Meditation tourism – current status and development solutions in Quang Ninh

The reason it is called Yen Tu is because in the land that previously belonged to Kinh Mon (Hai Duong) there was a mountain called Yen Phu, in accordance with the natural law that if there is a father (phu) then there must be a son (tu), the mountain behind is named Yen Tu. A son who is better than his father means the family is blessed. Therefore, from ancient times until now, the land of Kinh Mon, Dong Trieu, Uong Bi is considered a "blessed land".

Yen Tu is also called Elephant Mountain because the mountain stands tall like a prostrate elephant. Elephant Mountain blocks the south wind. The water vapor from the East Sea follows the wind and meets the mountain, condensing into clouds. White clouds cover the mountain all year round. Therefore, the mountain is also called Bach Van Son.

In addition, more than a thousand years ago, there was a Taoist named Yen Ky Sinh who attained immortality. He came to this mountain to collect medicinal herbs and make elixirs, hoping to find immortality. People used his name to replace the mountain's name, so it was called Thay Yen Mountain (Yen Tu Son). Yen Tu is also called Phu Van Son.

Yen Tu is a valuable heritage in many aspects: biodiversity, military, science, conservation of natural beauty. Therefore, on March 13, 1974, Yen Tu was granted a certificate by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a special historical, cultural and scenic relic site among 80 special relics of the country.

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Yen Tu has a primeval forest with many diverse animal species. According to statistics from Yen Tu Management Board, there are about 274 giant pine trees, some of which are 700 years old, which are considered the most valuable resources. Besides, there are immense bamboo forests, ancient mangrove forests at an altitude of over 1000m, and a total of 206 terrestrial vertebrate species. The flora consists of 4 main branches: pine, gymnosperm ferns, angiosperms belonging to 21 orders and 428 species typical of the Northern flora.

Yen Tu is also a place with rich human resources. Yen Tu is a land where many ethnic groups live, the process of people starting to settle and live on this land has built up outstanding and unique features of social culture. Each community has different customs and practices that the process of economic activities, exploitation of natural resources as well as

The struggle for survival contributed to its formation. Gradually, those unique features were shaped, developed, and became the community's cultural identity - a unique humanistic tourism resource of Yen Tu.

Yen Tu is also the origin of "Vietnamese Buddhism". Through historical records, surveys, excavations, and collected artifacts, historians and archaeologists have confirmed that Yen Tu is the birthplace of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect. This is the only Zen sect of Buddhism founded by Vietnamese people, and also the only Zen sect that crystallizes the quintessence of the nation.

During the resistance war against France and the US, Yen Tu was the revolutionary base of the people in the war zone.

Besides the historical and spiritual values, since the time of Tran Nhan Tong, during his practice, he and the Zen masters left behind valuable relics for the next generation. That is a rich system of pagodas, hermitages, towers, and stele statues with special architectural and sculptural art.

Yen Tu is a system of 10 pagodas: Bi Thuong Pagoda (Trinh Yen Tu Pagoda), Suoi Tam Pagoda, Cam Thuc Pagoda, Lan Pagoda (Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Monastery), Giai Oan Pagoda, Hoa Yen Pagoda (Ca Pagoda), Mot Mai Pagoda, Van Tieu Pagoda, Bao Sai Pagoda, Dong Pagoda. In addition, there is a system of other relics such as Hue Quang tower garden, To tower (the most sacred place in Yen Tu), Hon Ngoc, Vong Tien Cung, towers in Lan Pagoda area, Hoa Yen Pagoda, Bao Sai, Mot Mai; historical sites such as Ngoa Van Am, Thien Dinh Am, Lo Ren Am, Tung road over 700 years old, Ha Kieu slope, Voi Quy slope, Day Dieu slope, Giai Oan stream, Tam stream, Cua Ngan slope, An Ky Sinh statue, Buddha stele and over 600 other intangible cultural relics, sites and values.

