3. 1
Schedule
( One day and a half)
Time Activities
First Day 13:00-
14:00
-Pick tourists up at Vinh Yen bus
station
-Go to Tay Thien by bus
14:00-
17:00
- Visit Truc Lam Zen monastery
17:00-
19:30
-Take a rest and have dinner at Hoa
Binh hotel
19:30-
22:00
- Be free to enjoy some activities (
camping, coffee, flower garlands and
colored lanterns…
Second
day
6:00-
7:00
- Enjoy breakfast at Hoa Binh hotel
7:00-
11:00
- Visit Thong, Cau, Co temples, Thien
An pagoda, Bac waterfall
11:00-
12:30
- Take a rest, have lunch at Guest
House
12:30-
15:00
- Visit Tay Thien Mother temple, Tay
Thien pagoda, ancient tombs of Zen
bronzes, chessboard of fairies.
15:15-
16:00
- Come back to the Thong yard by
hanger cable, cable car
16:00-
17:00
- Visit Dai Bao tower
17:00-
18:00
-Come back Vinh Yen bus station,
finish tour
4. 2
Tay Thien has a total area of 148ha in Dai
Dinh village, Tam Dao district, Vinh Phuc
province. It is located on the slopes of
Thach Ban mountaintop.
Tay Thien is a historical and cultural area
including a system of temples and pagodas,
has value of culture and archaeology. Beside
the famous temples such as Thuong,
Thong,Cau, Co Tay Thien also has a lot of
pagodas ( Thien An, Tay Thien,…with
mystery and sacredness. Coming here,
tourists will be attracted by imposing
scenery and the ancient architecture.
Tay Thien is not only the fascinating
destination but also a symbol of spirituality
and belief in Vietnam.
6. Tay Thien Zen monastery, which belongs to school of
“Truc Lam Yen Tu” founded by Emperor Tran Nhan Tong
is considered as one of the three biggest Zen
monasteries in Viet Nam. This is not only a place of
spiritual cultural tourism, pilgrimage but also a museum
storing artifacts found in ancient temples and pagodas
in Tay Thien area. It was built on the basis of an ancient
Zen monastery and known as a famous place of
Buddhism education that promotes the development of
Vietnamese Buddhism in both width and depth as well
as the communication with the other schools of
Buddhism in over the world.
4
7. Situated on a hill with the total area of 4.5 ha and at
the altitude of 300 meters above the sea level. This
construction was designed by the connection between
lines formalized from ancient Vietnamese pagodas
and contemporary architecture. The general
architecture consists of Tam Quan gate, Main House,
Ancestral House. The statues in the Zen Monastery
were carved from sandstone, which were used for
statuary carving by Cham people and the ancient
Egyptian.
Coming here, tourists can enjoy vegetarian food in the
dining room as well as buy Buddhist books and
souvenirs in the bookstore. Moreover, there are 40
rooms in the guest house for visitors, Buddhists to
contemplate and study Buddhism in 1 or 2 weeks. Tay
Thien Zen monastery has the imposing scenery and
the bulky architecture which makes a great attraction
to the visitors.
Photo: hanotour.com
5
8. An ancient pagoda in the old days which had been
forgotten for a long time before being restored
recently. The pagoda’s trace was discovered with many
pottery pieces decorated in the lotus shape, which
shows that it was built from 13
th
century.
Nowadays, Thien An pagoda has been rebuilt with two
worship spaces, which becomes a sacred place for
those who are both pagans and Buddhist followers.
6
9. Tay Thien Pagoda temple is according to Mahayana. It was
built in a campus with Tay Thien Mother temple at an altitude
of 530meters on Thach Ban mountain. The construction dating
of Tay Thien pagoda is not clearly confirmed. However, In the
Chinh Hoa (1680-1705) , Bao Thai (1720-1729) Le dynasties,
the pagoda has been renovated many times. According to the
statistics of École Française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO), there are
10 ancient wood statues lacquer painted. It was recorded in
the book “Kham Dinh Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc"
belonging to the period of Le Du Tong (1727) that: "when
Trinh Cuong was full of years, he went on a patrol irregularly.
He asked his eunuchs to renovate some pagodas on Doc Ton
and Tay Thien mountains to take precautions against sudden
accidents during his trip". As the result of archeology, there
are many objects having age from Ly, Tran dynasties. These
evidences proved that Tay Thien pagoda- an ancient one had
been existing for a very long time. In 1938, Dinh Son villagers
said that: “Tay Thien pagoda has the most supernatural power
and the most beautiful site in Tam Duong.
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10. In 2003, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism
discovered the tombs of three Zen Master: Thich Phuc
Khue, Thich Giac Nghia, Thich Vong Son after renovating
Tay Thien pagoda. They were the first people who brought
Buddhism to Tay Thien area. These tombs are turned
towards the west and surrounded with natural stones in the
shape of pyramids.
On the top of Thach Ban mountain , there is a big stone. Its
was said that from 16
th
century, this is place where three Zen
masters played chess when they were alive as well as after
becoming fairies. The trace of the chessboard is still on the
stone.
