Vietnam PagodasDictionary of Vietnamese pagodas & temples

Tự Khoát Pagoda

Hà Nội(Chùa Tự Khoát)

Overview & history

Tự Khoát Pagoda, also known as Hưng Phúc Tự, is located in Tự Khoát village, Ngũ Hiệp commune, Thanh Trì district, Hà Nội. The pagoda was built with funds from two princesses of the Lý dynasty, who then also practised religious life there.

History

According to legend, at the end of the Lý dynasty, King Lý Huệ Tông (1211–1224) fell seriously ill without an heir to the throne, the country was in turmoil, and the people were destitute. Two princesses requested to go to Tự Khoát village, choosing the summit of Trúc Lĩnh (a mountain with many bamboo trees) as their place of residence. Seeing the people suffering from hunger and lacking good fields for cultivation, the two ladies spent all their money to buy rice to help the poor, then gathered them to reclaim wasteland for farming. Noticing that the village had a vast bamboo forest, the two ladies organised the villagers to cut bamboo to weave various baskets, sieves, and trays for use and sale, thus giving the villagers the craft of bamboo weaving. The two ladies also had Đông Phù hermitage (am Đông Phù) built, where they lit incense morning and evening, praying for the villagers to have enough to eat and be happy. After two years, the king summoned the two ladies back to the court to marry borderland officials, but they resolutely refused. Unable to persuade them, the king ordered the burning of Đông Phù hermitage to cut off their refuge. However, the people of Tự Khoát welcomed the two ladies back, rebuilt the hermitage on Trúc mountain, and expanded it into a pagoda, hence the name Tự Khoát Pagoda (the expanded pagoda), which became a major pagoda in the region.

The pagoda currently has 52 round statues, 1 bell, 3 stone steles, many horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, two stone dragons in front of the main entrance, a palanquin, imperial thrones, incense burners, etc., all bearing artistic features from the Lê and Nguyễn dynasties.

In 1988, the pagoda was recognised as a historical and cultural relic.

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.

Read more & references

Useful links to learn more before your visit:

Location

Coordinates: 20.92548, 105.85466

🧭 Directions on Google Maps

References

Other pagodas in Hà Nội

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Chùa Bà Nành (Hà Nội)

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