More than 1000 years old, the free feudal dynasties of Dinh, Tien Le and Ly were very interested in and considered Buddhism as the national religion, so they built many ancient pagodas, including Bai Dinh Pagoda located on Trang An mountain range. the pagoda was established during the Dinh dynasty bui still has many architectural details and antiques bearing the strong imprint of the Ly dynasty.

The pagoda is located on a land that full converges the elements of a sacred land and telented people according to Vietnamese folk beliefs. This is the land that gave birth to Kings, Saints and Gods. Bai Dinh ancient pagoda mountain was once the place where Dinh Tien Hoang De set up an altar to pray for favorable weather and wind, and King Quang Trung chose it to hold a flag-raising before going to Thang Long to defeat the Qing army

Activities and places to visit inside the pagoda

1.Phap Chu Temple of Bai Dinh pagoda

Phap Chu Temple is one of the most important structures in the Bai Dinh complex, Ninh Binh. The temple was built with majestic and prosing architecture, the interior space is exquisitely designed with sculptures on wood and stone, creating a solemn and peaceful atmosphere. This place stands out with a gilded bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, 9.5 meters high and weighing up to 100 tons – recognized as the largest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam.

Phap Chu Temple of Bai Dinh Pagoda is a place where Buddhists and tourists often come to worship, pray and seek peace of mind. Phap Chu Temple is not only the highlight of Bai Dinh Pagoda but also a symbol of the development and preservation of traditional cultural and spiritual values of the Vietnamese people.

2.Tam The Temple

Tam The Temple is the largest shrine in the Bai Dinh Pagoda complex, featuring three gilded bronze statues of the Three Buddhas, each 7.2m high and weighing 50 tons. The three statues in the shrine represent the past, present and future – with a profound meaning of the cycle and continuity in life. This is a place that only demonstrates the grandeur of Buddhist architecture but also attracts a large number of visitors to worship and seek peace of mind.

3.Ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda

Ancient Bai Dinh pagoda is located on a high mountainside, with an ancient and quiet beauty, and is one of the destinations not to be missed when visiting the Bai Dinh Pagoda complex. This place stands out with ancient relics such as the Buddha worshiping cave, Cao Son temple and Mau worshing cave, each loaction is associated with spiritual and historical values. The peaceful space àn majestic natural scenery around make Bai Dinh ancient pagoda an ideal stop for those who want to find peace and contemplate traditional culture. The ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda area has prominent attractions such as: Cao Son Temple: Cao Sơn Temple is built with its back against the mountain, with a corridor separating it from the valley in front. In the past, when building the capital Hoa Lu, Dinh Tien Hoang De built 3 temples to worship the gods guarding the 3 citadels and Cao Son god guarding the gateway to the western citadel. So if you have the opportunity to visit Bai Dinh pagoda, stop by Cao Son god to remember him.

Mother worshiping cave: Continuing the journey, you should visit Toi cave to worship the holy mother Lieu Hanh – who is both a saint and a human. The mother worshiping cave has 7 small interconnected caves. In middle the cave is ” nhattru kinh thien” created form hanging stalacties. Moreover, the cave also emits magical sounds like a symphony from a lithophone.

Jade Well: Legend has it that Zen master Nguyen Minh Khong took water from this well to make medicine to cure the king and the people. Looking down from above, you will see a jade green water surface surrounded by rows of green trees in the middle of a large campus.

4.La Han Corridor of Bai Dinh Pagoda

The La Han Corridor at Bai Dinh Pagoda is one of the most impressive structures in the pagoda complex, recognized as the longest La Han corridor in Asia. This corridor stretches nearly 3km, with the highlight being more than 500 La Han statues crafted from monolithic green stone, each about 2-2.5 meters high, with a distinct appearanceand expression. These works not only demonstrate sophisticated sculpture but also symbolize the connection between Buddhism and human life.

Bright cave, dark cave

Although the cave is about 25m deep and 15m wide, there is still enough natural light. Inside is a place to worship Buddha and when tou reach the end of the cave, you can turn to the sacred Cao Son temple. In the middle, there is a natural well that keeps the air cool. Here,the mother and the fairies are worshiped.

Bai Dinh Pagoda is located in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province, about 12km from Ninh Binh city center and about 100km from Hanoi capital. Therefore, if you want to visit Bai Dinh Pagoda, you can choose many types of vehicles to best suit your schedule. If you live nearby, you can use personal vehicles.