Mot Mai is an ancient pagoda with unique architecture in Quang Ninh. Although it is only a small pagoda, Mot Mai is visited by many tourists on every pilgrimage to Yen Tu.
Overview of Mot Mai Pagoda
From Hoa Yen Pagoda, go about 200 meters to the East, through the tower yard behind the pagoda, to the pine trees with roots clinging to the rocky mountain, visitors will encounter a small temple precariously perched on the cliff. That is the Mot Mai (One Roof) Pagoda.
The ancient pagoda was originally Thanh Long Cave. According to legend, Emperor Tran Nhan Tong built Ly Tran hermitage (escape from the mortal world) as a place to read books and compose sutras. After he passed away, the ancient hermitage was built into Bo Da Pagoda, with half of the roof a cave dome, and the other half exposed to the open space, so the temple was named Mot Mai (One Roof) Yen Tu Pagoda.
Unique architecture of the pagoda
The entire architecture of the Mot Mai Pagoda is made of wood, slightly higher than a person’s head, with the inner half of the pagoda a cave niche, and the other half is built of wood with a roof on only one side. The pagoda has dimensions of length: 9.6m; depth: 1.7m; upper beam: 2.3m; from the pagoda’s foundation to the beam: 1.55m; half of the roof beam is 0.9m wide; divided into four compartments, the front wall system is made of wooden planks joined together.
Although small, the Mot Mai Pagoda in Yen Tu is very unique because the pagoda is the only place in Yen Tu today that still retains the system of worship statues and worship objects in the pagoda, all made of white stone, dating from the end of the Le Dynasty, the beginning of the Nguyen Dynasty.
On the way up to the pagoda, there are two stone towers built during the Le Dynasty: the Thanh Long tower, dedicated to Zen Master Nguyen Hoi, the abbot of this pagoda. Next to the tower are tangerine trees and medicinal trees, planted to treat diseases or used as food.
The cliff at the foot of the pagoda is covered with naturally growing plants, giving the Mot Mai Pagoda an ancient, long-standing look. The main worshiping rooms in the Mot Mai Pagoda consist of 3 rooms corresponding to 3 altars arranged from the outside to the inside, including 3 statues of the Three early Patriarchs; The Three Buddhas, and the innermost altar is lower than the two outer altars, including 1 stone stele engraved with the year Bao Dai – 1936 and some other worshiping objects.
The Mot Mai Pagoda looks simple and rustic, but it contains great historical value. With its unique architecture leaning against the cliff, in the middle of the sky, and its beautiful location, the pagoda made a great contribution to the complex of pagodas and towers in Yen Tu.
Source: collected by An
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