Van Bao Pagoda

Van Bao Pagoda was built on the land of Van Bao, Tu Liem District, Quoc Oai, now in Van Bao Village, Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, so called Van Ngoc Pagoda. It used to be called Linh Son Pagoda. During the Le Dynasty (1725), the pagoda was renamed as Linh Am Pagoda then Van Bao pagoda. Van Ngoc is the name commonly referred to by the village. At present, the pagoda still contains the inscription "Kim Quang Tu". Thus, from the beginning, the temple has the name: Linh Son pagoda, Linh Am pagoda, Van Bao pagoda, Kim Quang pagoda.
Van Ngoc Pagoda as well as other temples in our country was built very early to worship Buddha.
More specifically, the pagoda was a revolutionary base in the pre-uprising period. In the years 1942-1943, the pagoda was the place where the first Communist Party of the inter-commune was established, including three communes of Tu Lien, Quang An and Nhat Tan.
In the period of national resistance war in 12-1946, Van Ngoc Pagoda was chosen as the destination for receiving war invalids after fierce fighting from the inner city sector A, and then moved to the rear. On the evening of December 19, 1946, wounded soldiers were massacred due to heavy wounds buried at the temple. As of the 4th day of the Lunar New Year in 1947, the death toll reached 40.
At the same time, the pagoda was also the location for the operation of the police of Tran Tay district (after the change of police in District V). In 1958, it was renamed as Tu Liem district police.
Van Ngoc Pagoda is located on the bank of the Red River, overlooking the southwest. The remains of the temple include the three-arched-gates entrance (built in 1992), the main pagoda with “Dinh” structure, the ancestor altar house built in 2000, the Mau house was built in 2006.
The three-arched-entrance gate is a new structure was built in 1992. The gate is built of bricks with matched roofs, roof tile, decorated with dragon embracing the sun. There are three Chinese characters "Van Ngoc Tu". Two small gates on both sides of the arch have tile roof.
The front house has tile roof, on two sides are two pillars with lantern style. All the pillars are placed on the base of smooth stone on the round, the lower part is square. The house on the ground is 1.15m higher than the yard.
The upper chamber connected to the front house. The house is running along to the back, including three rooms. The interior consists of the four rows of pillars replaced by the surrounding brick wall, round wooden posts, placed on the round rock legs. Tiled floor is square.
Ancestor house, Mother Goddesses house in the left of the upper chamber consists of five rooms with tile roof. The roof frame has six sets of trusses with tiles floor.
Tomb tower of the pagoda is a square three-storey tower. On the top is a lotus, the layout of the floor on each side is decorated in square shape. The tower is gradually reduced from the bottom to the top level, creating a harmonious tower hidden in the green leaves of the year round.
The Three Jewels of the pagoda is decorated with the statue in accordance with regulations. At the front house, adjacent to the right wall inside is the statue of his Duc Ong; Opposite to the left is the Punisher of evil and great monk statues inside.
The Buddha palace includes the layers:
First class: The Three Jewels – Past, Present and Future.
Second class: Amitabha Buddha, on his two sides are Bodhisattva and The Great Mind.
Third class: The Ton and on two sides are Pham Thien and De Thich.
Fourth class: Jade Emperor.
Fifth class: The nine-dragon tower and baby Shakyamuni.
Among the statues of the pagoda are still a set of Amitabha statues are high art value statues. Amitabha meditating on the three-layer lotus, the statue is 1.35m tall and the lotus is 28cm high. The statue shows a spiral-shaped hair, large ears that run down the chin, clear citadel, slightly rounded face, good looking, curved eyebrows, eyes looking down. Statue wearing robes showing two layers squeezed through the shoulders, chest open. The lapel of the waistband falls to the waist. The statue is high, the belly is tucked, the center of the chest is prominent swastika, under the swastika with lotus leaf shape, palm of the back, pinching two thumbs together on the thigh in meditation posture. Right leg is placed on the left leg. The lotus has three-layer, lotus petals are thick, sharp head, round lotus petals. Amitabha Buddha Statue and the two statues of Bodhisattva and The Great Mind are among the oldest, most beautiful statues in the pagoda. Statues have the art style of XVIII century.
Van Ngoc Pagoda is a place for worshiping Buddha, valued mainly in art. It had experience changes in the history of the nation, especially through two wars against the French colonialists and American invaders. At present, the pagoda still preserves a collection of artifacts of high artistic value of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries such as 20 round statues covered with splendid gold-plated paint, a bell “Van Bao tu chung” which is from 1814, The bell height 1.23m, diameter 62cm, decorated with dragon on the bell ring, four bell knob. Bell body is decorated with geometric shapes. Stone artifacts should be considered is "Kinh Thien" incense set from 1731, incense has a square cross section 1.6m high, 20cm wide. At the top is a stone bowl, under the ridge decorated with wolf leaves, four faces carved with letters, the ridge decorated with floral pattern, rim on the Lotus wing station. Five stone tablets, in which a tablet of "Nguyen lenh cong luu trach bia", it is 1.02m height, 62cm wide. A rim on the brow of the face decorated with moon, twisted pattern. The brewery decorated with the dragon embracing the moon.
The dragon has horns, forehead with mane, lion's nose, pearl jaws, triangular foot.. The two sides of the decorative embossed with floral pattern. Tablet is dated the sixth year of the Le Trung Hung Dynasty (1725). A tablet set up in the 16th Canh Hung (1755) records about worshipping the Buddha, the remaining three tablet dating back to the Nguyen Dynasty.
Wooden furniture is also a door hammock painted yellow cards, four great letters, two pairs of parallel sentences, two incense burners (made in 1997). The contents of the verse praised the beautiful scenery of the temple and remembered to those who planted fruit in front of the meditation.
In addition to the above mentioned relics, the pagoda also preserves many relics, other worship items such as triad, porcelain bowl, lamp, ...
Van Ngoc Pagoda as well as many other temples around the area was created quite early to worship Buddha, worship. With that function, the temple is a spiritual cultural center of a community.
The content of the current inscriptions at the pagoda shows that Hanoi has an additional temple of the Truc Lam Zen. Through the relics of the temple, if you go deep study, can help us understand more about the Buddhist sect in Vietnam. Van Ngoc Pagoda with incense "Kinh Thien" from the third year of the Vinh Khanh (1731).
With historical, scientific and artistic values as mentioned above, Van Ngoc Pagoda was ranked by the Nation on September 28, 1990.