But Thap Pagoda

But Thap Hamlet, Dinh To Commune, Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province

Now Open

Description

But Thap Temple (Vietnamese: Chua But Thap) is a Buddhist temple in Vietnam’s Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province, beside the Duong River’s levee. The temple is often commonly referred to as Nhan Thap Temple. The temple was constructed in 1300. The temple contains the largest Avalokitesvara statue, which features one thousand eyes and one thousand arms. However, Thap Temple is among the most well-known temples in Vietnam. Numerous ancient items and statues regarded to be masterpieces of 17th-century Vietnamese woodcarving may be found inside. During the same period, the temple gained notoriety for the revered abbot and Zen teacher Chuyet Chuyet (1590 – 1644; “thien su Thich Chuyet Chuyet”).

From the three-entrance gate to the bell tower and back house, the complex consists of ten buildings spanning 100 meters.

There are about 50 statues of varying sizes inside the temple, including the Triad Buddha, Manjusri (Van Thu) on a blue lion, and Samantabhadra (Pho Hien) on a white elephant. The thousand-armed and thousand-eyed Guanyin is recognized as the crowning achievement of Vietnamese sculpture.

The temple’s architecture, sculpture, and decorating were unique to the 17th century, making it the most preserved and representative example of Vietnam’s classical Buddhist art.

But Thap Pagoda is one of the most magnificent relic sites in the Red River Delta region and is home to four nearly intact national treasures. It is an ideal venue for international tourists to obtain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture and participate in traditional spiritual ceremonies.

Architecture of But Thap Pagoda

But Thap Pagoda’s architectural complex stands out among the vast rice fields. The pagoda faces south, which according to Buddhist doctrine is the direction of knowledge.

The pagoda was constructed in accordance with the “Noi Cong Ngoai Quoc” architectural style, which consists of two long corridors connecting the front house to the back house (also known as the ancestral house or the monk’s house) behind, forming a rectangular complex that encompasses the incense burning house, the upper house, and other structures in between. The inner pagoda layout is in the shape of the Chinese character for “Cong,” while the exterior has a frame in the form of the Khau or Quoc characters.

In accordance with this architectural style, the pagoda’s outermost structure features a three-view gate (tam quan), followed by a bell pavilion with two stories and eight roofs and a stele house.

Located between two corridors (each row of 26 rooms), the core area consists of seven rows of horizontal, parallel, Shinto-style buildings with a total length of more than 100 meters. They consist of the Front Hall, the Thieu Huong (an incense burner), the Main Hall, the Tich Thien Am pavillon (connected to the Main Hall by a stone bridge spanning the lotus lake), the Central House, the Sanctuary, and the Rear Hall. Other significant sites are the Bonze Superiors Shrine, Bao Nghiem Tower, Ton Duc Tower, and Bonze Grave-Towers.

The entire pagoda is comprised of more than 50 antique priceless statues, the most unusual of which is the 1656 Buddha statue “Thien Thu Thien – Thousand eyes and hands” measuring 3.7 meters in height and 2.1 meters in width. This Buddha statue features eleven heads, forty-six large arms, and nine hundred fifty-four little, long, and short arms, each with an eye, growing as high as a halo and resting on a lotus dragon team in a comfortable and devout position.

In the Bao Nghiem Tower is a relic (xa li) of the monk Chuyet Chuyet, the earliest progenitor of the pagoda. The tower is 13,05 meters tall, with five stories, a green stone apex, and elegant decorating all around. Five corners of five storeys are equipped with five tiny bells. The tower’s circular chamber has a 2.29-meter diameter. This tower’s lowest level features 13 stone engravings, primarily of animals. This piece demonstrates the stone grafting and carving skills of an ancient Vietnamese craftsmen.

The relic of Zen Master Minh Hanh, the second progenitor of the pagoda, is housed in the 11-meter-tall, five-story Ton Duc Tower, which is situated behind the Rear. The tower’s four sides are sealed with stone. Recently, at the center of the tower, two old bronze volumes containing Buddhist scriptures were discovered.

Each architectural element of this pagoda is a piece of art, with beautiful motifs crafted from stone, wood, and brick, among other materials. It demonstrates a harmonious combination of architectural and natural setting, which gives But Thap Pagoda its own distinct personality.

How to get to But Thap Pagoda

But Thap Pagoda, located near the Duong River dike in Bac Ninh province, is easily accessible from the capital city of Hanoi. The distance between Hanoi and Bac Ninh is greater than 30 kilometers. Tourists can reach this old pagoda via a variety of modes of transportation, including automobile, motorcycle, and bicycle.

If the roadways are slightly congested, it will take roughly one hour to reach But Thap Pagoda by car or motorcycle. If you wish to combine sightseeing with exercise to enhance your health, cycling is also a possibility.