple.
In December 1949, São pagoda, Tan Lap commune was honored to be the venue for the second Luc Yen district Party Congress. The congress is an important milestone in the leadership and direction of the Party Committee of Luc Yen district in mobilizing manpower and strength to serve the front lines, actively contributing to the victory of Song Thao. At the congress, the Executive Committee of the District Party Committee, term 2, was elected, consisting of 9 members. Comrade Le Thanh Tam was elected as Secretary.
São cave pagoda is located in São mountain (Ta Di), runs in the northwest – southeast direction, the cave mouth turns in the northeast direction, roughly parallel to the left bank of the Chay river, about 500m from the Chay river. São cave pagoda complex includes 1 natural pagoda (São pagoda) and one artificial pagoda (Hang pagoda). São cave pagoda is 100m away from Hang pagoda, currently only the foundation in Tan Lap commune primary school’s campus is deformed, it is impossible to recognize the exact position of each row of pillars, in the topsoil there are many tiles. broken, comparing them quite similar to the tile samples discovered at the communal house of São village.
São cave pagoda is a natural created temple, has long been used by people as a place of worship and is divided into three pagodas; Lower Pagoda, Middle Pagoda and Upper Pagoda.
Ha Pagoda, is a stone roof with a rough foundation, 10m wide, 5m deep, in the middle is a rather flat stone altar.
Trung Pagoda is a steep cliff and is connected to Ha Pagoda by a small craggy road following the cliff.
Thuong Pagoda is the largest temple in the area. The pagoda is composed of 2 parts; Upper cave and lower cave: The upper cave (Tien Duong) has a relatively flat ground surface, connecting with Heaven, the cave is 32m deep, 38m wide, 15-18m high and has an area of 1216m2. The lower cave is about 5m lower than the upper cave, 79m deep, 22m wide, 15-18m high, and has an area of 1738m2. Observing the cave floor shows that there are many pieces of Vietnamese and Chinese ceramics in the 13th – 19th centuries. It is known that at the cave floor in the 90s, archaeologists had a survey and discovered many tools, scraps, with the technique of chiseling directly on the cobblestone of the Son Vi culture. In the middle of the cave is the Tam Bao building and three stone (natural) Amitabha statues.
Observing both the upper and lower caves, there are many stalactites hanging down on the ceiling to form a fancy shape, where the harem is a complex of stalactites creating Buddha statues with many shapes and colors. , making us feel lost in a fairyland.
7. Characters Worshiped
Hang Sao Pagoda worships Buddha, worships Mrs. Vu Thi Ngoc Anh, who has many merits in building bases and teaching people to grow food.
8. Festival customs
The main worship periods in the year include:
+ On the 20th day of the first lunar month, the São cave pagoda festival (Thuong Nguyen ceremony).
+ The 8th day of the fourth lunar month (Buddha’s birthday).
+ The 10th day of the 7th lunar month (Apocalypse for the sins of the dead).
+ December 10 (Feast of Buddha’s enlightenment).
São cave pagoda is one of the beautiful caves, a living geological museum of special value in studying the formation and development of the ancient Vietnamese inhabitants. São cave pagoda has been deeply rooted in the folk subconscious and is the place for healthy religious activities of local residents.
São pagoda cave is different from Cam Duong cave and Ham cave, Cam Duong cave is valuable for the Petrology Museum, Lom cave has famous archeological value in the North, São cave is valuable for early Buddhism in Yen Bai. In addition, the pagoda has military value… Of the three caves in Luc Yen, apart from its unique value, the cave of Sao pagoda is located at the head of Thac Ba Lake, right next to the Chay river. Standing at São cave, you can just watch the river flowing through the limestone mountains here like “Ha Long floating on the mountain”, and distant islands. In front of the cave is a rice field, the houses on stilts of the Tay – Nung ethnic groups create a vivid picture of nature on the island. Therefore, Hang Sao pagoda has been granted the certificate of provincial-level historical and cultural relic by the People’s Committee of Yen Bai province.
Some pictures of Hang Sao pagoda:
The way to São Pagoda is crisscrossed with vines and stalactites – Photo Thai Sinh
Knocking on the stone bell awakens the mountain god and informs the Buddhas in the temple – Photo Thai Sinh
Bronze bells placed in the temple – Thai Sinh photo
Source: Collected internet.