NINH XÁ PAGODA

Ninh Xá Pagoda, whose literary name is Phổ Minh Tự, is located in Ninh Xá village, Hồng Vân commune, Hà Nội city; it previously belonged to Ninh Sở commune, Thường Tín district. The pagoda is part of the Ninh Xá communal house, temple, and pagoda relic complex, closely associated with the history of formation and the cultural and religious life of the local people. The relic complex was ranked as a national-level architectural and artistic relic in 1993.

The pagoda is a place of Buddhist worship and is also associated with the worship of the two Bodhisattvas Lý Từ Thục and Lý Từ Huy, two princesses who were daughters of King Lý Thánh Tông. According to legend, the two women devoted themselves to Buddhism, practiced, and passed into nirvana in the border area of Đông Phù – Ninh Xá in 1095. Local people established a place of worship and venerated them as Bodhisattvas who had merits toward the community. Phổ Quang Pagoda (Ninh Xá Pagoda) is also one of the pagodas participating in the religious space of the Tổng Nam Phù Festival, held annually to commemorate the two Bodhisattvas.

In terms of architecture, the pagoda bears the characteristics of traditional Buddhist architecture in the Northern Delta region. The three-entrance gate was built in 1939 on a large scale, more than 10m high, with two stories and eight roofs; the front is decorated with dragon motifs and Sanskrit characters. The front hall consists of five bays and two wings, with a wooden structure using stacked-beam trusses, a system of panel doors, and many lacquered and gilded horizontal plaques and couplets. The system of Buddha statues in the pagoda is quite rich, notably the Three Times, Amitabha, and Tuyết Sơn statues, and especially the elaborately carved Nine-Dragon throne, which creates distinctive artistic value for the relic.

Ninh Xá Pagoda is not only a place for Buddhist activities but also an important cultural and religious space for the community, associated with the story of the two princesses of the Lý dynasty and the traditional festival of the Tổng Nam Phù region. With its long history and values in architecture, art, religion, and belief, the pagoda contributes to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identity of Ninh Xá village and Hồng Vân commune.