Lang Pagoda

The ancient capital of Thang Long is known as the cultural and religious center of the country. The land holds hundreds of pagodas and temples that have been preserved as an important part of the spiritual life of the local people, among them, Lang Pagoda is one of the most beautiful.

About 5 km from the city center, Lang Pagoda is located in Chua Lang Street, Dong Da District. The street is named after the temple, showing the immense influence and popularity of this temple. The pagoda was built in the 12th century during the reign of King Ly Anh Tong (1138-1175) to worship Buddha. Lang Pagoda is also the place to worship King Ly Than Tong (reigned from 1128 to 1138) and Tu Dao Hanh, the most respected monk at that time, who is considered the ancestor of the special art of water puppetry of Vietnam. the Red River Delta.

During the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225), Buddhism flourished, many pagodas and towers were built such as Tran Quoc Pagoda, One Pillar Pagoda, Kim Lien Pagoda, these temples are still quite well preserved to this day. . Among them, Lang Pagoda has many unique features and is known as one of the most famous temples in the capital.

Lang Pagoda has the typical architecture of Vietnamese pagodas with two long corridors connecting the first and last pavilions forming a rectangular frame surrounding an architectural work in the middle, often the most important part of the pagoda. altar or incense burner.

The pagoda has a three-way gate with a main archway consisting of four columns with the same architecture as the three-door gate in the ancient palace. Through the gate is a courtyard paved with Bat Trang tiles leading to the octagonal house, a unique architectural work of the pagoda.

Located in the middle of the pagoda, the octagonal house is the place to place and worship the statue of monk Tu Dao Hanh. With a two-level roof, the octagonal throne is also a sophisticated sculptural work of art, with the image of four dancing phoenixes on the top and eight dragons flying around the roof representing the eight kings of the Ly dynasty. On the inside, many murals and paintings depicting different themes are hung on the walls.

In addition, Lang Pagoda is also a large, harmonious and proportionate architectural complex consisting of 100 spaces in the open green space of gardens and ancient trees creating a beautiful pure place blending with nature. nature. Therefore, it is considered the temple with the most beautiful trees in Thang Long.

Besides the special architecture, Lang Pagoda also has other treasures of historical and artistic value. That's 198 statues, making it one of the temples with the largest number of statues in the country. Besides the popular Buddhist sculptures, there are two special ones, one of King Ly Than Tong made of wood sitting on the throne and the other of monk Tu Dao Hanh made of rattan and red lacquer.

In addition, Lang Pagoda is home to dozens of horizontal paintings, couplets, and inscriptions. There is a large stele 1.4m high, 0.8m wide built in the 17th century with elaborate patterns of dragons, phoenixes, lotuses, fairies, etc., which is a masterpiece of stone sculpture of this period.

In particular, on the 7th day of the third lunar month every year, the Lang pagoda festival is held to pay tribute to King Ly Than Tong and monk Tu Dao Hanh. It is a vibrant spring festival of the whole region that attracts people living on both sides of the nearby To Lich River to attend. The festival includes folk ceremonies and traditional games such as swinging, wrestling, chess, tuong and rowing performances, among others.

Although Hanoi is a heavily urbanized city, Lang Pagoda still retains its special features, like a quiet beautiful gem hidden in the green space.

Lang Pagoda is open daily from 07:00 - 17:30