The system of pagodas, hermitages, and towers in Yen Tu is concentrated on the eastern slope of the mountain. Not counting Bi Thuong Pagoda at the foot of Do slope, Cam Thuc Pagoda in Uong Bi, and Lan Pagoda in Nam Mau village, the road to Yen Tu will go through the following journey: Giai Oan - Hon Ngoc - Hoa Yen - Bao Sai - An Ky Sinh - Cong Troi.

In the context of modern society, Yen Tu really has the potential to develop strongly for many reasons. Tourists coming to Yen Tu all feel extremely satisfied and happy. When they first climb up, they do not know if they can reach the top or not, but somehow the more they go, the more flexible they feel as if someone is supporting their steps, and they think that is Buddha's blessing, Buddha's help; the happiness shown on their faces is hard to describe in words.

The issue here is not the magical transformation of religion, but the psychological aspect of people when exposed to religious beliefs. It has brought people peace and relieved many worries and frustrations in life. That is the greatest potential that Yen Tu can bring to modern people today. Especially, in the current modern social situation, people are under countless pressures brought by life such as work intensity, job worries, environmental pollution, the uncertainties of life...

Yen Tu's ecological environment is also a potential for development. In Yen Tu, its scale is different from other places in that it is not only beautiful in terms of landscape, but also attractive because of the ecological environment with bamboo forests, pine forests, ancient pine trees interspersed in religious relics... All of that creates a quiet, peaceful and pure atmosphere, both sacred and wild, touching the hearts of tourists. Coming here, people seem to have shed everything to let their souls wander in the forest, the stream... to regain their strength for the new challenges that await them ahead. That serenity will be an extremely valuable medicine that increases the confidence and strength in each person.

Economic conditions increasingly allow tourists to come here more and more often, not only during festivals but throughout the year.

Another point of interest is that the trend of pilgrimage tourism is increasingly developing in our country. Besides religious beliefs, the historical value of this relic site is like a historical lesson for all Vietnamese people at home and abroad about a glorious dynasty, about a Truc Lam Zen sect.

in Buddhism in our country. Coming here, visitors can see with their own eyes the living evidence of a historical period, moreover, the anecdotes and stories associated with the remaining artifacts there, thus deepening the historical lesson.

Along with pilgrimage tourism are tours connecting pilgrimage sites and scenic spots in the region such as Con Son - Kiep Bac - Ha Long.

– Bach Dang… also has a festival on that occasion. Therefore, this is a great potential that the tourism industry has been and is fully exploiting.

Other cultural potentials such as rituals and cultural activities are also gradually being restored and developed. For example, in 2008, the opening day of the festival was filled with “Long Am music and the sound of opening drums echoing throughout the mountains and forests, along with the incense offering ceremony and the ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperity”. More specifically, in the opening ceremony of the festival in 2008, to create a new color, the Organizing Committee brought visitors a very special performance, which was “Bai Bong dance” – an ancient dance that is said to have existed since the Tran Dynasty, often performed at grand ceremonies of the royal court – performed by 20 actors from Hanoi.

Today, Yen Tu relic site has become an ideal destination for many tourists from all over the world, receiving attention from the Party and State, who have invested efforts to restore, repair, protect and promote the value of the relic.

Yen Tu with its natural landscape values as well as cultural and historical values, creates favorable conditions to support the development of Zen tourism at Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Monastery. It will be a supplementary product for Zen tourism programs at the Zen monastery, enriching and making Zen tourism programs here more attractive.

+ Truc Lam Zen Monastery

Lan Pagoda, whose Chinese name is Long Dong Tu, is located in Nam Mau village, Thuong Yen Cong commune, Uong Bi town. Lan Pagoda was once one of the most important pagodas in the pagoda and tower system of the Truc Lam Zen sect.

