Bai Dinh pagoda - Ninh Binh

Bai Dinh Pagoda is the largest pagoda complex in Vietnam, with an area of 539ha including: ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda (27ha), new Bai Dinh Pagoda (80ha), and many other big works. Pagoda name "Bai Dinh" means worship heaven, earth and the Buddha.


Ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda

The ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda was built during the Ly Dynasty (1136) with many architectural details and artifacts bearing the stamp of this period. So far, nearly 1.000 years, the pagoda still exists and develop, as a testament to the enduring vitality of Buddhism in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese.

The ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda turns west, located on a high mountain, quiet space, charming scenery. This pagoda was built in the style of cave pagoda, the Buddhist altars are located in the cave center, the cave ceiling becomes firm roofs, all reinforce the spiritual atmosphere.


New Bai Dinh Pagoda

The new Bai Dinh Pagoda uses mainly material in local areas such as: Ninh Binh green stone in Ninh Binh, Tu Thiet wood (4 types of good and solid wood in Vietnam), Bat Trang ceramic tile... Especially, curved dome with dark brown, make a difference.

- The decorative details were made meticulously by the skilled hands of more than 500 artisans from famous traditional craft villages in Vietnam such as: Phuc Loc carpentry, Ninh Van stone carving, Y Yen bronze casting, Van Lam embroidery, Cat Dang lacquer, Dong Xam silver carving...

Architecture of New Bai Dinh Pagoda features spectacular shapes, with the main highlights:

- Tam Quan Noi: monumental architecture, with the main pillars of Tu Thiet wood, weighs about 10 tons. The inside has 10 bronze statues, including two huge statues, each 5.5 meters tall and 12 tons weigh.

- The bell tower: octagonal, 22m high, including 3 floors with 24 curved roofs. Inside hangs a bell weighing 36 tons, cast in Hue.

- Avalokitesvara palace: wooden architecture, includes 7 compartments. The center compartment puts a bronze statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, nearly 1.000 eyes and 1.000 arms, weighs 80 tons and 9.57m high.

- Tam The palace: located on the high hill, inside have three Tam The bronze statues, each 7.2 meters tall and weighs 50 tons.

- Thap Chu palace: there is a large bronze statue, with 10m high and weighs 100 tons.

- Arhat corridor: almost 3 km in length, with 500 Arhat stone statues, each 2.4 meters tall and weighs about 4 tons.

- Ngoc wells: is embellished from ancient wells, nearly 1.000 years old. The wells with the moon shape, diameter 30 m, 6 m deep, always full of water.


The record of Bai Dinh Pagoda

- The largest gilt bronze Buddha statue in Asia.

- The pagoda has the longest Arhat corridor in Asia.

- The largest Maitreya Buddha bronze statue in Southeast Asia.