Phu Luu Ha Pagoda

Welcome, dear visitors!

Welcome guests to Phu Luu Village, Hoa Xa Commune, to visit and pay homage to the historical and cultural relic Phu Luu Ha Pagoda in Phu Luu Village, Hoa Xa Commune.

Phu Luu Ha Pagoda, Phu Luu Village, Hoa Xa Commune, Hanoi City, is a city-level historical and cultural relic under Decision No. 1979/QD-UBND dated 14/11/2026 of the People's Committee of the former Ha Tay Province.

Phu Luu Village belongs to Hoa Xa Commune, Hanoi City. Located along the Day River, enriched by alluvial deposits, with fertile soil and abundant irrigation water, it is favorable for agricultural cultivation. According to some documents, as early as the first days of the Common Era, the land of Hoa Xa already had residents coming to live. In the Ngo Quyen period when independence was established (939-965), medium and large population clusters had formed here. Under King Ly Thai To, although newly enthroned, he reorganized administrative areas in the country, changing the 10 dao of the Dinh - early Le period into Lo and Phu (there were 24 phu and lo nationwide). Based on Nguyen Trai's Du Dia Chi in the 15th century and the Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi in the 19th century, this land then belonged to Ung Thien Lo, including Thang Long capital and part of southern Hanoi, which is now Ha Tay land. Through subsequent feudal dynasties, the village community continued to develop and stabilize.

By the Nguyen dynasty in the 19th century, Phu Luu (also called Ke Dau) belonged to Hoai An District, Ung Thien Prefecture, Son Nam Thuong Region; in the early 20th century under King Khai Dinh (1916-1925) it belonged to Ha Dong Province. In November 1948, Phu Luu Commune merged with Nguyen Hue Commune to form Luu Nguyen Commune consisting of 06 villages: Phu Luu Thuong, Phu Luu Ha, Noi Luu, Cap Hoang, Ngoai Hoang, Thanh Bo. In early 1956, Luu Nguyen Commune was split into 02 communes: Luu Hoang and Luu Nguyen. By 1970 it returned to its old name Phu Luu. On 01/7/2025, Phu Luu merged together with Hoa Phu, Thai Hoa and Binh Luu Quang Communes to form Hoa Xa Commune.

From 01/7/2026, Phu Luu Village was established on the basis of rearranging the entire natural area and household scale and population of the 02 villages Phu Luu Thuong and Phu Luu Ha. After establishment, Phu Luu Village has an area of 4.69 km2 and a household scale and population of 1,712 households and 5,984 people. Phu Luu Village borders Dang Giang Village to the North; Luu Hoang Village to the South; Ung Hoa Commune to the East; and the Day River to the West.

From Ha Dong, follow National Highway 6 to Ba La intersection, turn left onto Road 21B, pass Binh Da, Kim Bai, Van Dinh to the Hoa Xa dike head junction, turn left and continue 06 km to Phu Luu Village. The relic is located next to a large lake. The route is convenient for all means of road transport.

Like many other pagodas, Phu Luu Ha Pagoda was built to meet the Buddhist worship needs of the people of Phu Luu.

Buddhism appeared in the former Ha Tay very early. In particular, the Thanh Mai - Thanh Oai bell bears a date from before the 10th century. This is also the earliest-dated pagoda bell found in the country so far. Besides that, mention must be made of the Huong Lu altar in Chuong My - about 2,500 years from today (according to the Huong Pagoda Special Issue, Spring of At Dau). Having received Buddhist influence very early and gone through many ups and downs, to date most pagodas in the former Ha Tay follow the Northern School (Mahayana). The Mahayana school advocates self-awakening and awakening others, self-liberation and liberating others, that is, if one has become enlightened, one must enlighten others. People can attain enlightenment to Nirvana not only by self-power but also by other-power. All Buddha-worshipping pagodas hold that people can become enlightened through the guidance of the Buddha, not only through their own efforts. The Buddhist worldview in the former Ha Tay generally is still expressed in Four Noble Truths, briefly called the Liberation Doctrine, aiming at the ultimate goal of liberation, of attaining Nirvana. Saving from suffering and liberation - that is also the content and purpose of the Buddhist worldview.

Whether it appeared early or late, Phu Luu Ha Pagoda has been and remains a place for educating people in humanity and righteousness. It is also a place to introduce and promote the tradition of creative labor of the ancestors to present and future generations.

Phu Luu Ha Pagoda is a traditional Buddhist architecture, worshipping Buddha according to Mahayana, so it belongs to the type of artistic architectural relic.

Phu Luu Ha Pagoda is located in an area with a fairly long historical depth. Like the communal house and temple, Phu Luu Ha Pagoda lies in an area built early in the overall planning and traditional architecture of an ancient Vietnamese village. The current layout of Phu Luu Ha Pagoda includes items such as: Tien Duong (front hall), Tam Bao (Three Jewels Hall), To House (Ancestor House), Mau House (Mother Goddess House), and other auxiliary works.

