Frederik Dawson

Netherlands - 06-Oct-24 -

On my flight from Rach Gia back to Ho Chi Minh City after Oc Eo sightseeing with ICOMOS experts, I found an interesting inflight magazine article about Yen Tu. After landing, I discussed with our accompanied local guide and immediately decided to extend my Vietnam trip to cover Yen Tu. Instead of flying back from Danang via Bangkok, my guide contacted her company to change the ticket to Hanoi and arranged a special program for me to explore Yen Tu. Since this was an impromptu trip, I rarely had information on this holy land of Truc Lam Vietnamese Zen Buddhism. At first, I requested to visit Vinh Nghiem pagoda on my way to Yen Tu, as Els did, but the tour company advised me to go to Con Son-Kiep Bac which I OK after reconfirmed that the name appeared in the description in UNESCO website.

Almost 2 hours from Hanoi Airport, I arrived at Con Son Temple, pronounced “Concern”, smoothly via new paved road that clearly is a part of beautification project to prepare world heritage inscription. My driver dropped me at the small lake in front of the outer entrance and behind the arch gate is the lovely pathway led to inner entrance, the layout was stately and like Temple of Literature in Hanoi showing connection with imperial family. Inside each temple hall, surrounded by corridor, is richly decorated with gold and red painted wooden panel like Chinese temple and the fragrance of offering flower, fruit and incense were everywhere. Apart from the stately plan and quality of decoration, the roof of each hall maybe the true highlight. The roofline of Con Son is full of porcelain and ceramic decoration in floral, mythical creature pattern, that look amazingly graceful, like Chinese Hokkien styled roof. Behind the temple hall with unique golden roof is the hill that provide a good view of the whole temple.

After Con Son, nearby Kiep Bac Temple is my next destination. This small shrine is located on the small isle and dedicated to a national hero, General Tran Hung Dao who was the leader of Mongol-Vietnam war. The cult of national hero is almost like Taoist in China. Because of recent beautification for ICOMOS field visit, my driver was confused with new layout and decided to drop me at the rear entrance of the temple. I immediately walked to see the iconic grand entrance that gave a citadel vibe. Inside the shrine was in full swing of offering ceremony, I saw countless of sacrificed food and thousands of joss paper in shape of ancient weapon, war horse, treasure box on the courtyard. The hall was pack with worshippers that no space I could go inside, but with quick glance, the decoration was like what I saw in Con Son but more gold. I finished the visit within 15 minutes to avoid crowds and endless smoke from those burning joss paper.

I continued my trip to Yen Tu Mountain which is the main component of Truc Lam Buddhist landscape. After late lunch and hotel checked in, I used hotel shuttle service to see Giai Oan Temple, which is the temple that pilgrims normally visit before climbing Yen Tu. Like Nikko in Japan and other sacred landscape in East Asia, rocky creek is used to separate holy land from outside world. I crossed the beautiful bridge and shortly walked to the temple as a symbolic gesture before descended to explore the cable car station that I will use tomorrow before going back to the hotel to prepare 4 hours, as informed by hotel staffs, Yen Tu hiking. In the morning after early breakfast, I bought entrance ticket including cable cars at the hotel reception and took shuttle car to cable car station. The official operating time was 7AM but nothing opened until 30 minutes later. After taking cable car, I followed the direction to Hue Quang Stupa Complex which is the group of relic stupa of important monks like the mini version of the famous forest of stupa at Shaolin Temple in China. Then I climbed the stairs up to Hoa Yen Pagoda, this small temple with beautiful decoration and cute bell and drum houses that located on strategic location where all hiking routes and from lower cable car meet, so next to the temple is the large area of many local shops selling food and drinks as well as religious objects.

The route from Hoa Yen Pagoda to the second cable car station is quite scenic with small waterfalls and easy to walk. Along the way there is an interesting small Mot Mai Temple built under the rock shelter with many buddha statues. I was the first cable car user of the day, the view from cable car of this section is the best, with good view of many mountain temples and pagoda in the forest as well as the whole valley below Yen Tu Mountain. Then I hiked to the top of Yen Tu, most of the hiking route was quite OK and easy but also quite small and full of wild shrubbery, so long pants are recommended; however, the final stretch before reaching the summit is quite steep and the steps made by cements and rocks are not stable. At the summit is Dong Pagoda, a small solid copper temple, the most iconic and holiest place of Yen Tu. The pagoda is nice, but the view of the whole mountain is much nicer. Being alone on the holy mountain peak above the thundering cloud was probably the best experience of this trip.

