A copy of the Tran dynasty at Tam Chuc Pagoda
HA NAM – Vac Pho Minh, one of the four great An Nam gases in the Ly and Tran dynasties, was restored with 22
Along with the Tran Temple relic, Pho Minh Pagoda is one of the famous spiritual addresses, impressing visitors with its ancient, green and peaceful features.
Thap Pagoda, also known as Pho Minh Pagoda is situated west of Tran Temple in Nam Dinh City's Loc Vuong Ward. The temple was built under the Ly dynasty; by the 5th year of the reign of Thieu Long (1262), it was expanded in size and appearance.
Many monarchs and noble mandarins of the Tran Dynasty used to practice and recite at the Pho Minh Pagoda. As a famous relic in the Atlas of Hong Duc, drawn in 1470, the pagoda is considered a great landmark of Dai Viet. This is also one of the places of practice of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, along with monks Phap Loa and Huyen Quang.
After Kim Phat Tran Nhan Tong passed away, his successor, Tran Anh Tong, sent someone to build a stone palanquin and a tower on top, then put 7 of his father's 21 relics in a treasure chest, put into Pho Minh Tower in front of the temple.
Pho Minh Tower has 14 floors, 19.51m high. The tower's lowest two stories are stone and feature carvings of lotus flowers and water wave designs. Brick construction comprised the 12 top levels, leaving the ceiling without plaster. Each brick head features a floating dragon motif from the Tran Dynasty and the phrases "Hung Long decade three decades" (13th Hung Long year, 1305). A large stone block with multiple layers of wings that resembles a lotus sits atop the tower.
A wall surrounds the tower. In the middle of the walls are doors to the tower decorated with pairs of stone dragons. Two sizable stone incense trees, also known as scriptural columns and intricately carved to resemble lotuses, stand at the base of Pho Minh Tower.
The pavilion and upper palace comprise the pagoda's primary group of buildings. Behind the upper hall, away from a narrow yard, is an 11-room-long house. Five divisions represent the ancestral home in the center, three represent the monk's home on the left, and three represent the shrine on the right. Two rows of corridors connecting the front street with the 11-room house in the back form a square frame surrounding the temple architecture.
The architectural works and carvings in the pagoda still retain many of the imprints of the Tran Dynasty, with sophisticated carvings on the doors, three gates, and front steps. There are many antiques in Pho Minh Pagoda. Values contribute to studying our country's economy, politics, culture and society under the Tran dynasty.
The 300-year-old heritage trees at Pho Minh Pagoda also dazzle visitors in addition to their architectural and artistic merits. The large green trees and long branches shaded the yard, dispelling the hot summer sun. Just stepping into the temple, looking at the green patches interspersed with the nostalgic, old and quiet lines and listening to the clear jingle of wind chimes, it seems all sorrows are soothed.
Pho Minh Pagoda was designated as a rare national relic in 2012. Tens of thousands of people from all around the world visit the temple each year.
Also read: TRAVEL GUIDE Nam Dinh
