Ve Pagoda is an ancient art and architecture work that is still quite intact and magnificent. The pagoda has a different scale and monumental architectural decoration with a low and lonely appearance like many other Vietnamese village temples. Currently, the temple still preserves precious antiques. Especially the system of tower statues, statues of gods, Post-Buddhist statues, Lion statues
- Brief introduction about Ve Pagoda
Ve Pagoda is a Buddhist temple of Doan Xa, Dong Hai ward, Hai An district, about 10km from Hai Phong city center. Ve Pagoda has the word Hoa Linh Tu, associated with the glorious events against foreign invaders of our army and people in the victory of Bach Dang in 938 by Ngo Vuong Quyen and the victory of Bach Dang in 1287-1288 of our army and people in the period. Bare. Local history clearly states that the detectives of Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan used this temple to observe the enemy camp and draw a map to prepare for the successful battle of Bach Dang in 1288. In addition to the word Hoa Linh Tu, the pagoda also has a nom name, which is very popular among people around the area, is Ve Pagoda.
Since Ve Pagoda was recognized by the State as a historical-cultural relic and was put into operation for tourism to visit relics of Hai Phong city, the number of international visitors to the temple has increased. especially visitors from China and Asia.
Today, Ve Pagoda, together with the Department of Culture and Information of Hai Phong city, have published maps and guidebooks to introduce the relic to the masses. In order to attract domestic and foreign tourists to visit and study the temple scene. Especially on the death anniversary of Saint Tran (August 20 of the lunar calendar), the number of visitors to attend the festival is very large. Not only local people but also tourists from other provinces.
The fact that Ve Pagoda was recognized by the State as a historical-cultural relic in 1994, along with the introduction of the relic into tourist activities, sightseeing in the city of Hai Phong Port has played an important role and meaning. for local and regional. Since then, the temple has been increasingly preserved and promoted its values. Contributing to the demonstration and building of an “advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity”
- General historical issues of the monument
In the rural civilization of Vietnam, the image of a Buddhist temple has long been associated with the spiritual life of Vietnamese residents for a long time. Written historical sources have shown that Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam around the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The land of the king, the temple of the village, or the land of the king, the village temple, the landscape of the bud. The Sanscrit curse, budha (the enlightened one) is transliterated as Bodhi, abbreviated as Buddha. In folklore, the image of the Buddha always appears as a benevolent god, always helping the poor through tribulations, thus being “gentle as a Buddha”.
“Children enjoy home, old enjoy pagodas”, Buddhism has incarnated into our country’s folklore, expressing the wishes of the worldview of Vietnamese agricultural residents, the wish to “stay in peace and meet good” in the rain. Peaceful wind for the people, prosperity for the peaceful country. Vietnam’s history recorded the brilliant Ly-Tran cultural era, Buddhism was once considered the national religion. In the heroic era, in the fight to protect the Dai Viet country, there were national monks Ngo Chan Luu, Truc Lam Zen sect, led by King Tran Nhan Tong and his disciples Phap Loa and Huyen Quang who practiced at Yen pagoda. Tu Son – Quang Ninh today. A survey of local religions and beliefs in the coastal area of Hai Phong shows that there are no written documents confirming the time of the appearance of the architecture of Buddhist temples in the villages. But considering the historical tradition of female general Le Chan, who was instrumental in establishing the land that is now known as Hai Phong. Historical legend has it that: in the East Trieu Trang area of An Bien, there was a devout family who often went to the temple to pray, gave birth to a daughter, and later made great karma. From the East Trieu Le Chan migrated to expand and reclaim new land, established villages, the name of the village and the Buddhist temple is still called by the old name: An Bien Trang, Ven pagoda. It is possible that An Bien pagoda was founded by the villagers at first, it was small, the terrain changed a lot, but it marked the first starting point of Buddhism in Hai Phong to this day. The relationship of Hai Phong Buddhism with the ancestral place of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism (Yen Tu) has been maintained for a long time. The Zen master of Dong Khe pagoda (Nguyet Quang Tu) is an orthodox Truc Lam lineage. At Du Hang Pagoda (literal name is Phuc Lam Tu) every year in the 11th lunar month, The pagoda version commemorates the first monk Dieu Ngu and the third patriarch Huyen Quang Ly. From this, it can be inferred that the relationship between the Truc Lam Three Patriarchs Zen sect and today’s Hai Phong Buddhism has the same origin.
Again, the legend about two public servants of Vinh Khe village, An Duong district (now An Hai) has a remarkable detail: “During the reign of Tran Du Tong (1341-1369) there was Mr. Vu Quynh who was an Asian, meritorious services to help people eradicate the demon breed or harm women and children in the area. On his leisure day, he went for a walk to see the scenery, saw that the village temple had been destroyed by rain and wind for a long time, so he and the commune people donated money for the restoration of the temple scene, carved statues, cast bells, and then renamed the temple. The data has led and contributed to determining the origin of Buddhism and the village temple in Hai Phong today. In the general context from AD and on the basis of villages established from the 10th century (after the 938 Bach Dang victory of Ngo Quyen) onwards, of course the village developed, the temple was also established. Hoa Linh Tu pagoda itself in Doan Xa village, Dong Hai commune now, in addition to the historical legend related to the Tran dynasty in the 13th century (through the legend of Tran Hung Dao’s cartography) that we already know. Right in front of the pagoda yard, beside the lake, there is still a long stone bamboo tree (dated Le Chinh Hoa (1680-1705)), the text is still readable, the year is blurred, clearly stating the boundary and meaning of the pagoda’s name. gives us an appropriate estimate of the temple’s development time in the early 17th century. Commenting on the background and architectural scale of the local temple village (Hoa Linh Tu), Most Venerable Kim Cuong Tu, former leader of Buddhism in Hai Phong (now abbot at Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi) said: …In the past, Ve Pagoda (Hoa Linh Tu) has become a big Buddha scene, containing scriptures, although the temple is shaken, but it has not become a great ancestral war temple.
The time of existence, the scale of architecture and natural landscape of Ve Pagoda is so superficial, it has long been recorded through the ancient adage of Hai An region: Rice in Dong pagoda, pine pagoda in Da, and many pagodas in Ve pagoda are all pagodas. The big, famous in Hai Phong has contributed to the recognition of the religious cultural works of the above-mentioned fairy temples.
- Art in the architecture of Ve Pagoda
Ve Pagoda (Hoa Linh Tu) has a large landscape architecture, a small two-story gate with a roof with the words Hoa Linh Bao Tu newly renovated as a reminder to visitors to respect the temple listed in the fairy class. of Hai Phong now.
A small paved road leads directly to the courtyard of the 5-room guesthouse, turning left is the ancestral house, turning right is through the ancient brick courtyard of Bat Trang, surrounded by a wall of flowers and ornamental plants. This is the main campus of the huge Buddha hall, standing on three layers of 0.85m high green stone steps, parallel to the row of guest houses, ancestral houses and tower gardens of the temple. In front of the three main architectural rows of the temple (turning to the southeast), including the Buddha Palace, there is a round well, clear blue water, silhouetted by many shady trees such as eagle, banyan, and si are lush. Because the campus is spacious, running in a horizontal line in front, there are water balloons, ornamental flower gardens, and many fruit trees around such as bananas, papayas, persimmons, etc. So it has created a beautiful landscape for the pagoda. but still attached to everyday life.
Source: Collected internet.