Duc Vien Pagoda

Initially, the pagoda was named Huong Vien (Huong Vien was the name of Huong Vien village), later changed to Phuong Vien (Fragrant Garden). During the French colonial period, the pagoda's name was changed to Duc Vien. This was originally a group of old hamlets belonging to Ta Nghiem canton, Tho Xuong district, Hoai Duc prefecture. During the French colonial period it was called Duc Vien. The pagoda's Sino-character name is "Hong Duc Tu" (Hong Duc Pagoda).
The pagoda was built during the Nguyen dynasty in the early 19th century. Records on the steles and bells still preserved at the relic show that the pagoda went through wars and was restored and rebuilt, from a simple ancient form to being embellished with statues and cast bells through donations from all directions during the years from the 19th to the 20th century. In 1947, the pagoda was burned by the French colonialists, and in 1950 it was rebuilt, with traces still preserved in the pagoda's architecture. The overall layout of the pagoda includes: the three-entrance gate, bell tower, main pagoda, ancestor hall, mother goddess hall, and guest house. The main pagoda is in the shape of the Chinese character "dinh" (丁), consisting of three bays of the Front Hall and three bays of the Upper Sanctuary built lengthwise, bearing the characteristics of Nguyen dynasty architecture. In particular, the pagoda still has splendid horizontal plaques, couplets, and scrolls lacquered and gilded. Opposite Duc Vien Pagoda was formerly the communal house of Phuong Vien village, dedicated to Chu Van An. This communal house was demolished during the French colonial period, and Chu Van An's memorial tablet and many ritual objects were moved by local people to the pagoda for worship. Thus, in addition to functioning as a Buddhist pagoda, Huong Vien Pagoda also functions as a place of worship for the village tutelary deity of Phuong Vien - Chu Van An.
Currently, Duc Vien Pagoda still preserves a collection of freestanding statues in the artistic style of the 19th-20th centuries, typically: the Amitabha statue, the Lord statue, the Saints and Sages statue, the Nine Dragon Throne of the Infant Shakyamuni, etc., and a system of statues in the Mother Goddess hall. The sets of horizontal plaques, couplets, ceremonial screens, and arched doors are very beautiful and intricate. Particularly valuable for research on the relic and the history of the area are six stone steles, three bronze bells created during the Nguyen dynasty, along with a set of dragon thrones and the memorial tablet worshipping the village tutelary deity Chu Van An; these are precious artifacts that have become a source of original material evidence of great value. This is an important and precious source of documentation preserved to this day. In 2003, Duc Vien Pagoda was recognized as a city-level architectural and artistic relic.