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Cay Thi Pagoda

12/11/2024

Located nearly 70km from the center of Hanoi, Cay Thi Pagoda (or Tinh Vien Di Da) is located in Che Trinh village (Thanh Tam commune, Thanh Liem district, Ha Nam province). It is an ancient temple about 400 years old and is known by many people.

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Cay Thi Pagoda is located in a beautiful location on the slope of Ngu Mountain, 115m above sea level. On both sides are mountain ranges with the shape of "on the left is Thanh Long, on the right is Bach Ho". Following the mountain slope to the top to the southeast, about 100m from the ancient pagoda is the tomb of Minister - Doctor Truong Cong Giai. At the foot of the mountain, to the southwest, 50m from the ancient pagoda is the Temple of Martyrs of Chua Mountain, which marks the heroic sacrifice of 241 main force soldiers, militia, and local guerrillas against the historic second Chanh Che sweep (May 21, 1954) of the French colonialists. In 2010, the Chua Mountain site was ranked as a provincial historical relic.

According to the information recorded on the stele dated 1940 kept in the pagoda, the old Cay Thi pagoda consisted of 5 Buddha worshipping rooms and 3 ancestor worshipping rooms. In 1954, after a French raid, the pagoda was completely destroyed. In December 2019, the pagoda was renovated and rebuilt by the local government and Buddhists from near and far to be more spacious and beautiful.

The characteristic architectural feature of Cay Thi Pagoda is the modern style interwoven with tradition, the presence of the East Asian Zen style combined with Vietnamese culture, creating a peaceful and serene Buddhist architectural complex and space. Walking on white gravel roads or stone steps, with rows of pines, junipers and green gardens on both sides, visitors will pass through the Welcome Guest Hall, the Zen Garden, and Quan Am Pavilion to reach the Ancient Pagoda. Inside is a 2.5m high black bronze Buddha statue. Looking in from the outside, to the left of the main pagoda is the Dia Tang pavilion, to the right is the Quan Am pavilion. In front is an ancient banyan tree that provides shade for the main pagoda and the Ca Diếp pavilion. Under the 375-year-old banyan tree is an ancient stone dog statue.

The area at the foot of the main pagoda is the Patriarch's tower, lecture hall, guest house, kitchen, library, office... serving activities and retreats with a capacity of up to hundreds of people.

In particular, there are not many Buddha statues in the temple grounds, but only concentrated in the inner temple area. Because the worship space is separated from the outside scenery, visitors can freely visit and take photos without affecting the solemnity of the temple. Therefore, Cay Thi Pagoda is not only a place for spiritual activities of local people, but also an interesting tourist destination for tourists and Buddhists from near and far on their journey to Ha Nam.

Source: hanoimoi.vn

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