Perhaps the Yen Tu forest and mountainous area has many interesting landscapes and is not far from the capital, with convenient waterways, so from the early years of the independence era, the Ly dynasty paid attention to the land on the western side of Yen Tu Mountain to apply major policies, build pagodas and towers to worship the Buddha along the two banks of the Luc River.

Empty paintings reenact the enlightenment process of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong in the Tay Yen Tu spiritual-ecological tourist area.

The western part of Yen Tu became a sacred Buddhist land and a bustling place from the end of the 13th century as the kings of the early Tran dynasty who admired Buddhism, in turn, came to Yen Tu to study the religion. In particular, for Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, after two times leading the army and people to drive the Mongol-Yuan invaders away from the Dai Viet (Great Viet) territory, actively restored the country and made the nation of Dai Viet flourish, while doing a good job of keeping diplomatic relations and peace with the northern royal court. Then he ceded the throne to his son and came to Yen Tu Mountain to practice the religion.

After many times following the Great Dhuta, he took the Buddhist name of Giac hoang dieu ngu (the Enlightened Royal Master). He recruited many disciples and selected two of them to help him in the process of evangelization. Then he founded the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect and chose Vinh Nghiem Pagoda as the Buddhist center of Dai Viet.

At Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (Yen Dung district), he and his two disciples, Zen Master Phap Loa Dong Kien Cuong, and Zen Master Huyen Quang Ly Dao Tai opened Buddhism training courses for monks and nuns. He ordered Zen Master Phap Loa to make a book recording the names of monks and nuns nationwide which was renewed in every three years, thus unifying Buddhist sects in the country into a sangha. The Sangha of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism was also the first Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam.

In addition to Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, which marks the imprints of the Buddhist Emperor, on the western side of Yen Tu Mountain Range, there are many places marking the Dharma spreading path of the King-Monk. Son Thap Pagoda is located in the lap of Long Thuyen Mountain, in Giap Son village, Cam Ly commune (Luc Nam district). So, Son Thap Pagoda was the first place where he practiced the religion after secretly leaving the capital for the mountain.

This event was probably the source of his Dharma development and expansion path in Tay Yen Tu later. In 1299, he left the Vu Lam royal step-over place (Ninh Binh province) to Yen Tu Mountain (Quang Ninh province) to practice the religion, taking the title of Huong Van Dai Dau Da (The Great Ascetic Monk). After founding the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect and become a Buddhist leader of Dai Viet with the spirit of incarnation, he not only settled in Yen Tu but also regularly went to lecture on the Dharma and the ten things considered good by all beings in the whole country.

If Son Thap Pagoda is the first place where the Buddhist Emperor set foot in Yen Tu to practice the religion, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is where he repeatedly delivered lectures on the Dharma and universal salvation. He had the credit of transmitting the Buddhist light to two excellent disciples namely Phap Loa Dong Kien Cuong and Huyen Quang Ly Dao Tai. Phap Loa was a Zen monk who continued to light up and develop the Dharma and build many pagodas on the western side of Yen Tu Mountain in Bac Giang province today.

Phap Loa’s building of many temples and pagodas in Tay Yen Tu such as Ho Bac Pagoda (Nghia Phuong commune), Bat Nha Pagoda (Huyen Son commune), Ma Yen Pagoda (Bac Lung commune), Cao and Kham Lang Pagodas (Kham Lang commune ), and Nhan Thap Pagoda (Tien Nha commune) was the inheritance of the Kink-Monk’s Dharma spreading path.

The Dharma spreading the path of the Buddhist Emperor as well as places where he delivered lectures on the Dharma and universal salvation with the ten goods things were gradually re-enacted and invested into key cultural tourism sites. Localities in Eastern and Western Yen Tu (Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Bac Giang) have linked up to awake the potential and promote the value of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong's legacy for mutual development.

And the Tay Yen Tu spiritual-cultural tourism road associated with the Dharma spreading path of the Buddhist Emperor is completely located in Bac Giang province. This is the way that has been formed and existed for centuries. It is associated with the birth and development of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect.

On that road, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is considered the starting point for the most interesting trips because this place worships the Buddha and the three founders of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect. It also preserves the special documentary heritages of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist sect, which now become documentary heritages of mankind.

From here, pilgrims follow the spiritual path to the Tay Yen Tu spiritual-ecological tourist area in Dong Thong (Son Dong district). The tourist area was established as a result of creativity in tapping the cultural and spiritual potential in combination with the magical beauty of the local ecological environment, which will satisfy tourists from all walks of life this spring.

Mysterious ancient tea in Tay Yen Tu

(BGO) – The Khe Ro Natural Reserve in An Lac commune (Son Dong district, Bac Giang province) has been seemed to be fully discovered by humans. But the natural mountains and forests always hide interesting things. If we have a chance, we will know a very small part of the secret of the high mountain and thick forest. Only from a piece of information that seems to be vague, we immediately set off, beginning a journey to find the ancient tea still existing in the Tay Yen Tu primitive forest.

 

Tay Yen Tu festival, Bac Giang Culture and Tourism Week slated for early 2019

(BGO) – Le Anh Duong, Vice Chairman of the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee (PPC) on November 6 chaired a meeting to implement the preparation for the Bac Giang Culture and Tourism Week, Tay Yen Tu festival in 2019  as well as the idea of musical film production about Bac Giang proposed by Muoi Duyen enterprise. 

 

Treasure of Tay Yen Tu

(BGO) – The west of Yen Tu mountain range (Tay Yen Tu), with layers of cultural, historical and religious relics and works, has surprised many people whenever they visit it. Those relics and works, placed in the unique and diverse primeval forest, have created a treasure of the heaven and earth.

 

Tay Yen Tu’s cable car system to be opened late this year

(BGO) - The cable car system and Thuong (Upper) pagoda in Tay Yen Tu tourism complex at Tuan Mau commune, Son Dong district, Bac Giang province are scheduled to be opened on 2 September to serve tourists. 

 

Cable car system and Thuong pagoda in Tay Yen Tu tourism complex to be opened

(BGO) - Vice Chairman of Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee Le Anh Duong, Head of the Steering committee for the projects of building Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex and other member inspected the project progress on June 11.

 

Dr. Nguyen Van Phong