About 10km from Hue ancient capital to the west, in Dong Cham village, Huong Ho commune, Huyen Huong Tra, Thua Thien – Hue province. To get to Huyen Khong Son Thuong, visitors have to go through Thien Mu pagoda, follow the road along the Perfume River, pass Van Thanh, Vo Thanh, cross Xuoc Du bridge, then go about more than 1km and then turn right into Dong Cham village.
From here, continue about 500m, this road will cross Hue main road, straight in front you will see a gate of Dong Cham Culture village. About 200m past the village gate, look to the right, there is a signboard with small stone landmarks along the roadside, although it is just a rough hewn stone, the pen writing clearly the name of the temple is strangely flexible, in accordance with the calligraphy style. the national language is in vogue. The stone landmarks are sometimes hidden behind bushes and grass, or just on the side of the road, but if you observe carefully, you will see a little bit of the poet’s soul who is open to welcome strange footsteps. Follow this route for nearly 3km to Huyen Khong Son Thuong. Due to geographical features, hill after hill, the road to the temple is winding and winding, the road has been renovated and upgraded, which is quite convenient for tourists to visit.
Arriving at Huyen Khong Son Thuong, visitors will encounter a quiet space, a beautiful fantasy landscape like in a fairy tale. A wooden bridge crosses a small stream full of purple water lilies, bringing guests to Thanh Tam Vien, the courtyard in front of the Buddha hall.
The temple campus is a green garden with magical and beautiful landscapes like in a fairy tale. A wooden bridge crosses a small stream full of purple water lilies, bringing guests into Thanh Tam Park, the courtyard in front of the Buddha hall. The rare orchid detectors, selected in 500 baskets of precious orchids grown in the garden under the temple yard, are changed every day, with all kinds of vibrant colors, racing colors, showing off incense. The hundreds of years old porcelain, Thien Tuong, cedar, cypress trees, calmly spread the dense foliage, leisurely sheltering the sun and wind for the courtyards and the red-brown Bat Trang brick walkway. Here and there, under the shade of ivory bamboo trees, the luxuriant bamboo forest is a set of tables and chairs for guests to rest their feet and enjoy the peace and quiet at the Buddha’s door.
An architectural complex is clearly a place of worship, but it is built in an elegant style with small shapes made of bamboo paintings, evoking poetic inspiration rather than a sense of weariness, and decorative paintings in the interior. The interior reminds us clearly of a classical cultural space rather than the rigor of a temple.
The main hall itself is not built in the usual way with walls, walls, columns, altars… like pagodas still encounter. The main hall here is a small, simple house with a low roof and simple draft walls. The Buddha statue is placed in the middle of the space, but it feels like an open space, like an indestructible body in the universe, radiating a spirit of joy and equanimity to all souls, so that right after offering incense, we have a feeling of familiarity with each person. corner of the house, each bamboo tree in the temple yard. On the left is a reading house, on the right is a living room, scattered behind are small wooden houses, a place for painting and receiving guests of the temple, low tables and chairs, steaming tea pots and small cups. clean, creating a simple but cozy space.. Going through the bamboo garden is a place for lovers of literature and poetry to come to talk, comment on poetry, watch the wind, moon, clouds, mountains, where calligraphers gather to practice pen and typesetting. Perhaps because of that, calligraphy is present everywhere, carved on stones in the garden, carved on wood, solemnly hung on the wall, written on the three-door gate post… Those are the Buddha’s teachings, the good things to command the world and human commandments, are the sudden emotions of writers, are poems of famous poets. Here, under the ancient tree is a famous stone statue carved by the late sculptor Diem Phung Thi, giving the pagoda a worried figure of a Zen master in the shadow of thousands of mountains.
Behind the row of monks’ houses is a dense ancient pine forest on an oasis in the middle of Ham Nguyet Tri Lake. This is the place where calligraphy exhibitions take place during Hue Festival. Each pine tree has a bamboo stand attached. At night, the oil lamps placed on it give off a dim, unreal, seductive light.
About Huyen Khong Son Thuong, in the midst of vast heaven and earth, to be able to open your heart to the wild nature, to live true to yourself, to put aside worries and sorrows.
Source: Collected internet.