Ung Cu Pagoda (Vien Quang Tu)

Ung Cu Pagoda is now in Van Tu Hamlet, Chuyen My Commune, also called Vien Quang Tu, located on the slope of the Nhue River dike, strongly reflecting the architecture of a traditional Northern Vietnam village pagoda. The pagoda complex includes a water pavilion, the main pagoda, the Mother House, the Patriarch House, and stupa tombs, harmoniously arranged in a cool green space.

Most prominent is the water pavilion in the middle of a round lake, connected to the shore by a bridge, with a two-story, eight-roofed structure, tile roofs with curved shoe-shaped ridges, and a Guanyin statue at its center. The main pagoda consists of the Front Hall and the Upper Sanctuary, arranged in the shape of the character “Dinh,” with traditional tile roofs, the “two dragons flanking the sun” motif, and a wooden frame system carved with cloud and leaf patterns. The Front Hall worships guardian deities; the Upper Sanctuary houses many Buddha and Bodhisattva statues, such as the Buddhas of the Three Times, the Amitabha Trinity, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Cundi Guanyin.

The Mother House worships the Three Holy Mothers, the Five Noble Lords, Saint Tran, and Lady Thuong Ngan, reflecting the combination of Buddhism and folk beliefs. The Patriarch House is where the Patriarch Masters and monks who once served as abbots are worshipped; in the pagoda garden there is a three-story stupa tomb preserving the remains of monks.

With curved tile roofs, traditional wooden frames, a lake, greenery, and a peaceful landscape, Ung Cu Pagoda is a work of historical, cultural, artistic, and spiritual value, helping visitors learn more about Vietnamese village pagoda architecture. It was ranked as a city-level relic in 2013.