Pagoda and tower on Yen Tu mountain range

Located in the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son relic and scenic complex, Kiep Bac is being nominated by UNESCO for recognition as a World Cultural Heritage, with a system of dozens of large and small pagodas belonging to the Truc Lam Buddhist sect. The pagodas have different positions and roles, which through research have shown many interesting features.

Hoa Yen Pagoda is located in the Long Dong - Hoa Yen pagoda cluster, built on the mountain, at an altitude of about 500m above sea level.

The system of pagodas and towers belonging to the Truc Lam Buddhist sect stretches across the Yen Tu range in the territory of the three provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, and Bac Giang, and was built mainly under the Tran and Le Trung Hung dynasties. The pagodas built under the Tran dynasty are associated with the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam (Tran Nhan Tong - Phap Loa - Huyen Quang), while the Le Trung Hung pagodas and towers are associated with the revival period of Truc Lam Buddhism in the 17th and 18th centuries. Recent studies, especially archaeological results, have discovered and identified dozens of pagoda and tower sites, distributed mainly on the southern slope of the Yen Tu range, from Con Son (Hai Duong) to Uong Bi (Quang Ninh) and concentrated in 6 clusters: Long Dong - Hoa Yen, Ngoa Van - Ho Thien, Quynh Lam, Bac Ma, Thanh Mai and Con Son. On the northwestern slope of the Yen Tu range (Bac Giang province), there are a number of pagoda and tower sites, not large in scale, low in density, and not in a chain like on the southern slope. In fact, pagodas are often located on mountain slopes but at different heights. This also shows the different roles and functions of the Yen Tu pagoda system. Specifically, the pagoda group is located in low hills or at the foot of mountains, often with an average height of no more than 100m above sea level, such as Quynh Lam, Bac Ma (Quang Ninh), Con Son (Hai Duong). These are also areas quite close to residential areas, with relatively flat terrain and fertile land. The scale of these pagodas is often large, with individual construction areas reaching thousands of square meters.

Quynh Lam Pagoda belongs to a group of pagodas located in a low hill area, with a large area, once mentioned in the song "Muong Pagoda yard, Quynh Pagoda field".

The second group of pagodas is built on medium mountains, about 200-250m above sea level, in front of which are often wide valleys, with abundant water sources and fertile land. Typical examples include pagodas such as Ba Vang, Am Hoa, Trai Cap, Ba Bac, Giang Kinh, Thong Tan in Quang Ninh. The third group is a system of pagodas and towers built on high mountains with an average height of about 500m above sea level. Pagodas and towers are often located at the saddle of the mountain slopes, typically Hoa Yen, Van Tieu, Am Duoc, Ho Thien, Ngoa Van, Da Chong... Through research, it is shown that during the Tran Dynasty, which was the period of formation and development of Truc Lam Buddhism, pagodas at the foot of the mountain were favorable for construction, so they were not mentioned, while pagodas on the mountainside and on high ground had more complex terrain, often arranged and arranged based on the natural terrain, the scale of the construction was not large, clearly showing the philosophy of harmony with nature, minimizing intervention and renovating the natural terrain. However, during the Le Trung Hung period, which was the period of strong revival of Truc Lam Buddhism, these pagodas all underwent leveling, construction, and renovation of the ground in the style of constructions in the plains, including many large-scale renovations, such as Hoa Yen, Am Hoa, Ho Thien, Ngoa Van, and Da Chong pagodas. Thus, in this period, the philosophy of harmony and reliance on nature gradually declined, replaced by the transformation of natural terrain and the creation of land for construction.

Traces of archaeological excavations during the Le Trung Hung period at Dong Bao Dai Pagoda (Uong Bi City) are considered to be the eastern limit of Yen Tu space.

In terms of function, the pagodas also have differences. As mentioned above, the pagodas at the lower levels and on the mountainside have larger areas, are closer to the religious and the secular world, and are more favorable for the propagation of Buddhism. These areas have valleys and more fertile land, so in addition to studying and practicing, the pagodas also undertake production and resource mobilization, mainly food sources to serve the pagodas on the high mountains. Meanwhile, the pagodas on the high mountains mainly undertake study and practice. The presence of meditation areas in these pagodas is a clear feature with meditation rooms often located high up, behind the Three Jewels. Under the Tran Dynasty, most of the meditation rooms were exploited and used natural stone roofs, or built very simply in the style of a thatched hut. During the Later Le Dynasty, the hermitages were solidly built with sturdy structures, surrounded by walls, typically Ham Long hermitage in Ho Thien, the meditation hall in Da Chong... During the Later Le Dynasty and the Nguyen Dynasty, some stone roofs that were originally meditation halls were converted into places of worship, requiring expansion of space, the stone roofs were added with artificial roofs, the most typical being the One Roof Pagoda in Yen Tu...