Lan Pagoda is the place where King Tran Nhan Tong stopped before going to Yen Tu to practice. In the year of Ky Hoi (1293), he ordered the renovation and construction of Lan Pagoda into a splendid and spacious place. Lan Pagoda became Ky Lan Institute, a place to preach and ordain monks. In the system of pagodas and towers in Yen Tu, Lan Pagoda is an important pagoda, second only to Hoa Yen Pagoda, where many eminent monks have presided and preached, including King Tran Nhan Tong who preached here. In "Tam To Thuc Luc", a book recording the journey of the three founders of Truc Lam, there is a detailed recording of Tran Nhan Tong's lecture at Ky Lan Institute on January 1, Binh Ngo year (1306). He preached and directly answered questions from his disciples. According to Buddhist documents, only two lectures of Tran Nhan Tong were recorded, the first lecture was given at Sung Nghiem Pagoda (Chi Linh - Hai Duong), the second lecture was given at Ky Lan Institute. The Second Patriarch Phap Loa and the Third Patriarch Huyen Quang also often came here to preach and teach sutras.

Lan Pagoda is located on a hill shaped like a lying unicorn. The reputation and grandeur of Lan Pagoda are still passed down through folklore through the song: Lan Pagoda alley, Muong Pagoda yard, Quynh Pagoda field. Currently, Lan Pagoda alley still retains ancient traces, the alley is long and wide, with many tomb towers of monks on both sides.

After the Tran Dynasty, Lan Pagoda was still a Zen monastery where Zen masters continued to "pass on the light of the six flames". During the Le Dynasty, Zen master Chan Nguyen, who had the merit of reviving Buddhism, compiled "Thien Tong Ban Hanh" and "Kien Tinh Thanh Phat" and Zen master Tue Nguyen printed "Truc Lam Tam To" and "Tue Trung Thuong Si Ngu Luc" at Ly Lan Monastery.

During the resistance war against the French, the pagoda was almost completely burned down, leaving only a system of tomb towers consisting of 23 towers, the largest of which is the tomb tower of Zen master Chan Nguyen. In order to restore the ancestral place, preserve and promote the spirit of Truc Lam Zen sect, on January 19, Nham Ngo year (2002), the ceremony to lay the foundation stone for Lan pagoda - Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Monastery was held.

solemn and dignified organization. The project was built with the initiative of Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Abbot of Truc Lam Dalat Institute and the merit of monks, nuns, and Buddhists at home and abroad. On the occasion of the birthday of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, November 11, Nham Ngo year (2002), Lan Pagoda - Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Monastery was officially inaugurated on an area of nearly 5 hectares. The pagoda was built with modern materials but still retains the traditional features of a Vietnamese pagoda. The main structures of the pagoda include the Main Hall, the Ancestral Temple, the Drum Tower, the Bell Tower, the Monk's House, the La Han Hall... The arrangement in the pagoda is simple, spacious, using the national language on the horizontal lacquered boards and parallel sentences.

Currently, Lan Pagoda has a number of valuable and unique artifacts. In the main hall, there is a bronze statue of Sakyamuni weighing nearly 4 tons, which is the largest bronze statue in Yen Tu today. In addition, Lan Pagoda - Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Monastery also has another unique statue, which is the statue of Bodhidharma made of rosewood originating from South America. The statue is 3.2m high, the pedestal is 0.65m high, the pedestal is 0.95m wide, weighs about 3.2 tons with delicate carvings. The statue is placed behind the main hall, in front of the shrine of the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam, donated by sincere Buddhists.

In front of the Zen monastery yard is a Ruyi ball made of red granite (ruby), 1.590m in diameter, weighing 6.5 tons, taken from the An Nhon quarry (Quy Nhon). The ball is placed on a square-section stone pedestal, weighing 4 tons, outside is an octagonal water tank surrounded by eight flower-shaped basins symbolizing the eightfold path. The ball has been identified by the Vietnam Book of Records Center as the largest Ruyi ball in Vietnam. In La Han Duong, there is a set of wooden statues of eighteen Arhats, delicately carved, with various postures and backgrounds of each. Visitors can witness the final states of the enlightened monks on the path to liberation to the eternal world. The wooden statues remind us of Tay Phuong Pagoda and the famous poem by poet Huy Can: The Arhats of Tay Phuong Pagoda. On the left side of the Zen monastery tower

There is a seven-hundred-year-old banyan tree with lush, green branches and leaves. Standing under the ancient banyan tree, visitors cannot help but be moved by the traces left by the ancients and the longevity of the nation's religion. Currently, Lan Pagoda - Truc Lam Zen Monastery is continuing to be built and renovated to become more and more spacious and clean, promoting the spirit of Truc Lam Zen and becoming an attractive place for domestic and foreign tourists to visit and learn.