The main pagoda has a Dinh-shaped structure with the Tien Duong (front hall) and Thuong Dien (upper hall). The Tien Duong consists of 5 horizontal bays corresponding to 6 roof truss sets. The front of the relic opens with a system of folding doors, airy and convenient for people and visitors to worship Buddha. The pagoda courtyard has small beds planted with many ornamental plants and old trees, creating a secluded and solemn space. The roof ridge is built with a ridge crest; at both ends of the roof ridge are two dau dinh, and the end of the ridge is built with stepped tiers. The art of wooden carving is concentrated in the Tien Duong with a system of main columns, subordinate columns, side beams, and side purlins carved with cloud and flipped-leaf motifs. The carving art on the purlins bears the early Nguyen style (around the reign of King Nguyen Tu Duc, 1847-1884). The flipped-leaf motif is rendered softly and flexibly, interwoven with cloud motifs shaped by ancient artisans at the end of each purlin and resting on lotus-petal-shaped corbels. All roof truss sets in the relic are made in a similar form: chong ruong gia chieng. The relic still preserves artifacts such as a pagoda bell and a stone stele clearly recording the restoration times during the 6th year of King Nguyen Thanh Thai and Nguyen Tu Duc. Early Nguyen imprints are still visible in the system of Buddha statues arranged in the Tam Bao hall and outside the Tien Duong. The Tam Bao hall is connected to the central bay of the Tien Duong to form a pestle shape. This is the main place where the Buddha statue system in the relic is concentrated. In the central bay of the Tien Duong, a horizontal plaque lacquered in red and gilded is hung; below is a y-mon divided into 3 parts, carved with chrysanthemums and plum blossoms; on both sides of the main columns hang a pair of Chinese-character couplets.

1. At the highest position: is the Tam The (Three Ages) statue. The statues are made in a yin-yang sitting posture on a three-tiered lotus throne with large upturned lotus petals. The nose is slightly pointed; below is a hexagonal pedestal divided into 3 parts, the upper part is the pedestal with edges having raised borders running along the pedestal rim, below is the pedestal body, and the final part flares gradually with lines running along the edges. The statues' hands form the meditation mudra placed palms-up on the lap. The skull is broad, the face full and balanced, and the ushnisha is clearly raised on top of the head. The face is stylized according to traditional principles: eyes half-closed looking down, straight nose bridge, mouth with a faint smile of salvation. The hair is coiled in strands with small bead-like curls. The robe has 2 layers, the inner layer tied in a knot before the abdomen. The neck has three folds, and the ears are long and pendulous.

2. Second tier: is the Amitabha statue. This is a relatively large statue in the pagoda. The Amitabha statue has a high fleshy protuberance, with the ushnisha in the center of the top shown in spiral form. The face is round and full, the chin pendulous, and the earlobes large and long. The statue sits in a yin-yang posture on a lotus throne with the right foot exposed on the left thigh; both hands form the meditation mudra placed palms-up on the lap. The robe has three layers falling softly before the chest, with a clearly raised swastika motif. The statue's lotus pedestal consists of two layers of upturned petals; the lotus petals are large and thick, slightly pointed, with vertical lines above like the stamens of a blooming lotus. The statue also sits on a hexagonal pedestal like the three Tam The statues above.

3. The third statue tier is: Avalokitesvara with a Thousand Hands and a Thousand Eyes is depicted in a lotus sitting posture on a fully bloomed lotus pedestal. The entire statue and lotus pedestal are placed on a square pedestal whose surface is carved with water-wave motifs. The statue has a tall figure, broad chest, and slender waist, with pairs of hands arranged symmetrically on both sides. The main pair of hands forms the lotus mudra in front of the chest, another pair forms a mudra placed palms-up on the lap, and other hands radiate evenly to both sides in various mudras. The hair is coiled upward; outside, a heavenly crown has two ribbons hanging down the back. On both sides of the temples, two three-parted hair strands fall to the shoulders. The ears are long and pendulous, wearing ring-shaped ornaments. The statue's robe has two layers, clinging closely to the body. The pedestal is a fully bloomed lotus with 5 layers of single petals following the sitting posture. The lotus petals are richly double-carved.

4. Next below is the statue of Guanyin seated beside a lotus pedestal, her head wears a hat with a fully blooming chrysanthemum carved on the front; the statue's robe hangs down loosely, with folded drapery; her left hand holds a vase of nectar, and her right hand holds a blooming lotus. Perhaps formerly the blooming lotus image was actually a willow branch. On either side of the Guanyin of Nectar statue are two close attendants in a standing posture, their hands in a yin-yang mudra, wearing official-style hats, with robes hanging loosely along the body.

5. The fifth statue layer is the Jade Emperor seated on a two-tier pedestal, wearing a bình thiên hat, with a fireball inlaid on the front of the hat; the statue's two hands hold a command tablet, and the robe is carved with many dragons soaring in the clouds.

