Tran Quoc Pagoda
Location:
Tran Quoc Pagoda is located on an islet of West Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Characteristic: Tran Quoc Pagoda
is one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam and a cultural symbol of Vietnamese
Buddhism.
It is said that, the pagoda was
built under the reign of King Ly Nam De (544-548) under its original name of
Khai Quoc (National Founder). It was originally built on the bank of the West
Lake and the Red River. In the time of King Le Kinh Tong (1600-1618), the pagoda
was removed to the Kim Ngu (Golden Fish) Islet due to the river bank crumbling
and was renamed Tran Quoc (National Defence).
Behind the worshipping shrine is the Buddhist trinity followed by corridors, ten
shrines and the belfry. In the pagoda, there are many valuable statues, such as
the red lacstatue trimmed with gold of Sakyamouni Buddha's Parinirvana and many
ancient stelae with the old- one made in 1639 by Doctoral Law- Nguyen Xuan Chinh
recording the pagoda's history.
In 1959, on his visit to Vietnam, Indian Prime Minister Razendia Prasat offered
the Pagoda a bodhi tree as a gift. The plant was grafted from the holy Bodhi
tree where Sakyamuni sat in zen (meditation) position 25 centuries ago. Now the
Bodhi tree is green and luxuriant, shading part of the pagoda's yard.
As a religious relic among spectacle scenery, Tran Quoc Pagoda is a favorite
stop-over of many foreign visitors and pilgrims.
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Source: Vietnam Administration of Tourism |