DUYEN TRUONG PAGODA (DAI MINH TU)

Duyen Truong Pagoda, whose literary name is Dai Minh Tu, is located in Duyen Truong Hamlet, Hong Van Commune, Hanoi City. Before the administrative unit rearrangement from July 1, 2025, the relic belonged to Duyen Thai Commune, Thuong Tin District, Hanoi City. This is one of the ancient pagodas with historical, architectural-artistic and Buddhist belief values in the area. Duyen Truong Pagoda together with Duyen Truong Communal House has created an important cultural-belief space for the local community. The relic was ranked as an architectural and artistic relic in 1988 under Decision No. 268-QD/UB dated October 3, 1988 of the Hanoi City People's Committee.

History of formation and development

Dai Minh Tu is a pagoda with a long history. According to field survey documents and stele research, the pagoda may have been formed around the end of the Ho dynasty and the beginning of the Ming occupation. On the ancient bell of the pagoda, it is recorded that in the two former communes of Duyen Truong and Ha Thai there was a pagoda named Dai Minh; researchers have explained the content to the effect that the pagoda may have existed since the end of the Ho dynasty. This is valuable material; however, when introducing the history of the relic, wording such as 'may' or 'according to local documents and legends' should be used, because the exact founding date of the pagoda has not been firmly determined.

Over many centuries, the pagoda has been restored and embellished many times. One of the particularly important milestones in the history of the relic was the major renovation at the end of the 17th century, recorded fairly fully on the Hau Phat stele of Dai Minh Pagoda, erected in the 15th year of Chinh Hoa (1694). The stele was composed by Dinh Nguyen Tham Hoa Vu Thanh, a famous scholar of the Le Trung Hung period. This is an especially valuable Sino-Nom source that helps clarify the history of the pagoda as well as the belief traditions, customs and community life of the two communes of Duyen Truong and Ha Thai at that time.

Objects of worship and the Hau Phat tradition

Duyen Truong Pagoda is first of all a Buddhist worship site, where local people practice Buddhist beliefs, worship Buddha, pray for peace, orient toward goodness and organize traditional spiritual activities. The pagoda's system of worship statues remains quite rich, including 26 statues created over many periods, of which 14 are identified as dating from the 17th century and the rest from the Nguyen dynasty. This shows that the pagoda has a long-standing worship system and also reflects the continuous development of Buddhism and traditional statue-making art in the locality.

The special point that creates the historical value of Dai Minh Tu is the tradition of Hau Phat worship. According to the 1694 stele inscription, during the restoration of the pagoda, the communities of the two communes Duyen Truong and Ha Thai recorded the merits of those who made great contributions to building, restoring and maintaining the pagoda's activities, and established a long-term worship custom.

The first person mentioned in the stele inscription is Mrs. Tran Thi De, whose title was Dieu De, a native of the locality. According to the inscription, she was beautiful, was selected into the palace and was favored by the king. In her old age, she developed a Buddhist intention, practiced compassion and performed many meritorious deeds. Realizing that Dai Minh Tu was an ancient pagoda of the two communes Duyen Truong and Ha Thai but had deteriorated over a long time, she spent her money to restore the pagoda.

The restoration work was carried out on a large scale: building the front hall, repairing the incense-burning house, the upper hall, the rear hall and many other items; she also contributed money to cast a great bell. The stele inscription describes the restoration as making the pagoda look more spacious and complete. Not only did she contribute money, she also donated fields to serve future incense offerings and rituals.

After she passed away, the people of the two communes Duyen Truong and Ha Thai recognized her merits and honored her as the Hau Phat of Dai Minh Pagoda. Her death anniversary is clearly recorded on the stele as the 28th day of the 7th lunar month. The inscription also stipulated that the two communes would annually worship and prepare offerings on festival occasions and on her birthday. This shows that the Hau Phat worship custom at Dai Minh Tu was not merely a commemoration of an individual but became a belief institution established and maintained by the two village communities.

