Bac Kan was formed in the 18th century, when some people in Vi Huong commune went down to process the Buddha statue and Buddhist scriptures to Hoa Son Pagoda (Vi Huong commune, Bach Thong district). The group returned by raft, arrived at the river wharf in Cao Ky commune, it was dark. The next morning, they discovered that the Buddha statue was missing, so they sent someone to look around and found that the Buddha statue was at Thach Long Pagoda.
The group of people together carried the statue to the boat but could not. They had to bring the Buddha and Quan Yin back first and then notify the local translation agency to send someone to pick it up later. But when the group came to take it, the villagers kept the statue and thought that the statue wanted to stay in Cao Ky commune. From here, the Buddha statue resides at Thach Long Pagoda to this day.
SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THANH LONG FIRE
During the resistance war against the French colonialists, Thach Long Pagoda was also used by our soldiers as a weapon store for 30 years (from 1950 to 1980). During this time, the army and people of Cho Moi district actively and firmly defended agencies, warehouses, stations, and weapons workshops in the area.
During the period, from March 20 to 23, 1951, President Ho Chi Minh directly inspected the repair of Road 3, the section from Thai Nguyen to Cao Bang. During this trip, he visited and stayed at the Military Weapon Station in the Gao Ky Cave. Here, Uncle Ho advised the soldiers: “The warehouse is near the main road, so you must always be vigilant and protect the warehouse well”.
This is an important historical event if for the people of Cho Moi district, it is the first and only time Uncle Ho visited the district’s military depot. In 1986, Thach Long Pagoda began to be restored by the local government and people and built a number of works to serve the spiritual needs of visitors from all over the world.
Thach Long Pagoda consists of two parts: The first part is Thien Pagoda, located on high, with a neat and solid stone step from the foot of the mountain to the cave entrance. And according to folklore, the highest place is to worship Shakyamuni Buddha. This place is very sacred, and has its own traditional cultural values if it is with the religious life of the Vietnamese people.
The pagoda is located at an altitude of nearly 300m above sea level, about 400m from National Highway 3. The pagoda is divided into 3 floors including the upper floor, the middle floor and the lower floor. Each floor worships gods, buddhas and famous people, all of which are gods who have had a lot of work to build and protect the country.
The rooftop worships Shakyamuni Buddha, Ma Gia Buddha, Bodhisattva Guanyin and Uncle Ho; the middle floor worships famous people Duong Tu Minh, Huu Hung Hieu, Duc Quan Thuong, Duc Quan Thuong To, Five Generals Than Xa; The lower floors worship Mother Thien, Mother Earth, Mother Thuy, and Four Palaces. Going deeper into the cave, you will see a large space with many wonderful stalactites created by nature.
Tourists from all over the world come here not only to express their sincerity, pray for peaceful prosperity, but also have the opportunity to admire the landscape bestowed by nature. Thach Long Pagoda Festival is held on January 7 every year, autumn. attracts a lot of passengers from all over the world, they come to offer incense to pray for wealth and happiness for their families and loved ones
On November 2, 2011, Thach Long Pagoda in Kon Tum hamlet, Cao Ky commune, Cho Moi district, Bac Kan province was recognized by the Provincial People’s Committee as a provincial traditional cultural and historical relic.
THE RATE OF THE LONG FIRE
Thach Long Pagoda also carries interesting stories. It is said that, in the past, the people of Vi Huong – Bach Thong commune went down the Cau River to bring the statue of Buddha Thich CA back to Hoa Son village on the top of Phja Bjooc mountain. The statue is very heavy, so when dragging, you have to use the whole array. When people brought the statue to Cao Ky commune, the plate rotated, could not walk, it was dark again, so everyone had to stop and rest.
The next morning, everyone panicked because the statue was nowhere to be found, the person who went to process the statue had to light a large bunch of incense, begging the Buddha to show him the way to where he was. As soon as he finished speaking, the bundle of incense flew to the riverbank and threaded through the mountain cave. Those who went to process the statue discovered that it was a beautiful, wide and airy cave, and the Buddha was located in the highest position. Therefore, this cave became a sacred place, and people built a pagoda, today it is called Thach Long pagoda.
Source: Collected internet.