The World's Largest Pagoda on Thất Tinh Mountain - A Pure Land on Earth

Tam Chúc Pagoda boasts an absolutely stunning setting, with its back nestled against the majestic Thất Tinh Mountain and its front gazing out over the expansive Tam Chúc Lake. The lake itself is graced by six prominent rocky islets, creating a truly magnificent and breathtaking landscape.
Tam Chúc Pagoda – A Spiritual Masterpiece Amidst Majestic Landscapes and the Legend of "Six Bells in Front, Seven Stars Behind"
Tam Chúc Pagoda is nestled against Thất Tinh Mountain and faces Tam Chúc Lake, where six rocky islets emerge from the water, creating a truly magnificent landscape.

Visiting Tam Chúc, travelers can immerse themselves in the majestic mountain scenery, hear ancient legends intimately tied to this thousand-year-old destination, and witness its untouched, natural, picturesque landscapes of mountains and water – a true earthly paradise, a land of Buddha.
Tam Chúc is a vast spiritual complex and scenic area, featuring Tam Chúc Pagoda, renowned as one of the largest pagodas in the world. It boasts not only magnificent, untouched natural landscapes, beautiful as a fairyland, but also serves as a hub for nurturing, developing, and disseminating Buddhist cultural values on an international scale.
The Jade Pagoda (Tháp Ngọc) is built atop the highest peak of the Thất Tinh (Seven Stars) mountain range, situated along the spiritual axis of the entire complex. This impressive structure was constructed by Hindu artisans from India, meticulously assembling thousands of red granite blocks. It stands as a symbolic work, bearing the distinct mark of craftsmen from the homeland of the Buddha.
Additionally, there's a system of 12,000 volcanic rock carvings, painstakingly quarried, carved, and meticulously crafted by the skilled hands of Muslim artisans from Indonesia. The stone bas-reliefs within each grand hall depict different themes, incredibly humane, profound, yet easy to understand. These are truly unique artworks in the world – Buddhist stories etched into the walls of Tam Chúc Pagoda that could, in the future, become a spiritual heritage site.

Travelers enjoy a scenic boat ride to the pagoda, admiring the picturesque land and water views, reminiscent of a miniature Hạ Long Bay.
The pagoda is surrounded by limestone mountain ranges and natural forests. With its back against Thất Tinh Mountain and facing Tam Chúc Lake, featuring six rocky islets emerging from the water, it creates a truly majestic and serene landscape.
From the Tam Quan Gate to the Quan Âm Hall (Goddess of Mercy Hall), you'll pass through the Garden of Dharma Pillars. This is a grand garden featuring 32 Dharma pillars, meticulously restored based on the Dharma pillars found at Nhất Trụ Pagoda, a national treasure in Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình. The pillars at Tam Chúc Pagoda are crafted from Thanh Hóa blue stone. Each column, weighing approximately 200 tons, is designed in the style of a lotus pedestal and bud, with a hexagonal shaft intricately carved with the Buddha's teachings.

Alongside its majestic, poetic, and romantic natural beauty, Tam Chúc is also regarded by many feng shui masters as a sacred land due to its "mountain-backed, water-facing" topography.
The ancient Tam Chúc Pagoda was built approximately 1,000 years ago, during the Dinh Dynasty. Its unique location, encircled by Tam Chúc Lake in front and the Thất Tinh (Seven Stars) mountain range behind, links the pagoda to the legend of "Six Bells in Front, Seven Stars Behind."
Legend has it that, long ago, seven bright stars shone above seven mountains in the Tam Chúc region, said to be the earthly manifestations of seven wandering fairy princesses. Enamored by the captivating beauty of the mountains and waters, the princesses lingered and did not return to the heavens.
So, the heavens sent emissaries with a bell-like weapon six times to call them back, but each attempt was fruitless. The six small islets emerging from the lake are likened to the six heavenly bells left behind, hence "Lục Nhạc" (Six Bells); while the seven mountains are "Thất Tinh" (Seven Stars).
Later, some people went to Thất Tinh Mountain to carve and burn fires, intending to take the seven stars. However, the intense fire caused four of the stars to fade, leaving only three. The Thất Tinh Pagoda in Tam Chúc village was subsequently renamed Ba Sao Pagoda (Three Stars Pagoda), and the town of Ba Sao was also named after this tale.

The spacious interior of the pagoda, where Buddhists perform their religious ceremonies.

During the annual Vu Lan Festival, the pagoda organizes ceremonies for Buddhists to participate in.


The Vu Lan Festival is a time to slow down, cherish loved ones, and express deep affection to family members.
This place, with its magnificent nature and picturesque landscapes, is also home to many mysterious creatures that captivate visitors. A prime example is the Trối fish, known for its ability to climb hills and swim through streams, sometimes hiding in the lake, other times venturing onto land to forage…
The Trối fish is nicknamed the "amphibious soldier" or a "hunter," living sometimes on the mountains, other times hiding beneath the lake. Additionally, hundreds of colorful bird species flock here from all over, further enhancing the beauty of the Tam Chúc spiritual complex.

The Tam Chúc Pagoda complex is nestled amidst a flooded limestone mountain range. This special pagoda was built on the foundation of an ancient Tam Chúc Pagoda, dating back over 1,000 years.

This place preserves legendary traces of the Dinh, Lê, Lý, and Trần dynasties, along with the footsteps of Zen Master Nguyễn Minh Không on his journey of building pagodas, practicing Buddhism, and saving people.

Visiting Tam Chúc, travelers can immerse themselves in the majestic mountain scenery, hear ancient legends intimately tied to this thousand-year-old destination, witness its untouched, natural, picturesque landscapes of mountains and water, a true earthly paradise, a land of Buddha.

The Tam Chúc Pagoda complex is a harmonious connection between the past, present, and future; a seamless and delicate blend of Eastern and Western cultures, founded on Buddhist principles, skillfully brought to life by the talented hands of sculptors from Vietnam, India, and Indonesia.
Ninh Binh 7490 view
Update day : 12/10/2023
Source : Du lịch TP Hồ Chí Minh .vn Affiliate links
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