An aerial view of the Truc lam Phuong Hoang Zen sect.

Connectivity values

The Truc Lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery is built on Non Vua Mount (King Mount) – the highest summit of the Nham Bien mountain range. There is a well called Gieng troi (Well of God) or “Thien huyet” on the top of the mountain, filled up with clean water through the year.

At the foot of the mountain is Hang Dau cave which gathers lava of nine mountains and has abundant water resources and diverse vegetation. The cave is expected to be turned into an entertainment area and a leisure tourism site.

The monastery is located in Minh Phuong village, Nham Son commune, about 2km from Yen Dung district’s centre and 10km from Bac Giang city. Covering more than 18ha, the monastery houses a gate, bell and drum houses, a main hall, reception and exhibition rooms, among others. With beautiful and harmonious designs, these items constitute a scared space that is in line with local socio-economic development orientations.

The monastery plays a very important role in Yen Dung district as it has been seen as an ideal destination for both domestic and foreign tourists.

The main hall of the Truc lam Phuong Hoang Zen sect.

Nguyen Viet Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Dung district, said the construction of the monastery has helped enrich the ecological landscape and meet residents’ aspirations for spiritual activities, contributing to creating breakthroughs for the local tourism sector.

The monastery also preserves cultural and moral values of predecessors and carried forward ideological values of the Truc Lam Zen Buddhism sect. It connects tourists with other major spiritual tourism sites in the region like Kiep Bac Temple, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Yen Tu Mount, Kem Pagoda and Nham Son commune – part of the Yen The Uprising special national relic site.

Spiritual destination

People were promptly preparing for the inauguration ceremony of the main hall. A group of workers was concretizing the front yard of the hall while others were busy decorating reliefs and wooden doors. The first phase of the project covers the gate, bell and drum houses and path to the main hall with 300 steps. The main items include Buddha statues, a meditation hall and support works, and notably the main hall covering around 3,000 sq.m. 

A ritual of the Vesak festival hosted by the monastery in 2018.

The funding for the construction was mostly mobilized by Venerable Thich Kien Nguyet, head of the Truc Lam Tay Thien Zen Monastery in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, with the support of businesses, Buddhist followers nationwide and locals who contributed money and construction materials.

Over the past time, the monastery welcomed thousands of holidaymakers, especially during Vesak and Vu Lan festivals, and other holidays. Ngo Thi Tuyet from Ngo Quyen ward, Bac Giang city said “I often visit the monastery on the last Sunday of each month to participate in its activities. This is really an attractive destination for many people.”

Together with other cultural, sport and spiritual tourism sites in the district, the Truc Lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery is expected to significantly contribute to preserving and promoting traditional values and creating an impulse for the economic, cultural and social development of Yen Dung district in particular and Bac Giang province in general.

Duc Hoan – Quoc Truong