Chùa Pháp Vân is a temple with a long history of formation and development in Hanoi (Photo: Collection)
Phap Van Pagoda is one of the Hanoi Pagodas in the Four Sacred Temples of the Vietnamese people. The pagoda bears the mark of a 1000-year-old historical tradition, along with a peaceful space of the Buddhist realm, helping you find a sense of tranquility, 'leaving behind' all weariness amidst the hustle and bustle, prosperity.
- Introduction to Phap Van Pagoda
Phap Van Pagoda is located on the bustling Giải Phóng street. This is one of the major roads in Hanoi, connecting the southern gateway to the city center. Specifically, the pagoda is situated at: 1299 Giải Phóng street, Hoàng Liệt ward, Hoàng Mai district.
Phap Van Pagoda is a temple with a long history. No one knows exactly when this temple was established. It is only known that, on an old stele, from the time of King Thanh Thai until now, the temple's 'age' is over 100 years.
After the renovation in 2010, Phap Van Pagoda in Hoang Mai, Hanoi now has a campus of over 7000 m2 including Tam Quan Gate, Main Hall, Ancestral House, Mother's House, and also two sides with Monks' Quarters.
The reason this temple is named Phap Van is because it worships Phap Van (one of the Four Deities including: Phap Vu, Phap Van, Phap Loi, and Phap Dien, also known as Rain God, Cloud God, Thunder God, Lightning God).
The worship of Phap Van is a common belief in many localities in Hanoi, Ha Nam, Ha Tay (Photo: Collection)
Despite undergoing many repairs, Phap Van Pagoda still retains the beauty of traditional architecture, creating a gentle and peaceful feeling, yet equally ancient and solemn like a Buddhist sanctuary. When traveling to Hanoi, you must visit here for sightseeing.
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- How to get to the pagoda
Because Phap Van Pagoda is located right on the main Giai Phong road, it is very easy to move to the pagoda. You can choose one of the transportation methods such as: bus, grab or personal vehicles such as: motorbike, car... Here are some suggestions for you:
- Bus: This is the most popular public transportation in Hanoi. Bus routes passing near Phap Van Pagoda: 16, 36CT, CNG02. You can choose one of these bus routes to get to the pagoda.
- Personal vehicle: If you want to experience the journey to Phap Van Pagoda on your own, you can look up Google Maps on your mobile phone and travel to 1299 Giai Phong Street.
Note: The traffic volume on Giải Phóng road is very high, especially on holidays, full moon days, the 1st day of the month, or during peak hours. Therefore, if you want to visit the pagoda, you should be careful, avoid rush hours to prevent difficulties in transportation.
The temple is located on a main road so tourists can take a bus or drive their own car (Photo: Collected)
- History of Phap Van Pagoda, Hoang Liet, Hoang Mai
The predecessor of Phap Van Hoang Liet Hoang Mai Pagoda is now called Long Hung. Later it was renamed Phap Van. According to incomplete statistics, the Buddha statues in the pagoda are over 100 years old. The ancestral statue and some ancient steles in the pagoda alone have a 'longevity' of up to 140 years.
The statues and inscribed steles in the temple have a history of over 100 years (Photo: Collection)
There are hundreds of meticulously carved Buddha statues in the courtyard of Phap Van Pagoda (Photo: Collected)
In 2010, Phap Van Pagoda was renovated and expanded to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi. Also from this renovation and construction work, the temple's premises became more majestic and grand.
Just like other Four Pillars worship temples, Phap Van converges various spiritual cultures such as Buddhist worship, deity worship, and intersects with local cultural heritage. Over hundreds of years of existence, Phap Van temple has become a spiritual space serving the Buddhist worship needs of people from all over.
At the same time, this place has also become a venue for organizing meditation retreats, spiritual retreats, and community activities. And especially, in the eyes of foreign visitors, the pagoda is also a unique spiritual tourism destination whenever they come to the capital city of Hanoi.
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- Who is Phap Van Giai Phong Pagoda dedicated to?
The name Phap Van originates from the custom of worshiping one of the Four Palaces, specifically the temple worshiping Phap Van - Thien May. In addition, the Phap Van temple also worships the Mother.
Within the temple grounds, the Mother Goddess worship area, although modestly designed, still exudes a sense of solemnity, notably the 'ensemble' of finely carved statues, showcasing the rare sophistication of the artists of that era.
Thuận Thành Bắc Ninh is the first 'cradle' of the Four Palaces worship of the Vietnamese people. The origin of this belief is closely associated with the legend of the indirect birth of a girl named Man Nương in the Luy Lâu region and the Zen master Khâu Đà La.
Man Nương went to the temple to study the doctrine. One time, while sleeping, the meditation master Khâu Đà La accidentally stepped over her, causing her to become pregnant and give birth to a girl. Man Nương sent the child back to the temple and the meditation master sent the child to a strawberry tree.
The Zen master Khâu Đà La gave a meditation stick to Man Nương and advised: Once the sky is dry, put the meditation stick into the ground, and it will rain heavily. Following the Zen master's advice, that year Man Nương helped the people escape a great disaster.
