Festival of Ham Long Pagoda

Ham Long Pagoda.

According to ancient records, Ham Long Pagoda was built in 1158 by Ly Quoc Su Nguyen Minh Khong, under the reign of King Ly Anh Tong. The pagoda is located on a piece of land shaped like the four sacred animals (dragon, unicorn, turtle, and phoenix).

The pagoda still preserves a number of ancient Buddha statues and 14 ancient tomb towers from the Tran, Later Le, and Nguyen dynasties. Among them, there are 04 bronze statues with unique artistic and casting techniques: the 2.10-meter-high statue of Buddha Shakyamuni; the 1.86-meter-high statue of Ananda and Kasyapa; and the 1.58-meter-high statue of Queen Maya (the mother of Buddha).

The name Ham Long originated from the fact that the ancient temple is protected by Than Long Mountain in front, surrounded by poetic and charming mountains. The temple is not only famous for its thousand-year history or its unique ancient architecture, but it also has interesting stories surrounding the sacredness of the temple.

The pagoda is well-known not only for its thousand-year history and distinctive old architecture, but also for the interesting stories surrounding its sacred status.

The overall view of the side campus includes structures such as Tam Quan, Tam Bao, Ancestor House, Tang House, Guest House, and auxiliary structures with ancient beauty that have mossy over time. Tam Bao has a structure of Chinese “Dinh” letter.

Ham Long Pagoda is known as the largest pagoda in Vietnam because it traps and imprisons ghosts. Many people often come here to trap ghosts and cut off the dead.

Every year, on the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month, the pagoda and villagers hold a festival to recite the name of the founder of Cuu Sinh and offer incense to Buddha. Buddhist monks, nuns, and visitors attend the pagoda festival. There are activities such as reading sutras, bathing the Buddha statue, telling stories, offering flowers and incense, worshiping Buddha, worshiping the Triple Gem, telling the merits of Buddhism, singing Cheo, performing modern art, etc. Festival of Ham Long Pagoda has become a major Buddhist festival in Kinh Bac and the Northern Delta.

Ham Long Pagoda Festival is not only an occasion to offer incense to Buddha but also an opportunity to visit a famous ancient temple, historical and cultural relics, the pagoda and tower system, and admire the scenery of one of the greatest wonders of the ancient Kinh Bac land.