Lăng phát tích nhà Đinh

The Phát Tích Mausoleum of the Đinh Dynasty is the ancestral worship site of the lineage of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng in his homeland at Đại Hữu village, formerly Đại Hoàng district, now Đại Hoàng commune, Ninh Bình province. The Phát Tích Mausoleum is also a scenic site belonging to the special national relic complex of the ancient capital Hoa Lư. The mausoleum is located within the complex of Kỳ Lân Pagoda Mountain, Đại Hữu Cave, and Đại Hoàng Lake. This is also a destination for heritage tourism, promoted locally as part of the tour themed "In the Footsteps of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng", connecting with other relic sites: Đinh Tiên Hoàng King Temple – Phát Tích Mausoleum, Kỳ Lân Pagoda – Hoa Lư Cave.

The Phát Tích Mausoleum is located at coordinates: 20.334178, 105.850224; it is 14 km in a straight line from the centre of Ninh Bình province. From the provincial centre, follow National Highway 1A northwards, then turn left onto National Highway 37C to reach the mausoleum, a distance of 18 km. The mausoleum is also very close to other relics related to King Đinh Tiên Hoàng in Đại Hoàng commune, such as: Đinh Tiên Hoàng King Temple, the Đinh Family Ancestral House of Vietnam, Hoàng Long River, and Cắm Gươm Mountain.

This is considered a prime location, gathering all the sacred energies of heaven and earth, rivers and mountains: the mountain range has the shape of a giant Kỳ Lân (Qilin), its head facing east, rising high amidst the vast plain. The entire mountain is considered the mausoleum, with the Kỳ Lân-shaped mountain's head facing east. Standing from the southeast, the mausoleum appears as if sitting on a golden throne... The mausoleum is placed in a geomantic site with Huyền Vũ (Black Tortoise) as Đỗ Thích Mountain, Bạch Hổ (White Tiger) as Long Mountain, Hổ Mountain turning its head towards the mausoleum, Thanh Long (Azure Dragon) as the Độc Lập hill range resembling a herd of elephants bowing in attendance, Chu Tước (Vermilion Bird) as Ngũ Nhạc Mountain with five small peaks likened by locals to the five empresses of the King, and the Hoàng Long River winding like a lively dragon full of energy, running close to the foot of Kỳ Lân Mountain, bringing geomantic energy to nourish the Dragon's lair.

Legend has it that this is where Đinh Công Trứ, the governor (and father of Đinh Tiên Hoàng), upon seeing the beautiful landscape, brought the tombs of the king's paternal grandparents to be interred at this site, building a mausoleum called the Phát Tích Mausoleum, which has now been restored as the resting place of the royal lineage.

According to a stele erected in the early Thuần Phúc era (1562): “Originally, the Hang Pagoda in Vân Hà hamlet” “on Đại Hữu Mountain”, “is a scenic site from ancient times. Recently, the villagers have taken care to repair it.” In the year Đinh Tỵ (1557), the Buddha statues were restored, and now the pagoda has been re-roofed, to be preserved for generations to come. In 1562, Lord Protector Thượng tướng quân initiated and sponsored the restoration, embellishment, and sculpting of Buddha statues. “The scale is magnificent, the new style is fresh, surpassing the past. On the 12th day of the 3rd lunar month, a pagoda festival was held, chanting Sanskrit sutras, first to wish the Holy Emperor longevity, then to pray for the people's prosperity, longevity, health, and peace... The merit is immense, worthy of being inscribed on stone. Our pagoda is called Kỳ Lân due to the shape of the mountain. Those who contributed are honoured, and their families' descendants continue the legacy. The nation's destiny is long-lasting. Such merit is truly beyond words.”

The Phát Tích Mausoleum is situated on the mountainside, about 20 metres above ground level, with an access path of about 50 stone steps divided into 5 equal flights. In front of the mausoleum, at the foot of the mountain, there is a monolithic stone altar carved in high relief with dragon and cloud motifs; behind it are a pair of stone lantern pillars and a monolithic blue stone incense table, also carved in high relief with dragons, clouds, and lotuses.

