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Structure and Architecture of Temples in Vietnam

Communal houses, temples, churches, shrines, ancient houses, mausoleums, and palaces are numerous, preserving many valuable historical, architectural, artistic, and cultural values, and are attractive tourist attractions and research sites.

1.3. Pagodas in Vietnam


The temple is a place to worship Buddha.[14;58]


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In Vietnam, every village has a pagoda, in the city there are many pagodas scattered in wards and neighborhoods. Pagodas in Vietnam in all four seasons have a quiet, discreet beauty that lingers deep in the human soul towards goodness.

Perhaps the oldest pagoda in our country was built at Luy Lau Buddhist Center (Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh) in the early 2nd century, also known as Dau Pagoda.

Structure and Architecture of Temples in Vietnam

Hanoi has pagodas that have left historical traces for thousands of years such as: Khai Quoc Pagoda (now called Tran Quoc Pagoda), One Pillar Pagoda also has the Chinese name Dien Huu (meaning extending the realm of happiness) - this is a very unique architecture with the image of "Lotus flower" on the lake. Under the Dinh, Tien Le, Ly Tran dynasties, pagodas were built everywhere. The following dynasties continued to build. The most recently built but largest pagoda is Vinh Nghiem Pagoda - built from 1964 to 1971, completed in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi alone has about 150 pagodas that have been ranked as historical and cultural relics.

1.3.1. Structure and Architecture of Pagodas in Vietnam


Pagodas in Vietnam are not as tall, massive, or splendid as pagodas in some other countries. That is understandable: First of all, it is due to the harsh climate with heavy rain, big storms, floods, etc. The air is humid, and the traditional building materials of our people are mainly wood and brick (high-durability materials such as iron, steel, and cement have not been built). Another reason is that when monks stood up to build, they were imbued with Buddhist teachings: Each living being

are all equal. Buddha does not want to stand above other living beings, but shares the sufferings of this world with everyone.[10;18]

The beauty of Vietnamese pagodas is first of all their harmony with the surrounding landscape. In the midlands, most pagodas are built on mountain slopes, or use mountains as support. For example, Tay Phuong Pagoda was built on Cau Lau Mountain, Phat Tich Pagoda was built on Lan Kha Mountain, Thay Pagoda was located on the side of Phat Tich Mountain (also known as Thay Mountain); Dam Pagoda was built on Dam Mountain...

In the plains, pagodas are often built on a high mound next to the village, far from houses to distinguish the Buddha realm from the mortal world. Next to the pagoda are often lotus ponds, lakes or rivers. Tran Quoc Pagoda, One Pillar Pagoda, Bao Thien Tower... are all surrounded by lakes, making the pagoda more elegant.

Huong Tich Pagoda is a complex of many pagodas built on Huong Son mountain range, in My Duc district, Hanoi. It is a wonderful combination of pagoda and landscape, mountain and water, cave and forest trees... creating the sacred meaning of a place to worship Buddha, evoking in the soul of people when going to worship Buddha, sightseeing a feeling of respect and admiration.

It can be said that mountains, rivers and pagodas are inseparable. The beautiful landscape has enhanced the value of the pagoda and is attached to the pagoda like a shadow.

In front of the temple, there is usually an empty lot so as not to obstruct the view of Buddhists and visitors. On both sides of the front of the temple, there are usually two rows of stone dogs or stone statues. In the corner of the yard near the gate, there is usually an ancient banyan tree, with roots hanging or sticking straight down to the ground, creating a stable and lively stance.

Before entering the temple, pilgrims must enter the Tam Quan gate (also known as the Tam Quan house). The Tam Quan gate is usually divided into 3 parts and also has 3 quite large doors. The main door in the middle is the highest and largest, this door is usually closed around

year, except on festivals, new moon and full moon days, and Tet. The right door is always open to welcome visitors.

According to Buddhist philosophy, Tam quan means 3 things to observe, 3 things to see, 3 things to look at. Those three things are:

No matter what, do not attach it to its true form or nature. A thing is what it is, it is not born, it does not die, it does not decay, it does not end… a thing is nothing.

To examine anything, one must examine all the transformations in the principle of impermanence, that is, everything is complete.

The Middle Way is to observe and consider according to the principle that is neither non-existence nor action, but in the middle there is both non-existence and neutral action. That is the main point of the path to Buddha (the middle way).

In short: People built the entrance to the temple with 3 Tam doors, which are 3 true reasons.

In large temples, the Tam Quan is a very unique architectural work of art. In some temples, the upper floor of the Tam Quan can also use a bell tower.