The Hau Phat stele also records another figure, Nguyen Thi Cam, whose title was Dieu Thuan, honored as Ngoc Thinh Kim Cang Bodhisattva. She was also honored by the two communes as a Hau Phat and a long-term worship custom was established for her at the pagoda. Her death anniversary is recorded as the 4th day of the 12th lunar month. Recording both Hau Phat figures in the inscription shows that the tradition of Dai Minh Tu not only emphasized practice and Buddha worship but also valued the moral principle of remembering the source when drinking water and expressing gratitude to those who contributed to the community.

Thus, it can be summarized that the objects of worship at Duyen Truong Pagoda include the Buddhist worship system as the center, along with a space and tradition of worshipping Hau Phat who contributed to the pagoda and community, typically Mrs. Tran Thi De, titled Dieu De, and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Cam, titled Dieu Thuan. This is a very valuable feature for introducing the relic, as it shows the interweaving of Buddhist beliefs and the tradition of gratitude for merits in Vietnamese village communities.

Architectural and artistic value

Duyen Truong Pagoda has architecture characteristic of traditional pagodas in the Northern Delta. The main structure is arranged in the Cong character plan, including main parts such as Tam Bao, front hall and rear sanctuary. Tam Bao consists of three bays, with a simple truss structure but bearing characteristics of traditional wooden architecture. The front hall area has trusses in the style of stacked beams above purlins, carved relatively elaborately.

The artistic value of the pagoda lies not only in its architecture but is also expressed through the system of worship statues and ancient artifacts. The pagoda currently preserves 26 statues, of which 14 date from the 17th century; there is also a bronze bell cast in the 15th year of Gia Long (1816), a stone stele of Dai Minh Tu under the Chinh Hoa 15th year (1694), and a number of ritual objects dating from the Nguyen dynasty. These artifacts form an important source for studying the pagoda's history, the art of Buddhist statue carving and the belief life of local residents over many periods.

In particular, the Dai Minh Tu stele of 1694 is an artifact of special value. Its content not only records the restoration of the pagoda but also reflects the community organization of the two communes Duyen Truong and Ha Thai, the customs of Hau Phat worship, death anniversaries, land used for incense offerings, and regulations related to maintaining worship activities. Through this, the stele becomes a 'living document' reflecting quite clearly the cultural and belief life and moral concepts of the local community in the 17th century.

Historical and cultural value

Duyen Truong Pagoda is a place where many layers of cultural value converge. First is the value of an ancient pagoda associated with the formation and development history of the Duyen Truong - Ha Thai community. The pagoda's history is inseparable from village history and closely tied to community changes over many centuries.

In addition, the Hau Phat worship tradition at Dai Minh Tu is vivid evidence of the moral principle of gratitude and remembrance of contributors in traditional society. Those who contributed money, land and labor to build and maintain the community's belief site were recognized and worshipped by the people for a long time. This is a beautiful feature in Vietnamese village cultural life, where Buddhist beliefs blend with community morality and the tradition of remembering the source.

The pagoda is also a space for people to practice Buddhist rituals and belief activities on the days of the new moon and full moon, Buddhist holidays and important occasions during the year. In modern life, the pagoda continues to be a place where people seek spiritual life, guiding people toward humane and compassionate values, doing good deeds and living toward goodness.

In addition to historical and belief values, the pagoda also has value in architecture, sculpture and Sino-Nom culture. The existence of ancient statues, bronze bells, stone steles and traditional architectural systems makes Dai Minh Tu an important source for research, conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values in Hong Van Commune.

Today, Duyen Truong Pagoda continues to hold an important position in the cultural and spiritual life of the people of Duyen Truong Hamlet. Together with Duyen Truong Communal House and other cultural institutions, the pagoda contributes to creating the traditional cultural space of the village and is also a place connecting the community in belief, humanitarian and charitable activities.

With a long history, valuable architectural and artifact systems, especially the Hau Phat stele of Chinh Hoa 15 (1694) and the tradition of worshipping contributors to the community, Duyen Truong Pagoda - Dai Minh Tu is a relic of typical value in history, culture, architecture-art and Buddhist belief, contributing to enriching the cultural heritage system of Hong Van Commune and Hanoi City.