The Zen monastery was built in a new architectural style, different from that of the 16th and 17th centuries. The main hall, the three-ancestor church, the drum tower, the bell tower, the exhibition house, and the bookstore were all built in a modern, majestic, and harmonious temple style.

The Zen monastery is similar to other Zen monasteries in its elegance, gentleness, and national character. While ancient Vietnamese temple architecture used mostly Chinese characters, the Zen monastery uses the national language with the policy of Vietnamization, promoting national identity. The Zen monastery was built along a main axis and is divided into two areas: the inner courtyard and the outer courtyard.

The special feature in the decoration of the main hall is the 9 paintings about the Buddha's practice and enlightenment process decorated on both sides of the wall, the paintings are made of cement and copper plated by Hanoi artisans.

While the temple space is usually small and low, the space inside the main hall is very airy, majestic and grand. The skillful combination of Eastern and Western architecture has created a graceful, elegant but still ancient and sacred beauty for the Zen monastery.

The Zen Monastery has many tourist values, but also has great potential for developing Zen tourism. The Zen Garden is home to fragrant flowers, strange grasses, ancient trees, precious flowers, and medicinal herbs. The Zen Garden is not as ornate as the bonsai styles in Chinese and Japanese Zen gardens, but is gentle and familiar. Coming to the Zen space in the Zen Monastery, visitors can deeply feel the philosophy of "living in the world and enjoying the Dharma" (enjoying the Dharma in the middle of life) that the Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong conveyed when he founded the Zen sect of the Vietnamese people.

The Zen Monastery also has facilities such as a Zen hall, a dining hall, a guest house, etc., which are conditions for opening its doors to welcome visitors to practice Zen and enjoy vegetarian cuisine, tea ceremony, and learn Zen art forms.

b) Giac Tam Zen Monastery

Although it has just been inaugurated, Cai Bau Pagoda (Van Don) has been visited by many tourists from inside and outside the province because of its historical and cultural values and the poetic beauty of the natural landscape.

Cai Bau Pagoda is located in Hamlet 1, Ha Long Commune, Van Don District. The pagoda was built on the foundation of Phuc Linh Tu Pagoda (which dates back to the Tran Dynasty over 700 years ago). According to legend, Cai Bau Temple dates back to the Tran Dynasty, and was established by the Thai Binh people who migrated to the island. But no matter when it was built, both the pagoda and the temple were destroyed during the late Le and early Nguyen dynasties. Only in the Duy Tan period did the people have the opportunity to restore it. But this structure was also destroyed during the resistance war against the French. Only the foundation and three statues remained of the temple and pagoda. In the 90s, the people of the commune had the opportunity to rebuild it, but due to lack of budget and planning, everything was modest and sketchy.

On December 7, 2007, the pagoda was rebuilt on a total area of 20 hectares, with a total investment of over 24 billion VND from socialized capital and inaugurated phase I at the end of 2009.

The pagoda is located near Bai Dai tourist area, famous for its wild beauty on the shore of Bai Tu Long Bay. With its back leaning against the mountain and facing the sea, this is probably one of the pagodas with the most beautiful location in the pagoda system of Vietnam. This is also Giac Tam Zen Monastery, one of two Buddhist Zen monasteries in Quang Ninh.

Cai Bau Pagoda - Truc Lam Giac Tam Zen Monastery is a spiritual and cultural work with beautiful architecture and landscape located on the shore of Bai Tu Long Bay, a place associated with many glorious feats of heroes who defended the frontier of the Northeast region. This is also the place that marks the feats in the war against the invading Yuan-Mongol army of the dynasty.

Meditation tourism – current status and development solutions in Quang Ninh - 6

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