Khai Nguyen Son Tay Pagoda is a place where "ancient metal and ancient times harmonize", attracting many tourists to worship and visit every year. This place also has the largest Amitabha Buddha statue in Southeast Asia.
Khai Nguyen Pagoda is a famous pagoda in Doai land and is a highlight of Son Tay tourism when linked with neighboring destinations. About 40km from the capital Hanoi, moving to Khai Nguyen Pagoda is not too difficult. Let's learn more about the temple with the largest Amitabha Buddha statue in Southeast Asia!
Where is Khai Nguyen Pagoda?
In Hanoi, there are two pagodas named Khai Nguyen, one is in Son Tay town and the other is in Tay Ho district. In this article, we will mention Khai Nguyen Pagoda in Son Tay town.
Khai Nguyen Pagoda is also known as Tan Vien Pagoda, its full name is Tan Vien Son Quoc Tu. The pagoda's history dates back to the Ly Dynasty - the first half of the 11th century. Through the devastation of time and war, Tan Vien pagoda moved to many locations. Currently, Khai Nguyen Pagoda has been renovated at its original location, retaining many of its original ancient features. Khai Nguyen Pagoda is located in Khoang Sau village, Son Dong commune, Son Tay town, Hanoi; Close to the historical Mang Son Temple area.
Tan Vien Pagoda is located in the middle of a peaceful countryside. There is a square lake located on the campus, lush green trees, fragrant flowers of all four seasons,....bringing a pure atmosphere for Buddhists and tourists when coming to the temple to worship Buddha and visit.
History of Khai Nguyen Pagoda in Son Tay
Khai Nguyen Pagoda dates back to the Ly Dynasty. Due to its unfavorable geographical location, the pagoda was gradually forgotten and degraded. During the Nguyen Dynasty, Khai Nguyen Pagoda was moved to a new piece of land in front of Trung Temple.
During the two French and American wars, the pagoda was seriously damaged. In 1997, Ms. Vuong Thi Nhat stood up and called for people to renovate with the consent of local authorities.
In 2008, Venerable Thich Dao Thinh was appointed to take care of Khai Nguyen Pagoda. After receiving it, he applied to move the temple back to its old location and was approved. Khai Nguyen Pagoda moved to its old location in front of Trung Temple in July 2008.
Vien Son Quoc Tu has a very special architecture, combining ancient and modern in harmony. The pagoda has the beauty of ancient architecture mixed with modern lines, attracting many tourists here. Compared to pagodas such as Yen Tu and Ngoc Hoang, Khai Quang Pagoda has a smaller area but when compared in terms of architecture, it is not inferior. The combination of metal and neck brings uniqueness and character to this sacred temple.
Khai Nguyen Pagoda has a total area of about 5000m2, including Drum tower, Bell tower, Quan Am cave, main hall, Quan Am stream and internal courtyard.
The main hall area has three majestic and magnificent statues; Legend has it that these are the three saints of Tan Son. On the left side of the main hall is a row of guest houses with an area of about 400 square meters, with a strange two-story design. On the right is Tang Do row, about 250m2 wide, built in a one-storey tiled roof architecture.
Going deeper inside is an ancient well called Dragon Well. According to the story of Dragon Well, the people in the area encountered a long drought, causing severe consequences, so the abbot burned incense and prayed to the gods. That night, the monk was told in a dream by a god about the location to dig a well.
Passing through Dragon Well is Quan Am Stream, flowing from the top of Mother Mountain and partly from the slopes of Bridegroom Mountain. This stream has its own meaning, reminiscent of the tradition of "drinking water, remember its source".
The final area is the Noi Vien, with a scale of 6 hectares, planned on a national scale with the main purpose of organizing retreats at Khai Nguyen Pagoda.
The largest Amitabha Buddha statue in Southeast Asia
The Amitabha Buddha statue is 72 meters high and has a base diameter of up to 1,200 square meters. Construction began in 2015. In 2018, the abbot of Khai Nguyen Pagoda went to Vancouver, Canada to bring a NePhrite jade Buddha back to Vietnam to make. the mind of the great Amitabha statue.
Inside the great Buddha statue consists of 13 floors, of which 12 floors are arranged for visitors to worship Bodhisattvas and the underworld is built into six paths of reincarnation including many realms such as asuras, hell, ghosts, etc. ..
Nearly 2,000 statues in the Three Jewels section
Khai Nguyen Pagoda also attracts many tourists because of its system of Buddha statues. In the Three Jewels section, there are up to 1,975 large and small statues, creating a unique architectural form.
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