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A popular saying goes: "Even after living 100 years of a virtuous
religious life, you cannot be called a true religious person until you go to Yen
Tu ".
A pilgrimage to Yen Tu Festival is a deeply meaningful journey for any true
Vietnamese Buddhist and a fascinating experience for sightseers.
Dong Pagoda is located 1,068m above sea level at the top of Yen Tu Mountain in
the north-eastern coastal province of Quang Ninh. Yen Tu is known for its
ancient solemn, silent pagodas, shrines and towers that mingle with the majestic
mountains. It has been a centre of Buddhism for centuries, and is the homeland
of the Buddhist Truc Lam sect. Travellers go to the Yen Tu Festival to get away
from their everyday lives and make a religious pilgrimage to the pagodas in the
middle of a spectacular natural environment.
The history...
Under the Ly dynasty, Phu Van pagoda was in Yen Tu and Yen Ky Sinh was its
warden. Yen Tu only really became a major Buddhist centre when Emperor Tran Nhan
Tong abdicated his throne to establish the Thien Truc Lam Buddhist sect and
become its first leader under the religious name Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang Tran Nhan
Tong (1258-1308). He ordered the construction of hundreds of religious buildings
on Yen Tu Mountain that were suitable for teaching and following a religious
life.
After his death, his successor, Phap Loa Dong Kien Cuong (1284 - 1330), the
second leader of Thien Truc Lam, compiled a set of books “Thach that ngon ngu”
and built 800 pagodas, shrines and towers containing thousands of valuable
statues during the 19 years of his religious life. The famous Quynh Lam and Ho
Thien pagodas were built during this time.
The third progenitor of Thien Truc Lam was Huyen Quang Ly Dao Tai (1254 - 1334),
who established the Buddhist teaching centre Phap Loa.
The mountain scenery, beautiful pagodas and hermitages, inspired King Tran Nhan
Tong, who ruled the country from 1279 to 1293, to pass the throne to his son so
he could lead the life of a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu. He founded the Truc Lam
meditation sect, which made Yen Tu the country’s leading Buddhist center.
During the Le and Nguyen dynasties, Yen Tu became the focal point of Vietnamese
Buddhism and underwent a number of restorations. It is a confluence of different
historical styles, as evidence in the many different patterns and ornamental
elements that decorate the structures.
... and the festival
Yen Tu Festival begins annually on the 10th day of the first lunar month and
lasts for three months. Tens of thousands of pilgrims start their journey to the
uppermost shrine with a solemn ritual at the base of Yen Tu Mountain.
During the months of the festival, people flock from near and far to the
Buddhist land to express their devotion and aspirations or to rid themselves of
sorrows and sadness. Others go to Yen Tu for sightseeing and to enjoy the pure,
clean air of the mountain region. Foreigners visit Yen Tu to see the famous,
mysterious tourist attraction and beauty spot. Many cultural and historical
relics are carefully preserved in Yen Tu, and it is also home to a rare
ecosystem.
Among the wide variety of vestiges in Yen Tu, there are 11 pagodas and hundreds
of shrines and towers. Pilgrims climb the mountain on a path through the forest
to see Dong Pagoda at the peak 1,068m above sea level, passing by pagodas, a
tower, and a stream that appear and disappear under the thick foliage along the
way. After burning joss-sticks at the top, it is as if you are lost in nature
somewhere between the earth and sky. On a clear day, you can see almost all the
northeastern area from here.
The pilgrimage route from the foot of the mountain to the pagoda is nearly 30 km
long, however you can get to Hoa Yen Pagoda at 534m above sea level via the new
cable car and see two beautiful 700-year-old frangipani trees. From there, you
will feel you are walking on clouds as you walk up the stairs to minor pagodas
along the path leading to Dong Pagoda.
The faithful visit the sites along the path to pay homage and show their
devotion, or find consolation for their troubles. Those who make it all the way
to Dong pagoda will experience the magnificence of Yen Tu's forests and on top
of Yen Tu Mountain, one feels like they're standing at Heaven's Gate shrouded in
white clouds.
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