The large Bai Dinh Pagoda complex is located about 30 minutes from Ninh Binh city. My motorbike rider guide and I reached Bai Dinh after the=trek in Cuc Phuong National Park, an extremely well spent afternoon. Visitors can board the electric vehicle at the ticket office for the 5-minute ride to the entrance of the complex.
The first sight is hundreds of stone statues of Buddhist monks along a very long corridor of the Three Gate Entrance. This is Vietnam’s largest corridor of stone Arhat statues, about 1000 metres long, and hosts 500 Arhat statues made of Ninh Binh blue monolithic stone. Each statue is 2.5 m high and 4 tons in weight.
The next structure is the Bell Tower. A flight of stairs leads up to the upper floor where there is a massive metal bell that is the largest in Vietnam, reputed to weigh about 36 tons. The view of the pagoda complex and the surrounding area, from the upper floor, is quite good.
The Pagoda complex consists of several courtyards and temples.
Every temple consists of statues of the Buddha in various forms as well as guardians.
A central courtyard with a pond is a peaceful sight.
A huge stairway consisting of about 40 giant steps leads the way out from the pond.
Several more courtyards and temples are located as you walk along after the large stairway.
The Sakyamuni Buddha statue is the largest of its kind in Vietnam, about 10 metres high weighing 100 tons.
The statue of the crane standing on a turtle is extremely common, found in several temples in Vietnam. In Vietnamese culture, the turtle and crane both symbolize enduring power and longevity.
The two, standing together, represent a healthy long life of happiness. A legend says that the tortoise helped the crane get across a flooded river.
Offerings at the altar represent the elements of the earth.
Small statues of the Buddha are found all over the complex.
Long stairs again, this has indeed been a day of massive climbing up and down.
Incense sticks are placed as part of worship outside the Three Periods temple.
Vietnam’s largest set of three gilded bronze statues of Buddha is found here, that is, the Past, the Present, the Future. Each status is almost 10 metres high, weighing 100 tons. The Buddha is seated with the hands in three different positions.
Here again are statues of the tortoise and crane.
Altars for worship with the different offerings representing the elements. The altars are set up to worship ancestors, scholars and philosophers like Confucius.
In the temple appears to be an area where monks pursue their studies of religious books.
Statues of the Buddha in several reincarnations are found in the Pagoda complex.
A long stairway leads up to the huge Maitreya Buddha statue.
The bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha or the Buddhist Messiah weighs 80 tons and is 34 metres in height, situated on the top of the hill.
The last part of the temple that we visited was the 13-storey high Bodhi Tower. It looks beautiful from the outside, located in a large garden with superbly sculpted trees.
Lovely view of the Maitreya Buddha statue from the path at the bottom of the hill leading to the Bodhi Tower.
Statues of the Buddha are found along the base of the tower, placed in small window like structures.
We now begin our walk back down the sloped path - no more stairs! This path leads down to the souvenir stores and to the parking lot and the exit gate of the Pagoda complex.
Well, today has been an amazing day, a lovely change from mountain roads and motorbike riding, a day of incredible climbing up and down - from the rough trekking trail of Cuc Phuong Park to the hundreds of steps of the massive Bai Dinh Pagoda complex.
This series of my adventures in North Vietnam is pictured here:
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