6. Next is the wooden Nine Dragons, carved in a vaulted arch style; within the vault are swirling cloud layers with nine small dragons whose heads spray water to bathe the newborn Shakyamuni; around are deities playing celestial music to celebrate the birth of Shakyamuni. The newborn Shakyamuni stands on a lotus throne, bare-chested, wearing a skirt, right hand pointing to heaven, left hand pointing to earth. According to Buddhist legend, the newborn Shakyamuni statue has the right hand pointing to earth and the left hand pointing to heaven; he walked seven steps on the lotus platform and said: 'Above heaven and below earth, I alone am honored,' meaning in heaven and on earth only I am noble.

7. At the lowest part of the Three Jewels hall are placed the statue of the Earth God and the statue of Giám Trai, the Earth God statue is carved seated on a pedestal, with a red face, long beard, wearing a hat, dressed in court robes inlaid with clouds and dragons, and wearing boots. According to Buddhist legend, the Earth God is the one who governs the land within the temple grounds. The Giám Trai statue is seated on a pedestal, one hand raised palm-up and the other laid along the leg. According to Buddhist legend, Giám Trai governs the offerings made by monks and Buddhist followers.

8. On the two sides of the Upper Hall is where the two statue sets of Đức Ông and the Holy Sage are located made with similar dimensions. Đức Ông is depicted in the form of a civil mandarin, wearing a winged official's hat, with a red face and long beard. Đức Ông was a wealthy elder who used his wealth to help the poor; he heard the Buddha preach and became enlightened, after which Shakyamuni assigned him to govern all temple grounds in the world. Therefore his altar is usually placed on the left. Every pilgrim coming to worship the Buddha must first ask his permission. The Holy Monk statue sits on the right, depicted as a monk wearing a Vairocana Seven-Buddha hat, left hand holding a bowl of nectar, right hand in the gesture of preaching for salvation.

9. Outside the Front Hall are placed statues of the two Dharma Protectors: Khuyến Thiện on the left, Trừng Ác on the right. The Khuyến Thiện and Trừng Ác statues have the image of huge martial generals seated on lions, wearing golden helmets, clad in armor of endurance to resist desire, and wearing cloud boots. The Khuyến Thiện statue has a pink face with a gentle expression and holds a bright pearl in his hand.

The Trừng Ác statue has a red face, long beard, and fierce expression, holding a ritual weapon.

II. ARTIFACTS PRESENT IN THE RELIC SITE

In addition to architectural and artistic values, through its existence over time, Phù Lưu Hạ Pagoda has preserved a number of valuable artifacts such as:

- 01 bronze bell 100 cm high, mouth diameter 47 cm, dating to the sixth year of Thành Thái; on the bell body are engraved the names of some local people who contributed to the restoration of the relic. This is a valuable source of documentation.

- 01 stone stele made in the 29th year of Tự Đức (1876), recording the establishment of endowments and the initiation of restoration at the pagoda.

- 01 wooden horizontal plaque

- 01 wooden openwork ceremonial screen, lacquered red and gilded.

- 01 Thổ Hà ceramic incense bowl from the Nguyễn dynasty

- 01 Nguyễn ceramic incense bowl (Đức Ông altar)

- 01 pair of wooden couplets

- along with many Buddha statues made of wood.

Every year at the pagoda, on major festivals such as Buddha's Birthday, entering the summer retreat, leaving the summer retreat, Ullambana, the death anniversary of the pagoda's founding monk, the death anniversary of Đức Thánh, the death anniversary of the Mother Goddess, etc., the pagoda usually organizes traditional religious and belief rituals. Villagers and pilgrims from all places freely come to the pagoda to worship the Buddha and make offerings according to their hearts as well as make charitable donations. Before the Buddha's door everyone is equal. The people are very conscious of preserving the purity and true values of the pagoda.

Phù Lưu Hạ Pagoda, existing to this day, has inherently carried a certain length of history. The remaining artifacts such as the stone stele, the pagoda bell, and the system of worship statues have confirmed the age of the relic at around 100 years. Through the vicissitudes of time, some artifacts of the relic have been lost and others damaged. Nevertheless, the pagoda has still retained a fairly large scale and the outstanding value of a traditional Buddhist architecture. In addition to natural values, the beauty of the statues is enhanced by their arrangement in the unified common space of the traditional pagoda. With high, dry terrain, the quiet pagoda, appearing and disappearing among the canopy of trees and leaves, and the picturesque landscape of mountains and water seem to urge visitors' footsteps to come sightseeing and pilgrimage. As a religious belief institution, but during the two great resistance wars of the nation, Phù Lưu Hạ Pagoda also contributed greatly together with the people of Phù Lưu village in the struggle against the enemy. The pagoda was a place to shelter and hide cadres and wounded soldiers. In particular, the building and consolidation of government also took place at the pagoda. With those great contributions, together with the communal house, Phù Lưu Hạ Pagoda made no small contribution to the resistance war against the invading French colonialists.

We respectfully invite you to come to worship, light a stick of incense in homage to the Buddha, and learn about the historical and cultural values of the city-level relic Phù Lưu Hạ Pagoda, Phù Lưu village, Hòa Xá commune, Hà Nội city - a place where historical, cultural, and spiritual values converge, preserving the precious imprints of the homeland through many generations./.