Thường Xuyên Pagoda

Thường Xuyên Pagoda, Thường Xuyên village, Đại Xuyên commune, Hanoi city, is a city-level historical and artistic relic, ranked under Decision No. 343/QĐ-UBND dated January 17, 2018, of the Hanoi City People's Committee. It is a traditional Buddhist religious work of the local community, a place of Buddhist worship that meets the people's religious and spiritual needs and is tied to the cultural life and the formation and development of Thường Xuyên village. The pagoda is where Buddhist rituals are practiced, traditional religious activities and community cultural activities are organized, and it has value in history, culture, architecture, art, and the religious life of local people.

Amid the traditional rural space of the Phú Xuyên area, Hanoi, Thường Xuyên Pagoda, whose literary name is Quỳnh Lâm Tự, is a site rich in Buddhist cultural imprints and the religious life of the local community. The pagoda is located in Đại Xuyên commune and has been associated with Thượng Xuyên village for many generations.

According to Hanoi city's relic list, Thượng Xuyên Pagoda (Quỳnh Lâm Tự) belongs to Đại Xuyên commune, Phú Xuyên district, and was ranked as a relic in 2008 under Decision No. 2005/QĐ-UBND dated July 3, 2008. Along with the pagoda, Thường Xuyên Communal House is also a relic recognized by the city under Decision No. 343/QĐ-UBND dated January 17, 2018. The spiritual cultural space of the rural village. The pagoda is an important part of the spiritual life of the people of Thượng Xuyên in particular and Đại Xuyên commune in general. Over time, village pagodas in the Northern Delta have not only been places of religious practice but also spaces for community cultural activities, where people come to pray for peace, seek goodness, and preserve traditional customs. In the rural space, the pagoda bell, tiled roofs, pagoda yard, and rows of ancient trees create a serene scene that contrasts with the increasingly bustling life outside. That very simplicity gives village pagodas in the Phú Xuyên area their distinctive character.

Thượng Xuyên Pagoda therefore not only has religious significance but also helps preserve community memory and connect generations of villagers. The value of the relic in local life. The inclusion of Thường Xuyên Pagoda in the list of relics ranked by Hanoi city shows that the pagoda has a certain value in the local cultural heritage system. In the same area of Đại Xuyên commune there are many other relics such as Thượng Xuyên Communal House, Thái Lai Communal House and Pagoda, Kiều Đông Communal House and Pagoda, Cổ Trai Pagoda, etc. These relics form a system of distinctive village cultural spaces in the Phú Xuyên area. Each communal house and pagoda carries its own stories and values, but together they reflect the spiritual life, beliefs, and community traditions of the people of the Northern Delta.

In particular, the Đại Xuyên area is also associated with historical marks of Phú Xuyên. According to the Vietnam National Museum of History, on April 28, 2004, Đại Xuyên commune was awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State for its contributions during the resistance period. The pagoda in the memory of Thường Xuyên people. For local people, the value of a pagoda lies not only in its architecture or historical records. The pagoda is also a place that preserves the memories of many generations. On holidays, Tet, full moon and first day of the lunar month, or important village events, people return to the Buddhist gate. Older people come to the pagoda with the intention of preserving tradition; young people learn about their homeland; and those who are far from home, when they return, find in the pagoda roof a familiar image of their native place.

That bond helps the relic not become a work standing apart from the community but continue to live in the cultural life of the people. Preserving heritage for future generations. In the process of urbanization and socio-economic development, preserving historical and cultural relics in Hanoi's rural villages is increasingly meaningful. Thượng Xuyên Pagoda and the communal houses and pagodas in Đại Xuyên are traces that help today's generation better understand the history of formation and spiritual life of their homeland. Preserving relics is not only about keeping an architectural work. More importantly, it is also about preserving customs, rituals, folk stories, community memory, and the moral principle of looking back to one's roots. For the people of Thượng Xuyên, the pagoda roof is therefore not only a place of Buddhist worship but also a part of their homeland – a place connecting past and present and helping transmit good cultural values to future generations.

Thường Xuyên Pagoda (Quỳnh Lâm Tự) is a beautiful feature in the cultural picture of Đại Xuyên commune and the Phú Xuyên area, Hanoi. Despite many changes over time, the pagoda still carries meaning as a spiritual and cultural space and a memory of the local community.

Amid the pace of modern life, village pagodas like Thường Xuyên Pagoda remind each person of the value of homeland, tradition, and spiritual life. Preserving the pagoda also contributes to preserving a part of the cultural memory of the land of Đại Xuyên in particular and the Đoài region – the Northern Delta in general.