Through the temple gate, we enter the temple yard. The yards of many temples in cities are often decorated with bonsai pots and rockery to enhance the natural beauty of the temple. The area of ​​the temple yard depends on the conditions and characteristics of each temple.

In the temple yard or temple garden, you can see tall towers (But Thap Pagoda in Ha Bac, Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue) called Bao Thap.

From the temple yard, to get to the first architectural layer of the temple, the worshiping hall (also known as the front hall), you have to climb over a number of steps. Of course, if

For temples located on high mountains such as Thay Pagoda, Tay Phuong Pagoda, Thien Mu Pagoda, visitors have to climb many steps to reach the gate.

The worship hall, also known as the front hall, is where people worship Buddha. In the middle of the worship hall, there is usually a flower mat and necessary objects. There can also be a bell if there is no bell tower outside the main gate. The worship hall usually has 5 rooms.

Through the worship hall is the main hall. Of course, between the worship hall and the main hall there is a transit distance which is not very wide, probably to let in natural light.

The main hall is the most important part of a temple, because it displays the main Buddha statues of the Buddhist shrine in Vietnam.

Running parallel to the main hall, on both sides are two corridors connecting the main hall with the back hall. Called corridors but not necessarily separate houses but usually two rooms parallel to the main hall, forming a three-room house.

Through the main hall, following the corridor, we reach the monk's house (the back hall), also known as the ancestor's house (some pagodas have a separate ancestor's house in addition to the back hall). The back hall in some Southern pagodas is located right behind the main hall, right behind the Buddha altar.

Regarding layout: pagodas often take symmetry as the main method. During the Ly Dynasty, pagodas often took symmetry to converge towards a point in the middle.

In an architectural complex, there is a central architecture, and the other architectures revolve around the middle point. In general, the relatively common structure of the pagoda is in the shape of the letter "cong" because this is the type of structure suitable for medium-sized pagodas. There are also some pagodas with a tam-shaped structure. Small pagodas often have a "T"-shaped structure. There are large pagodas with an internal public and external foreign structure, the inside is in the shape of the letter "cong", the outside is surrounded by the ancestral hall, the monks' hall, where monks meet to discuss Buddhist teachings.

Of course there are some exceptions, the most notable example being the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi which is shaped like a lotus flower blooming on the water.

Pagodas in the Northern Delta are often built with columns and beams made of ironwood, the wooden columns are rounded into cylinders. The surrounding walls are often built tightly, leaving only ventilation openings on both sides in the shape of a round longevity character, or the image of "sac sac khong khong" (half yin, half yang).

The decoration on the wooden parts is very special, it is a very beautiful concave and convex decoration. The relief carvings, patterns and paintings… embellish the architecture, raising the work to the level of art. On the pillars, people often emboss the wooden faces of fairies bending, raising their hands to support the lotus pedestal above, below is the rippling river water.

Each pagoda built in any period bears the clear mark of that period through its design and decorative motifs. Pagodas in the Ly Dynasty were all more massive than later ones, because Buddhism flourished under the Ly Dynasty (considered the national religion). The royal court spent public funds to build pagodas.

The pagodas in the Northern provinces were mostly influenced by Chinese architecture from the period of Chinese domination. The Southern provinces were mostly influenced by Indian architecture.

1.3.2. Buddha statues in Vietnamese temples


Pagodas are built to worship Buddha. The number of Buddha statues in pagodas can vary greatly. Mia Pagoda (Sung Nghiem Tu) in Son Tay has up to 287 statues of various types of pagodas, Tram Gian Pagoda (Quang Nghiem Tu) has 153 statues. There is such a large number of Buddha statues because the popular Buddhism in Vietnam is Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana is the image of a large vehicle that can carry many sentient beings to Nirvana. It should be added that in many Vietnamese pagodas, besides Buddha statues, you can also see statues of Taoism and Confucianism such as the Jade Emperor, Thai Thuong Quan, Nam Tao Bac Dau, Khong Tu, you can see the four palaces worshiping the mother goddesses such as Princess Lieu Hanh, the princess

The Upper Realm, the Mother Goddess of Water, belongs to folk beliefs. You can also find statues of some real historical figure.

In the main hall, one can find four different layers of Buddha statue altars. The case of having six layers of altars is less common. These four layers of altars are arranged according to the following principle: the highest altar layer is at the very top, adjacent to the temple roof, then the altar layers with statues gradually get lower, followed by the last altar layer is the incense table.[9;30]

1.3.2.1. Statue of the Three Worlds


There are three statues sitting side by side on the highest altar near the roof of the upper hall.