Thuận Thành Bắc Ninh is the 'cradle' of the worship of the Four Palaces in our country (Photo: Collection)
Another time, the strawberry tree at the meditation master's place fell. The deity appeared in a dream, suggesting that if the tree trunk is cast into 4 statues and worshipped, great blessings will be received. Thus, the people carved 4 statues representing 4 deities: Cloud Deity, Rain Deity, Thunder Deity, and Lightning Deity, placed in 4 temples around the city of Luy Lau. This led to the tradition of worshiping the Four Deities being established.
- Temple architecture
Compared to the old campus, Phap Van Pagoda has undergone many changes after 2010. With an area of over 7000 m2, the pagoda was built grandly with many different items.
The triple gate is adorned with delicate dragon and phoenix details (Photo: Collection)
- Main Gate: This is the first space you will see when stepping into the temple. The three-story main gate is built grandly and solemnly. The main roof is the highlight of the main gate. The details of the dragon and phoenix are intricately hand-carved. A large bell is hung on the top floor of the gate. Note: The main gate is only opened on major holidays throughout the year. On normal days, visitors will enter the Phap Van Pagoda through the side gates on both sides.
- Main Hall appears right after the three main gates. In front of the Main Hall are two rows of large, cool green trees. After climbing 13 steps connecting the courtyard and the main hall, there is a majestic golden Buddha statue and two stone statues of mythical lions. The most beautiful and grand space in the Main Hall is the place of worship for the Buddha. A statue is a sculpture created with the dedication of the artist and vividly reflects the consciousness of sentient beings.
- Main Hall: Along with the Main Hall and Ancestor House, the Main Hall is one of the three main worship areas of the pagoda. The spacious Main Hall is suitable for worshiping and organizing other public activities.
- Model House: The Model House of Phap Van Pagoda is hidden behind Dai Hong Bao Dien. This place gathers many ancient statues with a history of hundreds of years. Although the Model House's courtyard is not as large as other areas, its ancient and humble features create a peaceful and gentle atmosphere.
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- Meditation courses, retreats at Phap Van Pagoda, Hoang Mai
Chùa Pháp Vân Hoàng Mai is not only famous for its long history and sacred space for serious practice and reverence, but also attracts many monks and young people who come to participate in meditation retreats every year. One of the most popular retreats at Phap Van Pagoda is:
- Lotus Retreat
- Youth Retreat
- Green Dharma Retreat
- Quan The Am Monastery
Besides the meditation retreats, the meditation courses at Phap Van Pagoda also attract many Buddhist followers to participate (Photo: Collected)
- Experience of going to the pagoda
Visiting pagodas is a beautiful cultural and religious practice of the Vietnamese people. To visit pagodas in accordance with the traditional customs and to show respect to the saints, consider the following experiences:
- Clean, polite, serious, and modest attire. Do not wear revealing or offensive clothing.
- Speak softly, avoid vulgar language and swearing. When meeting the abbot or monks in the temple, greet them with 'A di da phat' and address yourself as 'con'.
- Maintain a respectful attitude during prayer. Be serious during rituals, avoid looking around or turning back.
- Do not kneel in the center of the hall as it is considered taboo.
- Only light incense outside, limit incense burning inside the temple.
- If you want to admire the temple scenery, stand from a distance.
- Do not pose disrespectfully in front of statues.
- Do not steal any property from the temple...
Besides, when visiting Hanoi, tourists can combine visiting some places near Phap Van Pagoda such as: Yen So Park, Tu Ky Pagoda or the entertainment area VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium located about 5km from Phap Van Pagoda.
VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium is an entertainment destination located 'next to' Phap Van ancient pagoda
Vinpearl Aquarium Times City is the largest-scale aquarium in Vietnam, located right in the heart of the capital Hanoi. Here, you will be able to freely explore the interesting things from unique spaces and the lives of 30,000 creatures from 'five continents and four oceans'.
More than 30,000 organisms create a colorful 'painting' at the Times City aquarium
For those 'enthusiasts' who love to explore, Times City Aquarium is a 'paradise' on earth. Because from the freshwater fish area to the reptile world cave area and the saltwater fish area will help you travel to vivid, authentic, and interesting stories.
Different from Vinpearl Aquarium, another world for children who love to experience is located at Vincom Mega Mall Times City – VinKE. This entertainment model covers an area of about 4000 m2, combining career-oriented games, modern interactive models with the desire for comprehensive development for children from physical to spiritual aspects.
VinKE helps children to freely embody their favorite professions
Besides 12 dynamic career orientation models, VinKE also owns a 'super mischievous' gaming world for children of all ages to freely conquer such as: a 5D cinema for a 'more realistic than ever' experience, a colorful fairy garden, an intense ball gun arena, and an exciting bumper car ride.
Phap Van Pagoda, hundreds of years old, features unique architecture, showcasing the convergence of various religious and local cultural beliefs of our people. If you are seeking peace for your soul, looking to seek refuge in the Buddha to stay away from life's disturbances and confusion, then you should visit Phap Van Pagoda at least once!