Long Tien Pagoda is the leading sacred pagoda with a very large scale in Ha Long city. With a long history and value in the spiritual life of the people here, Long Tien Pagoda is a destination that attracts a large number of tourists every time they have the opportunity to travel to Quang Ninh. Therefore, follow Vietdreamtravel.vn to get more information about this pagoda.
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Introduction to Long Tien Pagoda in Ha Long
If Buddhists have the opportunity to visit the fertile land of Quang Ninh, they should not miss Long Tien Pagoda Ha Long. One of the spiritual tourist destinations of the Northern sect, has been recognized as a National Historical – Cultural Relic of Vietnam.
This is also one of the famous pagodas, built under the Nguyen Dynasty, inaugurated in 1941. Not only worships Buddhas, the pagoda is also dedicated to the “Holy Mother” and to the heroes of the Tran Dynasty. Long Tien Pagoda has the largest area in Ha Long, located on Le Quy Don Street, Bach Dang Ward, right below the Bai Tho Mountain, is a famous place to preserve the historical and cultural values of the city. Besides, this pagoda is also located at the foot of Bai Tho mountain, with a peaceful, quiet scene, very ideal for spiritual activities.
The best time of year to visit Long Tien Pagoda is during the festival right after Tet holiday. At this time, the pagoda is holding many cultural, spiritual and entertainment activities. The period from May to December is the low tourist season, so if you come here, it will be quite deserted but it is suitable for those who love quietness, easy for prayer.
Long Tien Pagoda Festival is held on the 24th day of the 3rd lunar month every year. The festival is an opportunity for monks, nuns, Buddhists and tourists to offer incense, pray for peace, pray for blessings and admire the magnificent palanquin procession.
Landscape architecture in the style of the Nguyen Dynasty
Long Tien Pagoda is built in a two-story, eight-roofed, overlapping-roof style with softly rising eaves. The system of wooden columns and trusses is in the style of a gong frame with four rows of legs. It consists 6 rooms, two stories and eight roofs, covered with yin-yang tiles, a popular type of tile in the architecture in the Quang Ninh region. In particular, the decorative motifs in the pagoda clearly show the characteristics of the Nguyen Dynasty’s artistic style.
After nearly 8 decades of construction and restoration, some ancient items of the pagoda such as the Tam Quan gate have retained their original architecture. Today, the construction items in the pagoda from the outside to the inside include:
Tam Quan (triple-gate)
The Tam Quan gate of Long Tien Pagoda is unique with a three-story overlapping-roof style in a pyramid shape. On the highest floor is a statue of Amitabha Buddha in a sitting position, below is a bell tower with a bronze bell hanging.
The lowest floor is the entrance with two statues of Ong Thien and Ong Ac standing on both sides. The triple-gate stands out with the words “Long Tien Tu” in the middle written in Chinese characters along with two parallel sentences.
The yard
The pagoda yard consists of an upper yard and a lower yard. In the lower yard, the most prominent is the statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin standing erect and holding a vase of amrita in the posture of saving all living beings.
From here, follow the path to the upper yard to reach the place where Buddhists offer incense to worship Buddha. In the upper courtyard of the pagoda, there is a painting depicting the birth of Buddha Shakyamuni.
Main Hall
The main pagoda is built in the T-shaped, including the praying hall and the upper hall where many statues are placed. In the main hall, Buddha is worshiped. On the right, Tran Dynasty heroes are worshiped, on the left is the “Holy Mother” palace.
The main hall is at the highest position, leaning against the mountainside, inside are many Buddha statues. The highest is the Three buddhas. The second position is Amitabha Buddha meditating and preaching on a lotus platform. The third position is Bodhisattva Quan Yin with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands, with Longnu (Dragon Girl) and Sudhana (Child of Wealth).
The Three Buddha statues
The fourth position is the Jade Emperor who governs the heavens to help Buddha practice the Dharma. In front of the Jade Emperor statue is the statue of the Infant Buddha Shakyamuni.
On both sides of the wall, facing each other, are the two main altars of the Ten Kings of Hell. These statues are made of clay, wearing Binh Thien hats, and wearing different types of costumes, both traditional and influenced by the North.
In addition, the pagoda also has a To house (where the three founders of Truc Lam Zen sect and the Arhats are worshiped) and a guest house.
Arhat statues
Source: collected by An
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