The Three Worlds statue symbolizes the Buddhas of three lives: the Buddha of the past, the Buddha of the present, and the Buddha of the future.

The Buddhas of the past are the Buddhas of the past. One of the Buddhas of the past is Amitabha Buddha. The Buddhas of the present are the Buddhas of the present time. Mahayana Buddhism considers Shakyamuni Buddha to be an incarnation of the present Buddha who appeared to teach sentient beings. The Buddhas of the future are the Buddhas of the future, including Maitreya Buddha.

1.3.2.2. Statue of Amitabha Buddha


Also known as “The Three Saints of the West”. Looking down at the second altar, there are three statues in a row called the Amitabha Three Saints. Sitting in the middle is the statue of Amitabha Buddha, on the left is the statue of Avalokitesvara, on the right is the statue of Mahasthamaprapta.

According to Buddhist teachings, the world we live in is the Saha world, which is the impure land, the impure land, where people have to endure many sufferings and troubles. To the west of this Saha world, passing through tens of millions of worlds, we will reach a world called the Pure Land - commonly known as the Western Paradise. There, Amitabha Buddha is the leader and is preaching to convert sentient beings. The world of bliss is the Pure Land, the pure land. In that paradise, people live happily, joyfully, peacefully like in heaven or fairyland.

Therefore, the wish of all sentient beings is to be reborn in the Pure Land.

Amitabha Buddha statues are often carved much larger than other statues. Amitabha Buddha statues are carved according to certain formulas: sitting in a meditative or preaching position on a lotus pedestal.

On both sides of the Amitabha Buddha statue, there are two statues that are always standing and are smaller in size. Standing on the left is the statue of Quan The Am, standing on the right is the statue of Dai The Chi. These are the attendants who help save the world for Amitabha Buddha, so they are often carved standing next to Amitabha.

1.3.2.3. Statue of Sakyamuni Buddha


In the third layer, there are also three statues in the same row. The large statue sitting in the middle is a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, which has many styles. People carved his statue based on the stories about him in the Jataka, the sutra about the life of Shakyamuni.

Based on the stories about the life and career of Shakyamuni, in Vietnam people often carve four statues symbolizing his four postures:

Statue of Nine Dragons (Also known as the infant Buddha): depicts him when he was born.

The Tuyet Son statue depicts him practicing asceticism on Tuyet Son mountain.

Preaching statue: depicting him entering the Nirvana realm. Nirvana statue: depicting him entering the Nirvana realm.

Next to the statue of Sakyamuni sitting are the statues of two attendants helping Buddha save sentient beings. Standing on the left is Manjushri Bodhisattva who helps with wisdom. He either stands on a lotus throne or sits on the back of a green lion. The lion king of the forest symbolizes the great power of wisdom.

Standing to the right of Buddha Shakyamuni is Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who helps with the truth. He stands on a lotus pedestal, and some temples have a statue of him riding on a white elephant. The white elephant represents the purity and erudition of truth.

1.3.2.4. Nine Dragons Statue


In the middle of the altar is the statue of Nine Dragons. On either side are the statues of Indra and Brahma.

The Nine Dragons statue depicts the newborn Buddha Shakyamuni. According to Buddhist legend, when Shakyamuni was born, nine dragons came down to spray water to bathe him. After bathing, he walked seven steps forward, his right hand pointed to the sky and his left hand pointed to the ground, saying: "Thien thuong dia ha, duy nga doc ton" (in heaven and on earth, only I am more noble). Then he lay down like a child. Therefore, the statue depicting him as a newborn should have the appearance of a child, one hand pointing to the sky and one hand pointing to the ground. There are nine dragons surrounding and attending him above his head and on three sides behind him, on the clouds there are Buddhas, gods, goddesses, elegant music, flags and eight sets of diamonds.

To the left of the Nine Dragons statue is the statue of Indra, the ruler of the desire realm. His palace is located on the top of Mount Sumeru, which is very high and wide, covering our entire earth. The four realms at the four corners of Mount Sumeru are ruled by four heavenly kings.

Brahma is: The king who rules the Brahma heaven belongs to the world of form: They are the kings who rule the Saha world. Because they are kings, in pagodas in our country as well as in China, their statues are carved according to the portrait of the emperor: wearing the emperor's crown, wearing a traditional robe, holding a scepter and sitting on a throne.

When Shakyamuni had not yet become a Buddha, the two of them were always by his side to protect him. And the Saha world is our world, so the statues of the Nine Dragons, Brahma, and Indra are placed at the outermost.

1.3.2.5. Statue of the Four Bodhisattvas


In addition, some pagodas also have statues of the Four Bodhisattvas:

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