Visit Dai Bi Temple Bac Ninh

Learn about the history of Dai Bi Pagoda in Bac Ninh

Dai Bi Pagoda is located in Van Ty village of Thai Bao commune, Gia Binh district, Bac Ninh province. This is a temple located right near the south bank of the Duong River. The pagoda is also known as the Baptist temple or the To pagoda.

This temple was built in the year of the Rabbit when the third Truc Lam Patriarch Huyen Quang – a great monk and poet of the Tran Dynasty, built it during a visit to his parents. The meaning of the name Dai Bi pagoda in Bac Ninh is the Buddha of great compassion who showed the way for parents towards Buddhism. Since then, this temple is called Dai Bi.

 

Discover the unique architectural beauty of Dai Bi Temple

Over many years of construction,  Dai Bi Pagoda in Bac Ninh  has been restored and embellished many times during the Le and Nguyen dynasties. However, although it has been repaired, the pagoda still retains the architectural beauty of the original. Therefore, this place has become a famous spiritual destination of Bac Ninh province. There are many tourists when they have the opportunity to visit the temple to burn incense and admire the scenery. The feeling when entering the temple is quiet and peaceful. This has helped the souls of those who visit the temple to be lighter and more relaxed.

Dai Bi Pagoda impresses visitors with its unique and distinctive architectural design. The campus inside the temple is divided into three areas, which are the three treasures, the front hall, the harem, and the ancestral temple area. 

 

Tam Bao area is designed in the style of mallet-handle architecture and faces the position of the Duong river dike. Since the Nguyen Dynasty, Dai Bi Pagoda has been restored and embellished, but until now, the Tam Bao area has been preserved intact.

Going deep inside is the front street with the design of 5 compartments, 2 wings and 4 roofs with curved blade design. The roof bank is engraved with 3 words “Dai Bi Tu” as the meaning and name of the pagoda. The front space in all 5 compartments is open to the table. The highlight for the façade is the frame made from ironwood – one of the most beautiful and durable precious woods. The horizontal and vertical column frames are designed with 4 rows of vertical columns and 8 rows of horizontal columns.

 

At the front street, it is made according to “the way of the son-in-law of the gong”. The husbands here are carved meticulously and delicately. They are decorated with beautiful stylized patterns. That has created a unique beauty for Dai Bi Pagoda in Bac Ninh. 

 

Next to the front street is the upper hall with pavilions worshiping the Dharma Protector, Saint Hien and Monsignor. This is also the general design that  temples in Bac Ninh  like, often design like that. 

The harem area is the place connecting the front street and is designed to place the worshiping statue, so the brick shelves here are erected from high to low and from inside to outside to ensure a uniform architecture for the campus of the temple. Temple.

At Dai Bi Pagoda, there are many different large and small statues. Most of them are statues from the Nguyen Dynasty. Only a few new statues were made by meritorious people. 

 

Located in the area to the right of the three treasures is the To Temple area. This is a place to worship the Truc Lam Zen ancestor with a mallet-style structure. Ancestral temple space has 1 harem and 3 front temple compartments. On the columns of the altar are engraved a number of Chinese characters with the full names of those who have contributed to the temple’s repair. In the harem, there is a shrine that is meticulously carved and painted with gold, so it looks very splendid and majestic from afar. In this shrine, there is a statue of Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Ton and a statue of Phap Loa on the right side. On the left is the mysterious Huyen Quang statue. All these statues are carved in the same posture that is sitting meditation. The carved face of each statue exudes a smart and delicate look. The front area is the place to requisition to place the hammock door with all kinds of topics such as the four spirits, the four quarters, the false plan and the worshiping objects.

 

The area behind the ancestral house at  Dai Bi Pagoda in Bac Ninh  is the guest house and the residence of the monks and model houses. Then there is the stele house which is the place to record the biography, background and career of the three ancestors Huyen Quang. Finally, there is a new house built by the people here. This is also the place to worship the village god who has been instrumental in quelling the rebellion since the 18th Hung Kings period.

Currently, Dai Bi Pagoda is also a place to preserve a lot of antiques and valuable documents such as bronze bells, couplets, Buddha statues or great characters and stone stela system… Therefore, if you really want to learn more Regarding the cultural beauty and beliefs of Buddhism, Dai Bi Pagoda in Bac Ninh is really a perfect destination for you to choose.