Bach Mon Pagoda (Linh Cam Tu) is a temple located on Kham Son mountain, Viet Doan commune, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province, known for its unique and rare architecture. However, this temple was completely destroyed during the resistance war against the French. Based on the collected data, the article analyzes and evaluates the architectural features and outstanding values of this unique temple.
History of formation and development
According to many researchers, Linh Cam pagoda or Long Kham (original name of Bach Mon pagoda) was built during the Ly dynasty [4], [6], [16]. The content of the epitaph “Reconstruction of the self-inscribed inscriptions” was built in 1558 and the results of archaeological excavations were carried out by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Museum of Bac Ninh province in collaboration with the Institute of Archeology in 1558. 2015 also confirms the above opinion[5], [13]. However, until recently, no one has been able to determine the exact construction date of this temple.
According to the book “Vietnam Buddhist History” published in 1943, the temple was established by King Ly Than Ton in the fourth year of Thien Chuong Bao Tu (1136) after he was cured of a serious illness by Zen Master Minh Khong. twelfth]. Until September 1137, when opening the festival to inaugurate Linh Cam pagoda, domestic criminals were forgiven [15]. These data allow to confirm the age of Linh Cam Pagoda is around 1136 – 1137. In addition, this event also shows that Linh Cam Pagoda once played a very important role in social and cultural life. During the Ly Dynasty, it was highly appreciated. Perhaps for that reason, later on, this temple was restored many times with the contribution of money from people in the upper classes, especially during the Mac Dynasty, when the Buddhist revival movement took place. out strong. According to the Mac dynasty epitaph and other historical data,
- In 1556, the pagoda was restored by the district officials, Dong Khe, with the Vu family and Tham Tri, the royal family, with the Bui family and many elders in the commune and district.
- In 1557, the pagoda was granted the privilege of the current emperor Mac Phuc Nguyen to ban money [13], [17];
- Also in 1557, out of more than 15 temples in Duong Kinh and surrounding areas, which received 6,000 gold leaves from Queen Empress Vu Thi Ngoc Toan and a lot of money to build and restore in the second half of the 16th century, the pagoda was built and restored in the second half of the 16th century. Linh Cam is the first beneficiary temple [17], [18];
- In the 12th year of Hoang Dinh (1612), Linh Cam pagoda was greatly restored according to the old specifications [7], [10].
So far, we have not found any specific records so that we can clearly visualize the form of Linh Cam pagoda from about the middle of the 18th century and earlier, apart from a passage in the epitaph for the restoration of the pagoda : The worship of Buddha has electricity, burning incense. In front of the Buddha hall, there is a front hall, around the front hall there is a square wall, it looks so bright and bright; so massive, so radiant!” . From this information, Assoc. Dr. Dinh Khac Thuan said that Linh Cam pagoda in the middle of the 16th century had an internal and external layout similar to many large pagodas commonly encountered in the 17th and 18th centuries [13].
According to the Biography of Bach Mon Pagoda, during the reign of Lord Trinh Sam (1767-1782), Linh Cam Pagoda was chosen by Lady Chua Che – Tuyen Phi Dang Thi Hue as a place of fasting and prayer, finding peace at the door of meditation after disgraced. She repaired and built the pagoda into a massive work with all four directions and eight directions and up to 100 doors to cultivate and accumulate virtue [11]. Surely the name “Bach Mon” was also started in this period and gradually became popular among the people.
The above data shows the important position in the history of Linh Cam – Bach Mon pagoda in the spiritual life of our country. Unfortunately, during the anti-French resistance war, this temple with unique architecture was completely destroyed.
Location and relationship of Bach Mon Pagoda with Ly dynasty temples in the vicinity
Compared to the ancient sites of the Ly Dynasty in Thien Duc Palace and the surrounding area, Bach Mon Pagoda has a central position. Specifically, in the southwest of Bach Mon is Phat Tich Pagoda, in the Northwest is Tieu Pagoda, in the Northeast is Dam Pagoda, and in the Southeast is Tinh Lu Pagoda (Figure 1). The common feature of all these temples is that they are located on the mountainside and have a clear view to the front. The central position of Bach Mon compared to the 4 temples on the mountain reminds us of its symmetrical layout with 1 tallest tower in the middle and 4 lower towers at the 4 corners. Is it possible that when rebuilding Linh Cam pagoda in the reign of Lord Trinh Sam at the end of the 18th century, the “designer” took the idea from the central position of the temple compared to other temples in the area?
Retrospective (if not mistaken) research by Nguyen Do Bao and Nguyen Ba Van in 1969 shows that: The main direction of the pagoda is West [2], that is, the direction is perpendicular to the axis of the ladder leading to the pagoda. This seems a bit strange compared to other mountain pagodas in Thien Duc. However, it is interesting that the West direction is also the direction towards Dinh Bang village, where the Ly Bat De temple (Co Phap) is located – considered the site of the Ly dynasty (Figure 1). It is not excluded that such a west facing was intentional when building the temple. If this speculation is correct, then this is a unique feature of Bach Mon compared to other temples of the Ly dynasty. According to GS. Tran Lam Bien, along with the South and West directions, is the most popular direction of Vietnamese pagodas, because “this is the most stable direction because it is compatible with the operation of yin and yang, so that the gods do not leave their obligations for them. suffering” [3, p.63, 64].
