Dien Phuc Pagoda (Thai Binh Pagoda)

Located in the maternal homeland of the Ly dynasty - a dynasty that greatly revered Buddhism - Dien Phuc Pagoda was established early and has existed continuously to this day. 

According to folk tradition, Dien Phuc Pagoda was built in the 11th century. Based on the system of relics, it can be affirmed that Dien Phuc Pagoda dates to around the Le Trung Hung period (17th–18th centuries). According to the inscription on the bronze bell “Dien Phuc Tu Chung” (the bell of Dien Phuc Pagoda) cast in the 2nd year of Minh Menh (1821), Dien Phuc Pagoda formerly had a large architectural scale and was a famous scenic spot in the region. The pagoda was restored from 2001 to 2006. It faces south, with a layout in the shape of the character “đinh” comprising the upper sanctuary, Mother House, and Ancestor House.

 The pagoda's three-entrance gate follows the traditional two-tiered chong diem architecture, consisting of one main entrance and two side entrances. The bodies of the co-dong-tru columns are decorated with parallel sentences; above are decorations of trai danh and unicorn attendants; on the roof of the bell tower are two dragons flanking the moon along with intricate, vivid floral motifs. Above hangs the pagoda's ancient bronze bell. Through the three-entrance gate is the bell tower on the left, and on the right is the drum tower with a compact two-tiered, eight-roofed chong diem architecture, inside which are hung a bronze bell and a large drum. Next, near the bell tower, in front of the Ancestor House is an octagonal house built in the chong diem style, inside which a platform is built bearing a bronze Guanyin statue.  The pagoda's three jewels hall is built in the two-tiered, eight-roofed chong diem style with curved blades; the front hall consists of 7 bays and 2 side wings, and the upper sanctuary has 3 bays and 1 vertical wing, forming a ground plan in the shape of the character “đinh”. The trusses are made in the thuong gia chieng, trung chong con, ha bay hien style. The decoration on the architecture is intricate and vivid with lively, beautiful themes of the four sacred creatures and four precious plants. Inside the pagoda, worship platforms with statues are built; the large worship statues have recently been embellished, making the pagoda more imposing and solemn. The Mother House has 5 bays and 2 side wings with closed gable walls and armchairs with pillar symbols; the trusses are decorated with themes of the four sacred creatures and four precious plants; against the gable wall is a stepped platform arranged with Mother worship statues. The Ancestor House has 7 bays and 2 side wings with closed gable walls and armchairs with pillar symbols; the wooden trusses are intricately decorated with dragon transformations, leaf-inlaid seals…  The pagoda also preserves a number of valuable relics: a carved curtain with dragons flanking, dragons curling in water, four sacred creatures, and eight treasures from the 19th century; a large bronze bell “Dien Phuc Tu Chung”, the bell has a beautiful shape, its handle formed by a pair of dragons with their backs touching; it records the bell-casting year in the second year of the Hoang trieu Minh Menh reign (1821), affirming that Dien Phuc Pagoda was located at the former Dong Thai Duong Hamlet, Hoa Lam Commune, Dong Ngan District; 1 stone stele "Ky Ky Bi Ky" recording the establishment of a memorial offering in the 6th year of Thieu Tri (1846). The pagoda currently retains 26 ancient statues from the Le Trung Hung and Nguyen periods. Among these, the most representative are the Three Worlds statues and the Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin. The Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin statue is large (1.60 m high, 30 cm base, 92 cm wide and long) and is depicted seated in meditation on a lotus throne. The statue's head wears a lotus-petal-shaped crown, and at the front of the crown rim is "two dragons flanking the moon". The statue has 42 arms in different poses: the two lower hands rest on the lap in the samadhi mudra, the upper left hand is drawn to the chest in the chunda mudra; 38 arms extend from the sides to form a halo. The arms are slender and rounded, and the hands are shown in various mudras and hold different types of treasures. The statue has a slightly flat face, close to everyday appearance; a round neck with three lines, large thick ears flowing down to the shoulders, and half-closed eyes looking down; rounded shoulders, a two-layer robe tied in knots at the front, and the lower tail placed on the lap, forming soft curves.