Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh: Things You Need to Know

Bich Dong Pagoda, located in Ninh Hải, Hoa Lư District, is a famous historical and cultural relic in Ninh Binh Province of Vietnam. Distance Bich Dong Pagoda to/from Hanoi is just about 100km. Its unique characteristic is the perfect combination of ancient pagodas with cross-covered roofs, natural caves and majestic mountains, and so on, hidden in the green of tropical forests. Bich Dong Pagoda is definitely worth-visiting when you come to Ninh Binh.

Location: Ninh Hải, Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình
Opening Hours: From 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM Everyday
Dress Code: Decent Cloths to cover your shoulders & knees
Entrance Fee: Free of Charge

History of Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh:

Bich Dong Pagoda was first built in 1428 under the reign of King Ly Thai To on the Truong Yen limestone mountains range, Hoa Lu District. In 1705, 2 Buddhist monks, called Tri Kien and Tri The, came here and discovered this cave with a pagoda hidden by dense and strong vine and plants. Then they rebuilt it with 3-layers pagoda. “Chua” in Vietnamese means Pagoda or Buddhist Temple. Bích means Emerald, Động means Grotto. Bich Dong literally means “Emerald Green Grotto”. The ancients named it because the pagoda was surrounded by green trees and the scenery was really peaceful.

Bich Dong Pagoda Ninh Binh

In 1774, Lord Trinh Sam visited the pagoda, looking at the panorama of mountains, caves, rivers, fields, trees all green, the pagoda seemed to converge on the green background of the pagoda, so he named the pagoda Bich Dong. Bich Dong Pagoda is an ancient architectural work, so like other temples built of ironwood, the roof is tiled with no knots, the nose is rounded, the corners of the roof are curved as shown in the picture. The blade, or the shape of the tail of a phoenix, makes the roof undulating, flexible like a tidal wave, looking like a spectacular dragon boat floating on water or like two birds spreading out in flight. .

Architecture of Bich Dong Budhhist Temple:

Bich Dong Pagoda is a typical sample of traditional construction style, made from wood and stone with brick tiled roofs. But what makes it unique is 3 separate layered structures: Chua Thuong (Upper Pagoda), Chua Trung (Middle Pagoda), and Chua Ha (Lower Pagoda). These 3 pagodas are built in ascending order and to reach them you must climb some steep staircases. On arrival at the site, you will see a small gate by a gigantic mountain. Crossing a stone bridge over a lotus flower pond, you go through a beautifully decorated gate and follow a small footpath to explore the whole pagoda.

Chua Thuong – Upper Pagoda:

Chua Thuong, or Thuong Pagoda, is on the top of the mountain. It has two small temples – the left one for the local earth god and the right one for the mountain god. To get there, visitors must climb up 40 stone steps along the mountain side, through Dark Cave where you can find the image of fairy, Buddha, little boys, flying dragon, swimming turtles… Thuong Pagoda is the ideal place to see the panoramic poetic scenery of Tam Coc – Bich Dong.

Chua Trung – Middle Pagoda:

From Ha Pagoda, you will climb up 120 S-shaped steps to the halfway of mountain where Chua Trung, or Trung Pagoda, is located. This second pagoda is divided into two areas: half of the pagoda is situated outside and another half is situated inside the cave. It has a two-tier roof, a three-room upper temple, and a forecourt which all head to the west. The precious remains in the pagoda are the bronze bell with sophisticated engravings, the three huge stone statues of Amitabha Buddha, Van Thu Bodhisattva and Thi Kinh Bodhisattva.

Chua Ha – Lower Pagoda:

Chua Ha, or Ha Pagoda, is situated at the foot of the mountain. It is used as shrine of worshiping the Buddha. Ha Pagoda comprises 5 rooms with two-tier roof including 8 smaller roofs while its broad eaves were constructed by 6 stone steps. The 4-meters stone pillars in the pagoda are all monolithic without any joints.

How to get to Bich Dong Pagoda:

Bich Dong Pagoda belongs to Trang An Complex which is inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage. It is 3 km west of Tam Coc and 11 km southwest of Ninh Binh City. You can ride bicycle or rent a motorbike to reach Bich Dong Pagoda. But it is highly suggested to take a leisure rowing boat trip from Tam Coc Pier along Ngo Dong River with scenic rice fields and limestone mountains surrounded to Bich Dong. No visitors traveling to Ninh Binh to just see this pagoda. It should be included in a day trip itinerary with Tam Coc, Hoa Lu, Trang An.

There is no entrance fee to Bich Dong Pagoda but you need to pay a small fee to park your own bicycle or motorbike. Though you can visit the pagoda at any time, you should come here in early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds and enjoy the peaceful moment. The summer time from May to July is best to admire the green rice fields turning yellow and the blossoming lotus.

Adventure Journey

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