Architectural features
According to Gia Loc, the most common layout of Vietnamese pagodas is in the form of the letter gong (工). This type of layout is suitable for most medium and large sized pagodas. Some larger pagodas have a triangular (三) or foreign interior layout. Small pagodas often have a nail-shaped layout (丁) [8]. Meanwhile, according to the retrospective drawings of Nguyen Do Bao and Nguyen Ba Van, Bach Mon Pagoda has a square plan layout () with 2 axes of symmetry and a corridor/patio surrounded on 4 sides. ] (Figure 2). Obviously, this is a very special layout, unique to Bach Mon Pagoda, and this layout also makes Bach Mon become a lot more “superior” compared to its relatively “modest” scale: 26 x 26m on the ground. Commenting on this temple, Tran Trong Kim said that this is “a rare type of pagoda in the South” [7, p. 96].
The layout of the typeface makes the pagoda open to the same 4 directions, with worshiping statues in each direction, causing some people who previously visited the temple to mistakenly believe that the pagoda has “4 buildings of the three jewels”. In fact, according to the retro drawing and according to Tran Trong Kim’s Buddhist book, Bach Mon Pagoda has only a single three jewel building in the front with many layers of worshiping statues. The two sides of the temple also have worshiping statues but less. And behind is the shrine with only 2 layers of statues: The top is the Three Thousand and the bottom is the Tam Toa Holy Mother [2], [7]. The ancestral house is arranged separately in the east of the pagoda through a not very large yard.
If the drawings of Nguyen Do Bao and Nguyen Ba Van are correct, the main face of the pagoda facing the West helps to create a spacious courtyard in front of the three treasures. This is impossible if the temple faces the main south, because the depth of the land is quite modest (the old photo of the pagoda from the bottom of the steps shows, the south façade of the pagoda is located very close to the temple). top ladder). However, because the pagoda has 4 equal sides, when moving up the stairs to the temple, visitors should not feel like they are approaching the “side” of the temple (Figure 3).
Analyzing the drawings of Nguyen Do Bao and Nguyen Ba Van and observing old photos also allows to make other observations about the architecture of Bach Mon Pagoda:
The space of the temple is also divided into space according to the traditional way. However, the roof set, instead of connecting with the wooden support column system, is pillowed on the wall and brick pillars (porch columns) are built simply but firmly. Wood made for the roof is identified as oak. Unfortunately, the structure and form of the set because the roof has not been specified:
The facades of Bach Mon Pagoda have an almost absolute symmetrical layout with the main highlight being the central tower (the tallest) and the secondary highlight being the two towers on both sides. The ratio between horizontal blocks (roads) with vertically developed tower blocks is very reasonable. The height of the towers is just enough to not create disputes. Perhaps because of that, although the architecture of Bach Mon Pagoda is very different from other Vietnamese temples, it still feels close and familiar (Figure 4).
– The 4 towers at the 4 corners of the pagoda are also the bell tower, the drum tower, the khanh guard and the mule tower. Bells, drums, gongs, and mules are tools commonly used in Buddhist rituals. However, usually the pagoda only has a bell tower (if it is 1 tower) or a bell tower and a drum/Khanh tower (if there are 2 floors). In case there are 4 attics hanging 4 different tools, perhaps Bach Mon Pagoda is unique;
If you understand “mon” as “door”, then Bach Mon has only 20 doors on 4 sides outside the temple. However, according to the Han-Nom Dictionary, “mon” also means “the entrance” [14]. Understood in this way, Bach Mon Pagoda has exactly 100 entrances and exits, including passages under the altar (Figure 5);
– In the temple, there are 4 small courtyards in 4 corners, where some ornamental plants such as burdock, lilac, jade orchid… [16]. These courtyards enrich the structure of the temple space, helping to circulate air and increase natural lighting for the interior spaces. And despite their small size, their presence also creates interesting relaxing spaces for visitors to the temple (Figure 8).
Values of Bach Mon Pagoda
The above analysis and comparison shows that Bach Mon Pagoda has many remarkable outstanding values, which are:
– Historical value: Bach Mon Pagoda (Linh Cam self) is a temple with a very long history, up to nearly 900 years. Although not mentioned much in history books, the events associated with it as pointed out above show that this temple once had an important position in the spiritual life of Vietnam. It is not without reason that when considering the arrangement of worshiping statues in temples in Bac Ky, Tran Trong Kim selected Bach Mon as one of the 10 great pagodas to describe [7, p. 96,97]. Besides its spiritual significance, Bach Mon Pagoda is also a revolutionary historical relic because it was used as a training base for cadres of the Vietnam Labor Party before 1945 [11], [16];
– Architectural value: With its own unique layout, Bach Mon Pagoda deserves to be a beautiful “flower” of Vietnamese Buddhist architecture. Its architectural breakthrough broke the rut in the conception of the form that a temple should have. And it is worth noting that although different from all other temples, the form of Bach Mon Pagoda still carries the Vietnamese spirit very clearly. From this perspective, Bach Mon pagoda architecture can continue to inspire current and future generations of architects when creating new temples.
– Landscape value: In addition to historical and architectural values, Bach Mon Pagoda also has landscape value due to its very beautiful terrain: located halfway up Kham Son mountain – considered the head of the dragon. Long Son range), has an open view of the field and surrounding mountains (Tra Son, Lan Kha, Thien Thai). According to GS. Tran Lam Bien, if in front of the pagoda there is a holy light and there are “mounds of adoration, then it is an expression that is considered to be the subservience of the Buddhadharma of all worldly forces” [3, p.63]. With its unique architecture and beautiful landscape, Bach Mon Pagoda has been classified by the book “Geography of Bac Ky Provinces” as one of the eight fairy-tale places and landscapes of Bac Ninh province in the early 20th century [9].
Instead of ending
Bach Mon Pagoda is a very unique temple in the history of Vietnamese Buddhist architecture. So far, no temple with similar architecture has been found. This temple contains many historical, architectural and landscape values. If properly restored, there are many grounds to believe that, in the future, Bach Mon Pagoda will become a spiritual destination with attractive landscape architecture for Buddhists and tourists.
Source: Collected internet.