86
12. .
Tay Thien mother temple (Thuong temple) is the highest place
in the system of temples worshiping mother of country Lang
Thi Tieu. According to myth, Mother Lang Thi Tieu was the
daughter of a chieftain - Lang Phieu and his wife- Dao Lieu.
They often called her by the name Tham ( Nhuoc Cam). She
was very prominent when being a child. At the age of 20, she
had recruited hundreds of soldiers and local people to help
the sixth Hung King to defeat An invaders at Phong Chau.
After being conferred a title as "Tam Đảo sơn trụ Quốc mẫu
Đại vương", she came back to live ordinary life in Tam Dao.
After that, Lang Lieu prince became the 7th Hung King- Hung
Chieu Vuong. One day, on the trip to Tam Dao, he met and
married Lang Thi Tieu. After becoming the queen consort, she
had a great contribution in teaching her people to raise
silkworms and grow rice as well as helped her husband to
govern country. Her efforts made the country develop
prosperously for a long time. Later years when Thuc enemy
from the North encircled Phong Chau, she appealed soldiers
to rescue the capital city. After she passed away, people buit a
temple on Tam Dao mountain to show the deep gratitude to
her great merit. Todays, Thuong temple after being renovated
has become an indispensable destination of tourists on the
trip to Tay Thien.
10
13. Besides Thuong temple, there are
some other temple such as:
Thong, Co, Cau temples. Located
at the foot of Thach Ban
mountain. Thong temple is not
only the gateway but also the first
place in the system of temples
with extremely ancient
architecture and the appearance
of a very old banyan tree with
nine roots. Stepping more highly
and passing Cau temple, visitors
will have a chance to meet Co
temple.
Cau temple is a mysterious
temple. According to the legend,
it is a place where people worship
a young boy who helped the
Mother of Country by choosing
and training soldiers to protect
country. It is said to be built from
17th century, then, rebuilt in 1993.
Visiting Cau temple, tourists
usually pray for happiness,
luckiness and long live.
Co temple is located near Giai
Oan stream. This place was built
to memorize Co who was sent to
the Earth to follow and support
for Mother of country.
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17. Coming to Tay Thien,
tourists can take part in
many interesting activities
like incense offering
ceremony- an important
activity in temples and
pagodas to pray for
luckiness, happiness,
success and peace..., and
other activities such as:
camping, parade, flower
garlands and colored
lanterns festival. Tourists
will be fallen in line with
nature. Taking photos is a
wonderful activity to record
the experience.
15
19. Flower garlands and colored lanterns festival is one of the activities
to welcome Tay Thien festival. It is held by thousands of monks on
15
th
February Lunar night at the festival yard. In the divine melody,
the most expected and impressive moment of the night was the
traditional lantern burning. This is a cultural and spiritual beauty.
Each flower top is a good wish for the people. 17
20. Tam Dao is well-known
as a Kingdom of
chayote. Due to the
advantageous
conditions of weather,
the chayote in this area
grow very quickly.
Both bud and fruit of
chayote are used as
common ingredient in
different delicious
dishes. Tourists will
have chance to enjoy
some rural foods such
as: “củ từ” (tu bulbs),
grilled eggs, roasted
chickens, Cơm Lam,
vegetarian foods…)…
Grilled egg is a
popular food in Sa Pa
that tourists can have
chance to try when
coming here.
18
21. 19
Com Lam is a traditional
food of some ethnic
minorities. It is made
from sticky rice put into
bamboo tubes, then
broiled. The roasted
chicken with special
flavor of chickens raised
in the mountain.
Beside some rural foods,
tourists can enjoy not
only some Vietnamese
cuisines such as
seafood, fish, barbeque,
but also dishes with
European flavor like
spaghetti, lamb meat,
Australia beef…
22. Lac Hong Tay Thien Corporation has invested in building a Tay
Thien guest house on Tam Dao mountain slope near Thuong
Temple with open architecture style. It promises to give visitors
the pleasant experience when contemplating Tay Thien
mountainous scenery from the cozy and chic space of the
restaurant. Beside, Hoa Binh hotel is also a good choice for
visitors coming Tay Thien.
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24. The system of hanger cables designed along the stream, and
over the mountain helps visitors move more easily,
experience the strong feeling of being hanged on the sky. Tay
Thien cable transport is safe, fast and convenient to the
tourists being afraid of walking on mountain road. It costs
about 70.000VND to 120.000VND for one way per head.
Tourists can spend 20.000VND/once to take cable car from
Thong temple to hanger cable station.
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27. Content
1. Schedule ………………………………………………………. 1
2. Overview……………………………………………………….. 2
3. Zen Monastery……………………………………………… 4
4. Pagodas………………………………………………………... 6
5. Temples………………………………………………………... 10
6. Activities……………………………………………………… 15
7. Special Foods………………………………………………. 18
8. The service area…………………………………………….20
9. Means of transportation……………………………… 22
See you again!