Chùa Vàng 5 1/2 km from our hotel, no fee charged and it is one of the most unique pagodas in Vietnam. It's brand new. From our boat ride at Tam Coc we took a Grab taxi to this place. The driver did not know it by name, we showed him our phone map and he dropped us. He said this is not the name we are saying but we were glad we reached where we wanted to.
The Golden Pagoda prominently emerging amidst the Whale Lake to the West of Ninh Binh City. It is built on a small island named “Chua Vang” (meaning “Golden Pagoda’’) with an area of about 28 hectares. complex consisting of three small pagodas surrounded by a thousand trees. It can be said that the architecture of the Golden Pagoda was modeled after the ancient architecture of Bat Long Pagoda, built by King Le Dai Hanh over 1000 years ago
STUNNING SCENERY ALL AROUND
AMAZING WORKMANSHIP... Gold leaf in arches, mother of pearl in vases pedestal
INTRICATE CARVING , GOLD LEAF EMBOSSED
Nobody around... so exclusive, all this beauty just for us
Terrific ceramics as usual...
Stone tortoise plaque...
Such a scenic location...
We were so happy we had visited this hidden gem!
Took a Grab taxi to Bai Dinh Pagoda
Bai Dinh Pagoda
Bai Dinh Pagoda Ninh Binh complex consists of an ancient pagoda and a newly constructed, larger pagoda. The pagoda is a major spot for Buddhist pilgrims. It is Southeast Asia’s largest Buddhist complex, consists of several temples and over 500 intricately carved statues of Buddha, including some giant ones.
the old Bai Dinh Pagoda on the western side of Dinh Mountain. The pagoda was built in the Dinh Dynasty. The original pagoda is located approximately 800 meters away from the new one in the foothills. The walkway stretches more than 300 stone steps before passing beneath an elaborate gate to reach the entrance. The actual pagoda is nestled in many tiny caves on the slope
Bai
means worship, prostrate, Dinh is the top of the mountain.
Bai Dinh means the place where the worshipping at the top
of a high mountain
TICKETING
There are many types of tickets:
Ticket 100k: tram takes us to the the
entrance to the pagoda . After that, we can walk around inside as
much as we want, then go to the parking lot near the
entrance and get on the electric car, which will take us back. They do advertise that the pagoda is free but everybody has to take the 100K tram from the entrance to the Pagoda .[ the electric car stops at 8PM, so no point delaying inside]. We bought this ticket [later wondered we should have got the 300K, we must have walked some 6kms but the 300K buggy goes pavilion to pavilion and we would have missed out on beautiful gardens, detailed statues, relief work on walls, information signs, shady tree-lined avenues, etc. ]
150k ticket: same as 100k ticket, +
visit the stupa Bao Thap Tower (If we change our mind about
climbing , pay 60k at the tower to go up). [unfortunately we did not have time for this]
300k dong is the price of a ticket for
1 adult on an electric car that will take you to all the attractions
inside
Basically it is a walk of one and
half kilometres or so inside to go from 1 pavilion to another but there is so much to enjoy on the route if we walk .
Another issue is the pagoda is open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
but the electric car stops at 8PM . We were worried about this
8:00 PM deadline because it is a huge complex and we savour each
pagoda looking at all the wonderful craftsmanship. We didn't want to
get delayed and walk the extra 3KM as well . So we were conscious
about the time we were spending at each building .
It was pretty humid but all the
buildings had huge mammoth fans which mitigated it a little bit
INTERNAL GATES
The gate itself is made of wood, 16.5 metres tall, 32 metres long and 13.5 metres wide. Within the gate building are two large bronze statues each 5.5 metres tall, 30 ton weight...Lokapalas/Guardians
The entrance leads to cloistered walkways past 500 stone arhats (enlightened Buddhists) lining the route to the main triple-roofed Phap Chu Pagoda. This contains a 10m, 100-tonne bronze Buddha, flanked by two more gilded Buddha figures. Steps behind lead to a viewpoint, a 13-storey pagoda and a giant Buddha.
The compound's central area features more temples, including one showcasing a 36-tonne bell, the largest in Vietnam. Most structures use natural materials, and the complex's impressive bronzework, lacquerwork and stone-carving was crafted by local artisans.
The longest Arhat corridor in Asia
The longest corridor 3km in Asia that contains 500 Arhat Statues on both sides.
