Hau Ai Pagoda (Dai Y Tu)

HAU AI PAGODA (DAI Y TU)

Hau Ai Pagoda (in Hau Ai village, Son Dong commune, Hanoi) worships Buddha according to Mahayana Buddhism and was founded in the Later Le dynasty to meet the people's needs for belief and for education in compassion and goodness. Buddhism originated in India with Shakyamuni Buddha, who abandoned a royal life to practice and attain enlightenment to the truth, then spread teachings to save sentient beings from suffering. Through its introduction and development in Vietnam, Buddhism formed many Zen lineages and became a religion with profound influence on the spiritual life of the people. At Hau Ai Pagoda, religious activities take place regularly, especially on Buddhist holidays such as Buddha's Birthday, summer retreat entry and exit ceremonies, year-end ceremonies, etc., with rituals of bathing the Buddha, sutra chanting, offerings of vegetarian food, prayers for peace, and prayers for blessings. These activities not only express reverence for the Buddha but also help connect the community and preserve local traditional cultural values.

The pagoda has a “Dinh”-shaped architecture, including main components such as the three-entrance gate, front hall, upper sanctuary, Mother House and guest house, harmoniously arranged in traditional architectural style. The newly built three-entrance gate has a three-passage overlapping-eave style, decorated with dragons and Chinese characters; from there, entering a Bat Trang brick-paved courtyard are the front hall and upper sanctuary with traditional wooden structure, tiled roofs, and trusses carved in Nguyen dynasty style. The worship space is arranged with a rich system of Buddha statues such as the Three Worlds, Amitabha, Guanyin, newborn Shakyamuni, Jade Emperor, Nam Tao – Bac Dau, along with many other altars. The Mother House and guest house are also built in traditional architecture, serving religious activities and receiving guests, contributing to a pagoda complex with distinctive historical, artistic and spiritual values.

Hau Ai Pagoda was ranked as a historical and architectural artistic relic by the Hanoi People's Committee in 2013.