In late 1923, the To Dinh Sac Tu Giac Nguyen Pagoda (Giac Nguyen), also known as Ba Xam Pagoda, was built on a hill in D'ran town, a town in Don Duong district located halfway up the D'ran and Ngoan Muc passes. Giac Nguyen was completed in 1924 and is the oldest pagoda in D'ran town, according to Chau Danh Khang, the leader of the Buddhist Family Organization affiliated with the pagoda.
Mr. Khang added that when it was first established, the pagoda was just a small hermitage with a thatched roof and earthen walls. In 1925, the pagoda was rebuilt with bricks and tiled roofs. The main hall had nine pillars, so it was also called the Nine Pillar Pagoda. The pagoda was granted a royal decree in the 14th year of the Bao Dai period (1939).
In 1976, monk Thich Phap Chieu from Binh Dinh returned to become abbot and repaired and restored the old pagoda, while also building the Trung pagoda, Thuong palace and some ancillary works.
The pagoda was built on a hill in D'ran town, facing the Da Nhim hydroelectric plant.
The temple gate is located on the main road, convenient for moving. The road to the temple is a gentle slope about 500 m long. After going up the first slope, you will reach a large yard, on the right is the main hall, in front is a statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara standing on a white lotus pedestal, with yellow cranes on both sides. On the left, opposite the main hall is a red wooden gate facing the Da Nhim hydroelectric plant, built in the 60s, surrounded by the protective forest of the hydroelectric lake.
From the large courtyard, long steps lead up to the Upper Palace, which is meticulously carved and sculpted in every corner. The top floor of the temple has a curved roof, while the lower dome is decorated with stylized dragon motifs.
"The most impressive image is the image of the dragon's body winding around the two pillars in front of the temple, creating a majestic look for the building," Nguyen Tan Sang (25 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) said after visiting the temple in June.
The main hall in the Upper Temple worships four sides with many ancient statues. The front of the main hall worships Buddha, Buddha's relics, below worships the Three Saints of the West and the Buddha's Birth statue. Behind worships an ancient wooden statue of the Patriarch. The top floor of the main hall is where the Buddha's relics were placed, donated by the Thai royal family in 1999, Mr. Khang added.
On the left of the Upper Palace is the Chuẩn Đề Shrine, where a 6.5 m tall statue of the Thousand-Armed Buddha is placed, flanked by two 3 m tall cranes. On the right are ancient wooden statues of Ksitigarbha, Tiêu Diện, and Hộ Pháp.
Mr. Khang said that the architecture of the pagoda is a blend of the original Buddhist style with the architectural style of some places in Vietnam and Asia after many renovations. In the pagoda, there are two towers built in Thai architecture, another tower designed in the San Chi architectural art of India. The highest tower of the Upper Palace is built in Tibetan Buddhist architecture. But behind the tower are carved stylized lotus and chrysanthemum flowers, which are typical of Vietnamese fine arts.
In addition to being a place of annual worship for local people, the pagoda is also a place of refuge and practice for many local children.
The pagoda has a large and airy space, and is built on a high hill, so looking far away you can see mountains, forests, fields, and houses. "Looking to the East is the view of the Da Nhim hydroelectric dam opposite the pagoda, under the blue sky, white clouds, bringing a peaceful feeling like a scene in a movie," Sang shared.
View of D'ran town from Giac Nguyen pagoda.
According to Sang, this is a suitable place to visit for sightseeing and meditation. Visitors should wear modest and polite clothes and limit noise in the temple grounds to preserve the peaceful atmosphere of a sacred temple.
D'ran town is not yet famous in the tourism world and Don Duong district is not as developed as other districts, so this place still retains the wild beauty of nature. "Standing from the temple yard, taking in all those peaceful images makes my mind want to calm down. Giac Nguyen Pagoda is like a 'Buddhist royal garden' in the middle of the human world," Sang said.
Quynh Mai Photo: Nguyen Tan Sang
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