Vietnam Pagodas

Duyên Ninh Pagoda

Ninh Bình(Chùa Duyên Ninh)

Duyên Ninh Pagoda

Overview & history

Duyên Ninh Pagoda is an ancient pagoda also known as the Pagoda of Seeking Affinity. The pagoda was built in the 10th century during the reign of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng. It is a special relic within the Hoa Lư Ancient Capital relic complex and is also part of the Tràng An World Heritage complex in Ninh Bình. Duyên Ninh Pagoda is considered one of the most famous pagodas for seeking romantic fortune in Vietnam.

Location

Duyên Ninh Pagoda is located in the ancient village of Chi Phong, Tây Hoa Lư ward, Ninh Bình. From Hoa Lư, it is a 10 km journey along the Tràng An Boulevard to the pagoda.

Duyên Ninh Pagoda, together with Am Tiên Pagoda, Kim Ngân Pagoda, Cổ Am Pagoda, and Nhất Trụ Pagoda, are ancient pagodas from the Đinh – Lê dynasties that still exist within the grounds of the Hoa Lư citadel today. Among them, Duyên Ninh Pagoda and Kim Ngân Pagoda are located at the western citadel of the former capital. Like Nhất Trụ Pagoda, Duyên Ninh Pagoda is a place for worshipping the Buddha and 10th-century monks such as Pháp Thuận, Khuông Việt, and Vạn Hạnh.

Duyên Ninh Pagoda is situated beside Tràng An Boulevard, very close to the Temple of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng and between two tourist sites: Bái Đính Pagoda and the Tràng An Ecotourism Area. The pagoda faces northeast and consists of the main hall, patriarchs’ house, guest room, dining hall, stupa...

History of Formation

According to legend, Duyên Ninh Pagoda was a place frequently visited by princesses during the Đinh–Lê dynasties. Here, Princess Lê Thị Phất Ngân and General Lý Công Uẩn pledged their vows, and their son Lý Phật Mã (later King Lý Thái Tông) was born here in the year 1000. Later, when Lý Thái Tông returned here to quell the rebellion of Khai Quốc Vương, he renamed the pagoda Duyên Ninh Pagoda. At the end of her life, Empress Phất Ngân came here to practise Buddhism and to tend the tomb of her father, Emperor Lê Đại Hành. Here, the Empress also helped many couples come together, and from then on, Duyên Ninh became the pagoda for seeking romantic fortune in the ancient capital of Hoa Lư. 'Seeking romantic fortune' is understood as praying for favourable fate, love, and destiny. The word 'duyên' (affinity) encompasses luck and objective factors alongside human effort. Besides worshipping the Buddha, Duyên Ninh Pagoda also venerates many deities, notably Ông Tơ – Bà Nguyệt (the matchmaker gods), Kim Hoa Thánh Mẫu (the goddess overseeing childbirth, according to folk belief), and others.

Lý Thái Tông was born on the 26th day of the 6th lunar month, year Canh Tý, 7th year of the Ứng Thiên era under the Early Lê dynasty (i.e., 29 July 1000) at Duyên Ninh Pagoda in the Hoa Lư capital (present-day Ninh Bình). According to the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, when the king was born, in Trường Yên prefecture, a villager’s buffalo naturally changed its horns. The owner considered this an ill omen and was worried. A person skilled in divination passed by, laughed, and said: 'That is just a sign of renewal, it has nothing to do with your household,' and the owner was relieved. Legend has it that as a child, he had seven moles on the back of his neck arranged like the seven stars of the Big Dipper (Bắc Đẩu). Later, he became the second emperor of the Lý dynasty.

Today, Duyên Ninh Pagoda is an ancient and tranquil pagoda nestled beside the old mountain ranges that once formed the Hoa Lư citadel. Because it lies between two famous tourist destinations—the Tràng An Ecotourism Area and Bái Đính Pagoda—Duyên Ninh Pagoda has become well known. In Trường Yên commune, there are currently six pagodas: Nhất Trụ Pagoda, Am Tiên Pagoda, Kim Ngân Pagoda, Cổ Am Pagoda, Bà Ngô Pagoda, and Duyên Ninh Pagoda. According to legend, each pagoda is associated with a different wish: for blessings, go to Cổ Am Pagoda; for prosperity, to Kim Ngân Pagoda; for fame, to Nhất Trụ Pagoda; for longevity, to Bà Ngô Pagoda; for wealth, to Am Tiên Pagoda; and for romantic fortune, to Duyên Ninh Pagoda...

