DAI ANG PAGODA

Dai Ang Pagoda (Thien Phuc Tu) is one of the typical ancient pagodas in the southern area of Hanoi, located in Dai Ang Village, Ngoc Hoi Commune. The pagoda faces south-southwest, stands next to Dai Ang Communal House, and has a large lake in front, creating a harmonious feng shui position of “gathering water, gathering blessings” characteristic of the traditional belief space of Northern Vietnam.
The relic has a large architectural scale with many interconnected components such as the three-entrance gate, bell tower, Buddha tower, main pagoda, Patriarch Hall, and Mother Goddess Hall. The structures are arranged symmetrically and enclosed, creating an imposing landscape while meeting the local people's needs for cultural and religious activities. The pagoda strongly bears the traditional architecture of Northern Vietnam, with a three-entrance gate of the “upper floor – lower gate” type, a two-story, eight-roof bell tower, a seven-story Buddha tower placed in the middle of the lake, and a main hall with a Dinh-shaped structure comprising the Front Hall and Upper Hall.
Not only does it have architectural and artistic value, but the pagoda is also an important center of Buddhist activities for the locality. Its rich system of worship statues includes Shakyamuni Buddha in various forms such as the infant Shakyamuni, Snow Mountain ascetic, and Nirvana; along with Amitabha Buddha, the Three Saints of the West, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and Maitreya Buddha… In addition to worshipping Buddha, the pagoda also jointly worships Bodhidharma in the Patriarch Hall, the Three Holy Mothers in the Mother Goddess Hall, and Saint Tran, reflecting the interplay between folk beliefs and Buddhism in Vietnamese cultural life.
Currently, the pagoda still preserves many precious relics of historical and artistic value, such as a bronze bell cast in 1901, a stone incense burner from the 19th century, a ceramic incense burner, and many ancient horizontal plaques, parallel couplets, and ceremonial door canopies. These artifacts are evidence of the long formation and development of the relic through many historical periods.
With outstanding values in architecture, art, and spiritual culture, in 1991, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ranked Dai Ang Pagoda (Thien Phuc Tu) as a national-level architectural and artistic relic. This is an important recognition, affirming the pagoda's position in the cultural heritage system of Hanoi.