Chùa Đồng

Quảng Ninh

Overview & history

Chùa Đồng, also known as Thiên Trúc Tự (天竺寺 – Temple of the Buddha Realm), is a pagoda situated at the highest peak of the Yên Tử range (1,068m). This is the largest bronze mountaintop pagoda in Asia.

History

Yên Tử is the place where King Trần Nhân Tông practised asceticism. In the past, when the Buddha King Trần Nhân Tông came to Yên Tử and after his passing, Chùa Đồng did not yet exist. In the 17th century, during the Later Lê dynasty, a concubine of Lord Trịnh initiated the construction of the pagoda as an act of merit, building it with an iron frame and bronze roof, on a small scale like a shrine; additionally, the Buddha statue, bell, and gong inside were all made of bronze. In the year Canh Thân 1740, during the reign of King Lê Cảnh Hưng, a great storm destroyed the pagoda, leaving only traces of pillar holes on the rocky outcrop. In 1930, Bùi Thị Mỹ from Long Hoa Pagoda rebuilt Chùa Đồng with reinforced concrete on a square rock, aiming to match the location of the old Chùa Đồng.

In 1993, Nguyễn Sơn Nam, a Vietnamese overseas in the United States, together with overseas Buddhist devotees, contributed to reconstructing a bronze pagoda next to the 1930 pagoda, also on a small scale like a shrine.

On 3 June 2006, under the direction of Doctor of Buddhist Studies Venerable Thích Thanh Quyết (Thượng tọa Thích Thanh Quyết) and the Chùa Đồng Project Management Board, with donations from Buddhists at home and abroad, the ceremony to cast Chùa Đồng was initiated according to the design by architect Trần Quốc Tuấn – Institute for Conservation of Monuments. The pagoda was inaugurated on 30 January 2007, located on the sacred summit between the two previously built pagodas.

Current Scale

The new Chùa Đồng was cast by renowned bronze artisans from Ý Yên, Nam Định. The pagoda was modelled after Dâu Keo Pagoda (Thuận Thành, Bắc Ninh). Chùa Đồng covers an area of nearly 20 square metres, weighs 70 tonnes, is 4.6m long, 3.6m wide, and the height from the base to the roof is 3.35m. Each roof tile weighs about 4kg, and each of the four pagoda columns weighs 1 tonne. The bronze bell and gong together weigh over 250kg.

The system of Buddha statues in the pagoda includes one statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and three statues of the Trúc Lâm Patriarchs. The statues have an average height of 0.45–0.87m and are seated on lotus thrones, with the three Patriarch statues being larger. The Shakyamuni statue is dressed in a kasaya, meditating in the lotus position (padmāsana). The First Patriarch statue (Trần Nhân Tông) wears a kasaya, hands resting on both thighs, sitting in the 'auspicious lotus position' (also called 'auspicious seat'), eyes cast downwards in introspection. The Second Patriarch (Pháp Loa) and Third Patriarch (Huyền Quang) statues wear kasaya, sit cross-legged with feet not showing, and hands in the 'meditation mudra'. All three Patriarch statues are seated on lotus thrones placed on a pedestal, decorated with motifs of lotus, chrysanthemum, persimmon, curled leaves, and wave patterns.

Festival

Every year, the festival at Chùa Đồng in particular and Yên Tử in general takes place on the 10th day of the first lunar month and during the first three days of the lunar new year. In addition, on new moon, full moon days, or during the Vu Lan and Buddha's Birthday festivals, many Buddhists from across the country also come here on pilgrimage to the sacred Trúc Lâm Yên Tử site.

Photos

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Visiting tips

Dress modestly; remove hats and keep quiet inside the main hall.
Incense, flowers and offerings are usually sold right outside the gate; light an odd number of sticks (1 or 3).
Most pagodas open from early morning to evening and are free to enter (some major sites charge a small scenic fee).
Full-moon days, the 1st of the lunar month and Tet are very crowded; visit on weekday mornings for a quiet experience.
Ask permission before photographing inside shrines; do not touch statues or altar objects.