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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.

Read more & references

Useful links to learn more before your visit:

References

Other pagodas in Ninh Bình

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Chùa Bà Đanh
Bà Đanh Pagoda is a pagoda located in Đanh village, Kim Bảng ward, Ninh Bình province, covering an area of about 10 hectares. The pagoda faces south towards the Đáy River. On the outermost side, adjacent to the road and near the riverbank, is the pagoda's tam quan (three-entrance gate). This structure is built on an elevated foundation, raised above five steps, with both ends constructed as solid walls. The tam quan has three compartments and is built with two storeys. The upper storey has two layers of roofs covered with southern-style tiles, and around the wooden floor is a balustrade with decorative balusters. This upper floor is used as a bell tower, while the three compartments below have a system of doors made from ironwood.
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Chùa Đồng Vũ
Đồng Vũ Pagoda is located in Đồng Vũ hamlet, Đạo Lý commune, Lý Nhân district. According to the inscription carved on the 'Sùng Khánh tự bia' stele, dated to the 4th year of the Nguyên Thống era (1525), the pagoda was built in the early Lê Sơ period, on a raised plot of land, isolated to the south of the village. In the 13th year of Bảo Đại (1937), the village relocated the pagoda to a plot of land to the left of the đình (communal house), facilitating the religious activities of the villagers. At present, the pagoda still preserves many ancient and rare worship objects and valuable works of art, among which the stone khánh (a type of lithophone gong) is particularly notable.
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Chùa Thanh Am
Thanh Am Pagoda, also known as Thanh Am Tự or Vật Pagoda, is an ancient pagoda located in Tiền hamlet, Hư Tả commune, Nam Chân district, Trấn Sơn nam hạ, now situated in Đoài Đông hamlet, Vị Khê ward, Ninh Bình province. Thanh Am Pagoda still preserves many high-value artistic carvings from the Lê Trung Hưng period. The pagoda festival is held on the 14th and 15th days of the second lunar month. In addition to the procession of sacred texts, ritual offerings, and recitation of Buddhist verses, there are also children's wrestling matches, and wrestlers from the region come to perform for the deities and compete for prizes.
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Chùa Tràn
Tràn Pagoda, also known as Phúc Lâm Tự, is an ancient pagoda. In the past, it was located in Tràn village, hence its name; today, it is situated in Khang Giang hamlet, Yên Đồng commune, Ninh Bình province. The pagoda was built during the Lý dynasty (late 11th century). Initially, it was constructed with earthen walls and thatched roofs; up to now, the pagoda has undergone three major restorations. On the bell tower of the pagoda, there remains a parallel sentence composed by Phạm Văn Nghị, a Nguyễn dynasty doctoral laureate.
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Chùa Tự Lạc
Tự Lạc Pagoda, with the formal name Thái An tự, is located in Hamlet 11, Xuân Hưng Commune, Ninh Bình Province. During the period of revolution and resistance against the French, the pagoda served as a place to shelter communist cadres and print documents. At the pagoda, the monk Thích Thanh Điến actively mobilised Buddhists to support the revolutionary movement and the resistance movement against French colonialism. The pagoda was the site where the first Communist Party cell of the three districts of Xuân Trường, Hải Hậu, and Giao Thủy was established. The festival of Tự Lạc Pagoda and Temple is held annually on the death anniversary of Đức Triệu Việt Vương, which falls on the 13th day of the eighth lunar month. On 26 February 2003, Tự Lạc Pagoda was recognised as a Historical and Cultural Site.
Chùa Bà Ngô (Ninh Bình)
Chùa Bà Ngô (Ninh Bình)
Bà Ngô Pagoda is an ancient pagoda belonging to the special national relic complex of the former capital Hoa Lư. The pagoda was built during the Đinh dynasty, right beside the right bank of the Hoàng Long River dyke and adjacent to the outer area of the old Hoa Lư citadel. Bà Ngô Pagoda was founded by Lady Ngô, the empress of Đinh Tiên Hoàng and mother of one of the Twelve Warlords, Ngô Nhật Khánh.