The mausoleum of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng is built with two tiers and eight roofs, each roof end adorned with raised dragon motifs, and covered with scale tiles. Inside the mausoleum is a stone altar carved in high relief with dragons, phoenixes, and lotuses for placing offerings. On top of the stone altar are a pair of ornamental vases on stone bases. Behind the altar is an intricately carved stone incense table, followed by a large stele about 2 metres high, with a pair of dragons flanking the moon at the top, and in the centre inscribed in Han and Vietnamese characters: “Phát Tích Mausoleum of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng Đế”. At the base of the stele are jars for wine and water offerings.

During the restoration and upgrading of the Đinh family's Phát Tích Mausoleum, the construction team found many stones shaped like animals, of various sizes, seemingly arranged underground; many stones had to be blasted, and at a depth of 2.7 metres, a large, flat stone slab about 3m2 x 3m2 was found, thought to be natural rock, and further blasted. Beneath the slab appeared two identical ceramic jars, 1 metre apart, lying parallel to the mountain slope, about 40 cm high, with the widest diameter about 22 cm, mouth diameter about 18 cm, rounded shoulders, tapered body, flat base left unglazed, and a dish covering the mouth. Comparing these artefacts with Tang dynasty antiques, many similarities in glaze and shape were found.

Within the same complex as the Đinh family's Phát Tích Mausoleum are Kỳ Lân Pagoda Mountain, Đại Hữu Cave, and Đại Hoàng Lake.

Kỳ Lân Cave is nearly 40 metres above the mountain's base. The cave is about 100 metres long and 40 metres wide, running through the mountain. Inside, there are many beautiful stalactites, with a passage leading upwards to the sky and another down to the "underworld", as from the middle of the cave there is a void soaring up to the mountain's summit, and a deep pit reaching the mountain's base, creating a yin-yang balance. Perhaps for this reason, the ancients turned the cave into Kỳ Lân Pagoda, also called Hang Pagoda. Inside the "pagoda" are built platforms and Buddha statues. Today, the pagoda has been renovated and more spacious buildings constructed. Every year, on the 26th and 27th days of the 9th lunar month, at Kỳ Lân Pagoda Mountain, ceremonies and memorial rites are solemnly held. On this occasion, descendants of the Đinh lineage and Buddhists from everywhere gather in great numbers to participate in the memorial ceremonies for the ancestors and generations of patriarchs who contributed to the creation of the sacred, mysterious Kỳ Lân Pagoda.

The construction date of Hang Pagoda is unknown, but based on two steles erected during the Mạc dynasty (1527–1582): one stele from the year Ất Sửu, Thuần Phúc 1 (1562); another from Ất Sửu, Thuần Phúc 4 (1565), which state: “Originally, Hang Pagoda in Vân Hà hamlet is a scenic site from ancient times. Recently, the villagers have taken care to repair it.” The content of the Mạc dynasty restoration stele in the pagoda further confirms that the pagoda was originally built in the cave: “Kỳ Lân Pagoda on Đại Hữu Mountain” and existed before 1562.

During the resistance against the French, the pagoda was burned by the French and later rebuilt by the people. During the war against the American imperialists, Kỳ Lân Cave was used as Transmission Station 2 (broadcasting to Laos and Cambodia); in 1972, when the Voice of Vietnam was bombed by the Americans and lost signal for 9 minutes, the broadcast was relayed from Hang Pagoda's transmission station.

Kỳ Lân Pagoda is located next to the Phát Tích Mausoleum, below Hang Pagoda, and in front is Đại Hoàng Lake. Kỳ Lân Pagoda is built with two tiers and eight roofs, covered with scale tiles. Outside the veranda hangs a bronze bell decorated with dragon, cloud, and phoenix motifs... There is a statue of the Buddha meditating, right hand holding a lotus flower, left hand holding a jewel; to the right from the entrance is an altar to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Quan Âm) holding a willow branch, to the left is an altar to the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha (Địa Tạng Vương).

The Mẫu Temple worships the Đinh Dynasty's National Matriarch and the empresses of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng.

In front of the Phát Tích Mausoleum and Kỳ Lân Pagoda is Đại Hoàng Lake, considered the water-gathering spot for the tomb's geomancy. The lake has been renovated, with paths built around it and the banks reinforced with a system of stone pillars and railings. In the middle of the lake is a mountain about 15 metres high, at its base a statue and altar to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who observes and listens to the cries of sentient beings in the world to help them escape suffering.