Arhat corridor, designed entirely of wood with the amount of about 3,500m3 of round wood. Along the left and right corridors, there are 500 Arhat statues, each about 2.5m high and weighing about 4 tons, made of stone, crafted by artisans of Ninh Van stone village (Hoa Lu). Therefore, the corridor is also called Arhat Duong/road.
It consists of two rows, each row 117 compartments, 1700m/3km long. set a record as the longest arhat corridor in Asia. Each statue has a unique facial expression and posture that conveys philosophical ideas about human emotions.
The reason the knees and hands of the statues had become ‘black and shiny’ was because Vietnamese pilgrims touched them to get blessings, even though they were not supposed to!
Niches with Sakyamuni Buddha
The New Bai Dinh Pagoda (extended part) is about 800 metres away from the old pagoda, covers a total area of 7 million square metres and achieves these records in The Guinness Book of Vietnamese Records
the pagoda holds nine records, including:
The largest gilded bronze Buddha in Asia
The largest bronze Maitreya Buddha statue in Southeast Asia
The largest bronze bell in Vietnam
The tallest stupa in Asia
The largest pagoda complex in Vietnam
The longest Arhat corridor in Asia
The largest number of Arhat statues in Vietnam
The largest Pearl Well in Vietnam
The largest number of Bodhi trees in Vietnam
Bell Tower
We were at the Bell tower next. An octagon-shaped tower with three storeys of varying sizes. The base has a diameter of 17 meters. The tower is 18,25 meters tall and supported by a platform in the shape of a lotus. Inside is a bronze bell weighing 36 tons.
View from up the bell tower
Arhat corridor again
The Hall of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara:
This seven-compartment ironwood construction is 14.8 meters tall, 40.4 meters long, and 16.8 meters wide.
Amazing banyan tree with roots shooting down from branches
80-ton bronze figure of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
Inside is an 80-ton bronze figure of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara with many faces and hands adorned with gold.
Bell..
Niches with Buddhas
We walked on to the next pavilion.
Buddha Sakyamuni Hall
Golf carts are waiting for 300K ticket holders who just drive from pavilion to pavilion saving energy but missing out on sights
The centre piece of the Buddha Sakyamuni Hall is the 9.5 metre statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha. weighing around 100 tons, it’s the largest bronze statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Asia.
To either side of the Sakyamuni Buddha are two bronze statues each 7 metres tall representing the two closest disciples of the Sakyamuni Buddha, Ananda and Mahacaspa.
Also notable are the 1616 niches in the walls of this hall. Each niche contains a smaller statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha.
A crane standing on a tortoise is a powerful symbol in Buddhist cultures, representing longevity, good fortune, and stability. The crane, associated with immortality and blessings, and the tortoise, a symbol of unwavering stability and long life, combine to create a powerful emblem of enduring prosperity and harmony
Note the 1616 niches in the walls containing a small statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha
Niches. Bell and a modern fan to circulate air
SACRED BODHI TREE
TAM THE HALL/Three Periods hall
the largest structure here, has a height of 34 meters and a length of over 59 meters. The building materials consist of the local stones and timbers from Ninh Binh and the tiles from Bat Trang Village.
Bonsai that abounds in Vietnam
Three Periods Hall is dedicated to three eras: the past (Amitabha Buddha); the present (Sakyamuni Buddha); and the future Buddha (Maitreya Buddha).
There is a 7 metre tall bronze statue of each of the three positioned in a row. The facial features of the three statues are the same, each though is holding a different pose.
the past (Amitabha Buddha); the present (Sakyamuni Buddha); and the future Buddha (Maitreya Buddha).
Bao Thien Stupa is the most famous feature Bai Dinh Temple. This octagonal tower is 100 metres tall and from the top the views of the temple complex and the surrounding area are fantastic. We reluctantly missed it as it was getting dark and we did not want to miss the last electric car
WHAT WE MISSED... this view and the stupa interior seen below
the stupa at Bai Dinh Temple contains holy relics from India, Myanmar and Thailand including crystals which came from the cremation fire of the Lord Buddha. The relics are enshrined on the top floor of the stupa inside a room with a very ornate ceiling.
We retraced our way back and came to the electric car station. Got to the entrance. Called the same taxi who dropped us and went back to our hotel
we had skipped the old pagoda and the well also! The complex needs a full day to do some justice!
Trang An Pristine View
Our room was spacious, the view was fantastic
Cooked in their restaurant kitchen... corn and rice