After short break I took another route and walked down to see the giant Golden Statue of King Tran Nhan Tong, founder of Truc Lam Buddhist School, before went back to the cable car station. While riding a cable car down, suddenly the car stopped for almost 30 minutes! I called the emergency hotline, but no one answer, so I called the hotel for help to learn that the whole mountain had a power outage! Sitting in the gondola that swayed with the strong wind above high cliff full of pagoda and ancient temples was truly a nightmarish experience. Strangely when I safely backed to cable car station, an officer informed me that the outage happened habitually! Then I walked to the first cable car station via Hoa Yen Pagoda and backed to the hotel. The whole trip took only 3 hours including 30 minutes of power cut. 

In my opinion, Yen Tu including Con Son and Kiep Bac is the Vietnamese version of Chinese sacred mountain of Emeishan or Japanese Nikko. I found that Vietnamese architecture especially the roofline reminded me Sichuan one. I could not point out the uniqueness of Truc Lam Buddhist School from the sights I visited. Anyway, I really enjoyed the beautiful art, landscape and culture of Yen Tu. There is no comparison of Buddhist landscape in Southeast Asia, so I think Yen Tu fill the gap for this region really well.

Els Slots

The Netherlands - 04-Jan-19 -

'The Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscape' is a mixed site that comprises a huge area, spread out over 3 separate regions. It is the heartland of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism. Skimming the long description of this TWHS, the Vinh Nghiem pagoda stood out to me as probably the most worthwhile individual component.

The Vinh Nghiem pagoda dates back to the beginning of the 11th century and was enlarged during the Tran dynasty (from the 12th century on), when it became the center of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism. Truc Lam ("bamboo forest") is the only indigenous form of Buddhism in Vietnam. The Vinh Nghiem pagoda was also the first training institute in Vietnam to teach Buddhist monks and nuns.

This pagoda lies near the provincial capital of Bac Giang and within a reasonable bus distance from Hanoi. So on a gloomy New Year's Day I first went with city bus 34 to Hanoi’s long distance bus station My Dinh and there caught one of the half-hourly buses to Bac Giang. The Vinh Nghiem pagoda lies in the village of Tri Yen, some 18km outside of Bac Giang. I had an idea how to get there (take a taxi), but not what to expect of it. Would it be big or small? Would it be open to tourists at all? And an important lesson from previous visits to remote (future) WHS: would I be able to find transport back?

The pagoda turned out to be on the edge of the village of Tri Yen. It looked deserted, but all gates were open. I walked through the large wooden doors into the first big hall of the pagoda. Wow! I knew immediately that it had been a good decision to come here. What an impressive collection of statues of Buddha and arhats. It has a central altar that goes deep into the back of the temple - it seems infinite. Also behind this are rows and rows of statues.

The religious complex of the pagoda consists of four original wooden buildings in a row, including a bell tower. Around it are outbuildings that are still inhabited. There is also a garden.

To the left of the temples there is a storehouse which holds more than 3000 ancient woodblocks for printing. These contain early Buddhist writings in Chinese and Nom (Vietnamese written with Chinese characters). A bit similar to the Tripitaka Koreana at Haeinsa, but they are so special that they are already on another UNESCO list: the 'Memory of the World' register.

I did not encounter anyone during my entire visit. However, music played softly in the background all the time and I found two not too vigilant dogs at the back of the pagoda complex. Afterwards I was prepared to walk the 6km to the main road to catch transport back to Bac Giang and then Hanoi, but already just outside Tri Yen village I stumbled upon a growing group of people waiting for a bus. That bus (arriving at 2pm) turned out to be a big coach. Soon it became clear why: in every hamlet, on every street corner, students were waiting to go back to school or university after the free long weekend. The bus sign said ‘Bac Giang’ but when it turned onto the Bac Giang – Hanoi Expressway I knew that it was going to Hanoi straight away. It was again a lucky escape for me from a remote (T)WHS.

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