Historical documents recorded that Tay Yen Tu Mountain is the fourth land of happiness of ancient Giao Chau. This whole mountain makes the bow-shaped Dong Trieu Range. Yen Tu Mountain is called by the name of the highest peak - 1068m. As it was a land of happiness, the ancient people studied its natural landscape and built religious and belief works as well as named the mountain and works there.

Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet and representatives from competent agencies during a field trip for the building of Tay Yen Tu spiritual-ecological tourist area (in 2010).

Phat (Buddha) Mountain is a large mountain located next to Yen Tu Mountain, in the territory of Luc Son commune (Luc Nam district). This mountain has a beautiful reclining Buddha shape. Going on the Tay Yen Tu road, which runs through Luc Son commune, and looking at the mountainside, we will see the Buddha image very clearly. This mountain was recorded in the "Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi" (Book of Vietnam’s Great Unity) as Phat Tich Mountain, which makes other smaller mountains for building temples and pagodas such as Am Vai Pagoda, Ho Bac Pagoda, Ho Thien Pagoda, Bac Ma Pagoda...

Beside Phat Mountain, there is a mountain pass named But (another name of the Buddha). But Pass is a high pass on the road to Tay Yen Tu spiritual- ecological tourist area in Dong Thong, Tuan Mau commune (Son Dong district). In 2014, the Vietnam Institute of Archeology collaborated with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in conducting archaeological excavations in Dam Tri (Luc Son commune) and discovered vestiges of an ancient pagoda of the Ly dynasty with many typical relics. It showed that in the Ly dynasty, Buddhism was spread to Luc Son area.

From Phat Mountain, there is a part jutting out to create Am Vai Mountain in Tan Moc, Nam Duong, Nghia Ho communes of Luc Nam district. There is an ancient pagoda and a well with clear, sweet water around the year. On the mountain, there are fairy chessboard, Tien cave, Gao cave, Buddha footprint on stone and traces of stone towers, including those carved with the words "Lien Hoa Bao Thap", which means "Tower of Lotus".

At the end of Yen Tu Mountain Range is Huyen Dinh range in Luc Nam district. It has two ancient pagodas: Ma Yen and Hon Thap or Son Thap. When Tran Nhan Tong came to Yen Tu Mountain, he was received by the monk in the pagoda, but King Tran Thanh Tong knew his son was there and sent people to take him back. Tran Nhan Tong unwillingly followed. Hon Thap Pagoda has been ruined due to time and now there are only remains of the stone tower and the votive tablet recording the name of the head monk here.

Going along the mossy stream of Hon Thap Pagoda to Long Thuy Mountain in Cam Ly commune (Luc Nam district), we can see Ma Yen Pagoda. The book "Lich su Phat giao Viet Nam” (History of Vietnamese Buddhism) writes that the pagoda was built by Zen monk Phap Loa (the Tran dynasty). In 2017, the Institute of Archeology (Hanoi) cooperated with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in conducting archeological excavations, uncovering vestiges of the old foundation of the pagoda and a lot of relics from the Tran dynasty to the Nguyen dynasty (the 19th century).

Tay Yen Tu spiritual-ecological tourist area.

In the area from Vinh Nghiem Pagoda to Dong Pagoda (Yen Tu), along the Tay Yen Tu road, there is also a system of pagodas and towers of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Buddhist sect, typically Cao and Kham Lang Pagodas (Kham Lang commune); and Le Ngac, Ho Bac and Hon Trung Pagodas (Nghia Phuong commune) ... connecting the strip of Tay Yen Tu mountains together to create a spiritual-cultural axis from the Ly dynasty through the Tran, Le and Nguyen dynasties until today.

It is an objective reality that has been explored and clarified to prove the development process of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Buddhist sect in the past 1,000 years, with an important point in Bac Giang land - Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (a large Buddhist center of Vietnam), which is still shining all over the country.

This year, the Tay Yen Tu Festival continued to be organized, attracting many visitors from across the country to attend and pilgrimage to Yen Tu peak to offer incense in tribute of the Buddha at Dong Pagoda. Tourists will continue to explore the hidden beauties in the Tay Yen Tu area and contribute to making the cultural and spiritual tourism road in Tay Yen Tu more shining.

Tay Yen Tu spiritual-ecological tourism complex welcomes over 10,000 tourist arrivals

(BGO) - Tay Yen Tu spiritual-ecological tourism complex in Tuan Mau commune, Son Dong district (Bac Giang province) welcomed over 10,000 tourist arrivals in and outside the province from February 6 up to present. 

 

Tay Yen Tu cable car inaugurated on second day of Lunar New Year

(BGO) – On the occasion of the Launching ceremony of Spring festival and Tay Yen Tu Culture-Tourism Week 2019, Tay Yen Tu Joint Stock Company planned to inaugurate the cable car system from Ha (Lower) pagoda in Tuan Mau commune, Son Dong district (Bac Giang province) to the peak of Yen Tu mountain (about 700 meters away from Dong pagoda) on February 6 (second day of the Lunar New Year). 

 

Luc Nam: Impressive destination on journey to Tay Yen Tu

(BGO)- In response to the Launching Ceremony of the Spring Festival and Culture- Tourism Week  2019 themed “Discovering the holy land Tay Yen Tu” of Bac Giang province, Luc Nam district is preparing for the event with many new and interesting contents. Nguyen Duc Toan, Permanent Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Luc Nam district, Head of the organization board for the festivals of the district provides readers with more details on this issue.

 

Tay Yen Tu CultureTourism Week scheduled on February 14-20

(BGO) – A press conference about Tay Yen Tu (West of Yen Tu) Culture Tourism Week themed “Discovering the holy land Tay Yen Tu” was held on January 23 at La Thanh Hotel in Hanoi by the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee (PPC) ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year. 

 

Well preparing for Tay Yen Tu Cultural Tourism Week

(BGO) – The Vice Chairman of the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee Le Anh Duong and leaders of some departments, Son Dong People’s Committee on January 2 paid a field trip to inspect the execution progress of construction projects in Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism site. 

 

Tran Van Lang