Nanh Pagoda
According to legend, Nanh Pagoda was built on the foundation of a tea and soybean stall owned by an old lady who sold these items to students at the Temple of Literature. The old lady often slept on a stone platform at the village's entrance, later known as Thach Sang. Once, King Le Thanh Tong (1460 - 1497) visited the Temple of Literature, stopped by the scenic pagoda, and encountered a beautiful girl reciting poetry on the bell tower. The king and the girl composed verses together, and he became infatuated with her. It turned out that she was the fairy Phap Van, who descended to the mortal world to guide the villagers in practicing the teachings.
Nanh Pagoda is planned in-depth, including three gates, a front hall, an incense burning house, an upper sanctuary, a Mother Goddess house, an Ancestor house, and monks' quarters. The architecture of the pagoda is well-organized. The main pagoda and the Mother Goddess house have elegant interiors. Despite several relocations and constructions, Nanh Pagoda has retained its ancient charm.
The pagoda faces southeast, and its three gates are spacious and majestic. The gates are constructed in an ancient architectural style, with the bell tower near the pagoda's roof. Moving straight from the gates leads to the front hall, which is vast and spacious. Outside, there is a system of rectangular stone columns, smoothed and engraved with verses praising the virtues of the Buddha. To the left of the front hall is the Ancestor house, behind it is the Mother Goddess house, and to the right is the area for the Buddha's scriptures.
Regarding the interior, the roof support brackets, door frames, and hammock pillars are carved with relief images of split leaves, creating a robust and sturdy architectural feel. On the pillars, there are engraved images of dragons, phoenixes, and plants. Nanh Pagoda is relatively spacious and airy compared to other pagodas in the city. The pagoda's garden still grows various local trees such as jackfruit, banana, longan, and lemon.
Within the pagoda, a valuable collection of artifacts is preserved, including 5 carved hammock doors, 2 wooden incense tables, 6 medical books, 2 bronze bells, and 12 stone steles erected since the 10th year of Thanh Thai (1898); the Phu Khanh Chan Tien stele erected in the 13th year of Thanh Thai (1901)... One of the most famous artifacts is the large bronze bell cast in 1794, measuring 1.15m in height, weighing 1.5 tons, with inscriptions "Dai Dong Khanh" (大銅鐘) and "Dai Thanh Quoc" (大成國). Additionally, the pagoda has many precious lacquered wooden statues, such as the set of Three Buddhas, Snow Mountain statue, Eight Precious Things statue, Thap Dien Minh Vuong statue, Eighteen Arhats statue, and Ba Nanh statue.
Nanh Pagoda has also inspired many famous literary works, including "Binh Ngo Dai Cao" by Nguyen Trai, "Chi Lang Nam Ky" by Nguyen Du, "Chi Lang Tay Ky" by Nguyen Cong Tru... These poems praise the heroic achievements and resilient spirit of the Vietnamese people in the fight against foreign invaders.
Nanh Pagoda is a precious cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people. It is not just a visually appealing architectural work but also a symbol of the heroic tradition and pride of the Vietnamese. When visiting Nanh Pagoda, you can admire historical structures, learn about significant events in the past, and feel the courageous and majestic spirit of our ancestors. Nanh Pagoda is truly a deserving and meaningful tourist destination for everyone.