Situated within the immense arched mountain range of north-eastern Vietnam, Yen Tu Mountain in northern coastal Quang Ninh Province bears at its peak the Dong Pagoda: at an altitude of 1,068m above sea level. The beauty of Yen Tu consists in the majesty of its mountains mingling with the ancient and solemn quietness of its pagodas, shrines and towers. Yen Tu has been a centre of Buddhism for many centuries, and is the starting point of the Buddhist sect of Truc Lam. Travellers to Yen Tu Festival to stay away from the mundane and go on a religion pilgrimage in the midst of the mighty nature.
The history...
Under
the Ly Dynasty, Yen Tu held the Phu Van Pagoda, with Yen Ky Sinh as its
warden. But Yen Tu only really became a Buddhism centre when Emperor
Tran Nhan Tong surrendered his throne to establish a Buddhist sect
called Thien Truc Lam and became the first progenitor with the religious
name Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308). He ordered
building hundreds of constructions, large and small on Yen Tu Mountain
for leading a religious life, sermonizing. After his death, his
successor, Phap Loa Dong Kien Cuong (1284 - 1330) the second progenitor
of Thien Truc Lam, compiled a set of book “Thach that ngon ngu” and
ordered the building of 800 pagodas, shrines and towers with thousands
of value statues throughout 19 years of religious life. Some famous
pagodas are Quynh Lam, Ho Thien. There is the third progenitor of Thien
Truc Lam, Huyen Quang Ly Dao Tai (1254 - 1334), in the sermonizing
centre of Phap Loa.
Passing
through to the Le and Nguyen Dynasties, Yen Tu became the focal point
of Vietnamese Buddhism, and was often subject to restorations. It is a
meeting place of different styles from various historic periods: visible
in the many different designs and decorations that ornate its
constructions.
The
mountain scenery and beautiful pagodas and hermitages, inspired King
Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293, to pass
the throne to his son to lead the life of a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu.
There, he founded the Truc Lam medication sect, making Yen Tu the
country’s leading Buddhist center.
Yen Tu Festival
commences annually on the 10th day of the first lunar month and lasts
for three months. Tens of thousands of pilgrims begin their journey to
the uppermost shrine after a solemn ritual held at the base of Yen Tu Mountain.
During
the festival, the people near and far flock to Yen Tu which was
regarded as the Buddhist land to show their belief and aspiration or to
get rid of all sorrows and sadness. Other go to Yen Tu to do sightseeing
and to enjoy the pure atmosphere of a mountain region. Foreign visitors
come to Yen Tu to witness a famous beauty spot, a mysterious tourist
attraction. Many cultural and historical values are carefully preserved
in Yen Tu, where is also home to a rare ecosystem in Vietnam.
In
the wide ensemble of vestiges in Yen Tu, there are 11 pagodas and
hundreds of shrines and towers. One form of entertainment is to climb
the peak to where the Dong Pagoda was built (1,068m above the sea). On
the way, you will see pagodas, a tower, a stream and a forest. At the
top, after having burned joss-sticks, you seem to be lost in nature
somewhere between the sky and the earth. When clear, you can perceive
almost all of the northeast area from here.
The route of the pilgrimage from
the foot of the mountain to the pagoda is nearly 30 km. The highest
point of Yen Tu is Dong Pagoda, which is located 1,068 m above sea
level. You can get to Hoa Yen Pagoda at the altitude of 534m by the
cable car system recently put into operation and will see on this peak
two 700-year-old frangipane trees. From there, you will continue walking
up stairs to pagodas of minor note lined up along the path leading to
Dong Pagoda. There you will feel like walking on clouds. If the weather
is agreeable, from this summit you can admire the dramatic landscape of
the northeast of Vietnam.
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