Traveling to Hai Phong at the beginning of the year do not forget to visit the sacred Pho Chieu pagoda
Although it is not Buddha land, the spiritual tourist spots in Hai Phong, such as Pho Chieu pagoda, have
Not Buddha-land, but spiritual places, such as the Red Temple of Hai Phong, are also famous near and far for their unique architecture and holiness.
Located deep in a small alley of Le Lai Street, Ngo Quyen District, downtown Hai Phong, Red pagoda or Linh Do Tu is a famous spiritual place of “red phoenix flower city” in particular and the North. Generally speaking.
History of Hai Phong Red Pagoda
Initially, in a small alluvial ground in Dong Khe commune, An Duong district, Kinh Mon Dao district, many dead people drifted in, so to pray for Tathagatas for the unfortunate people, the villagers built a Small temple worshiping Buddha.
Then, in the year of the Mau Tuat (1288) when Hung Dao Vuong came to An Duong area to study the naval battle to destroy the army of O Ma Nhi who fled through the Bac Dang gate, sent an army to take care of everyone’s food. In the temple, cooking is always red, so the pagoda has been called the popular name Red pagoda .
After Tran Hung Dao’s death, to commemorate the days when the Holy Tran stayed here, the villagers built two more temples on either side of the pagoda to worship him and his faithful dignitaries, such as Dien Marsh. Pham Ngu Lao.
In the year of Dinh Dau and Quy Mao, 1717 and 1723, the pagoda was repaired on a large scale, so that before the August Revolution in 1945, the Red Hai Phong pagoda had become a spacious project.
Although it was partly destroyed after the resistance war against the French colonialists and American imperialists, but due to good repair and protection, today, the temple is always an impressive and bold work. beautiful national traditions, making people respect.
The unique architecture of Hai Phong Red Pagoda
There is no spacious space like Cao Linh Pagoda , nor has a prime location on the large street, but Linh Do Pagoda still impresses visitors with its overlapping match architecture with 3 floors and 20 roofs – a room unprecedented way in the history of Vietnamese temples.
The pagoda is 26m high and consists of 3 main parts: Tien Duong, Trung Duong and Hau Cung. All are connected by the intersection of roofs, making the temple more magnificent and monumental.
In which, each part has a separate impression. The front road of Hai Phong Red Pagoda has a roof designed with a 7-storey tower, 5m high, the base of the tower is 1.2m high and above the tower is placed a blooming lotus. In particular, in the lotus court there is also a 5m high flagpole to hang the flag during the festival season, making everyone surprised.
The Trung Trung Street stands out with rows of lemon flowers and a set of green enameled leaves with the symbol of the temple, carved along the roof of the temple. And the harem attracts the eyes by two layers of blade roof, in the middle of the roof is placed 1.2m high bodhi leaf, which looks like a flaming fire, showing the purity and nobility of Buddhism.
In addition, the decorative motifs in the Red pagoda , such as the image of Long Phuong symmetrically winding on the stone pillars of the Main Palace, Tung – Cuc – Truc – Mai carved on the railing, the lotus blossom Clouds and floating clouds depicting the background or art images of the Ly Tran dynasty on the doors … are also interesting points that make visitors to the temple even more love this place.
However, the most valuable thing in Hai Phong Red Pagoda is the jackfruit wood Buddha statue, 5.5m high, seated on a 2.9m high lotus, with 50 golden lacquered lotus petals. and intricately carved with Tran patterns, placed in the center of the main hall, making everyone unable to take their eyes off.
Behind the statue, the Ten Thousand Buddhas are placed at 11m high, with 1111 small Buddha statues, dwelling in closed bodhi leaves, representing the boundless Dharma realm.
In particular, to be able to complete this largest wooden Buddha statue in Vietnam, more than 10 woodworkers had to use more than 20m3 of jackfruit wood, 400 wood pieces, 700 ironwood posts and hard work for nearly 20 months of hard work. That is to say, everything in the temple is precious and worthy of respect.
Activities not to be missed at Hai Phong Red Pagoda
Not only worshiping Buddha Thich Ca Mau Ni but the Red Temple also worship Bodhisattva, so this place is always considered the second most sacred place in Hai Phong. That is why on the 1st or 10th of the full moon, especially the beginning of the year regardless of day or night, there are countless tourists from strange lands coming to the rope to burn the scent. and respectfully present offerings to the Buddha to pray for luck, happiness, fortune and peace for themselves and those who love them.
In addition, because it is located in a small alley, the atmosphere at the temple in normal days is always peaceful and quiet, so it will be an extremely ideal destination for those who want peace of mind and get rid of all troubles. life is messy
If you are looking for a spiritual place to celebrate the New Year, the Red Temple of Hai Phong is not a bad destination
Photo: Internet
