1. Introduction to Bai Dinh Pagoda
- Where is Bai Dinh Pagoda?
Bai Dinh Pagoda is a spiritual cultural tourist destination located in a complex that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. With favorable characteristics because of its magnificent and magnificent space, the pagoda is located on Bai Dinh mountain in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province and only about 12km from Ninh Binh city center, far from the capital Hanoi. About 100 km away.
To get to this place, you can choose many different types of transportation such as plane, train, and bus. Especially for those in the North, especially Hanoi, it can be very convenient to travel here by bus.
- History of Bai Dinh Pagoda
Bai Dinh Pagoda was built in 2003. The pagoda is located at the western gateway of Hoa Lu ancient capital, like a fairyland on the slopes of Bai Dinh mountain, surrounding the pagoda is surrounded by large rocky mountains and immense valleys. . Bai Dinh Pagoda Ninh Binh has attracted the attention of many domestic and international tourists because this place was once the capital of the Dinh Dynasty while constructing the ancient capital Hoa Lu. It was also in this place that three successive dynasties of King Dinh, Early Le, and Ly were born. Because these kings were very interested in and valued Buddhism, Ninh Binh had many ancient pagodas, including Bai Dinh pagoda.
- Where does the name Bai Dinh Pagoda come from?
According to ancient legend, the meaning of the pagoda's name comes from: Bai means worshiping, worshiping heaven and earth, Immortals and Buddhas. Dinh means peak, high above. Bai Dinh means worshiping Immortals and Buddhas on high mountains. That is why many heroic events in the history of the Vietnamese people took place here. Ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda is also one of the national historical and cultural relics in the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, with both spiritual and scenic value.
2. Time of Bai Dinh Pagoda festival
The festival is held with the purpose of commemorating the merits of heroes who have contributed to their homeland and country. Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival is a spring festival that takes place regularly from the afternoon of the first day of the new year. This festival opens on the 6th day of the Lunar New Year and lasts until the end of March, starting the pilgrimage festivals to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh province. In addition, you can also go to the temple during the above time to enjoy the mountain scenery and admire the cultural and festive activities in Ninh Binh.
3. What is special about Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival?
- Ceremony
The ceremony includes 4 main rituals: burning incense to worship Buddha, commemorating the merits of Saint Nguyen Minh Khong, worshiping Cao Son god and worshiping Saint Mother Thuong Ngan. Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival will begin with a palanquin procession. In this ritual, the monks in the pagoda will bring the altar tablets to worship God Cao Son, Saint Nguyen and Lady Thuong Ngan from the old pagoda area to the new pagoda area to continue to the festival.
Monks also contribute greatly to this festival
- Assembly part
Coming to the festival, there will be folk games, sightseeing of pagodas, enjoying the art of Cheo, Xam, Ca Tru singing or participating in cave exploration activities. In particular, in the theater stage performed by Ninh Binh Cheo Theater, there is a re-enactment of the flag offering ceremony of King Quang Trung on Dinh Mountain before the battle and the coronation ceremony of Emperor Dinh Tien. With these extremely interesting activities, the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival has truly attracted domestic and foreign tourists to participate when visiting the beautiful land of Ninh Binh.
During the festival, delegates, monks, nuns, Buddhists, and tourists participated in the prayer ceremony for peace and prosperity, good weather, and a prosperous and prosperous country. With the advantage of a large pagoda complex, Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival has attracted a large number of tourists from all over the world flocking to the pagoda.
4. What do you need to prepare when going to Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival?
Whether you come to Bai Dinh Pagoda for any purpose, whether to go to a ceremony or to travel, you need to prepare yourself with the necessary items. Let's refer to the suggestions from MIA.vn to prepare carefully for the upcoming journey to explore Ninh Binh.
- Climbing shoes
In order for the ceremony at Bai Dinh Pagoda to go smoothly and without any problems during the journey, you should prepare yourself a pair of sports shoes to comfortably climb and protect your feet. No swelling or blistering.
- Wear appropriate clothing
Known as a solemn, spiritual place of worship, when coming to Bai Dinh Pagoda, you should dress in elegant, discreet colors and not too tight. In particular, you should bring a thin jacket to avoid catching a cold. Because the higher you go, the lower the temperature in the mountains and the wind will be stronger than in the plains.
- Money and personal documents
When participating in the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival, you should not forget to bring your identification documents and some money to accumulate in the merit boxes. Before going to the temple, you should also change the necessary change for charitable donations in advance to avoid losing the beauty and charm of the temple grounds.
- Other necessary items
In addition, when traveling to Bai Dinh pagoda, you should also bring a backup charger, phone, snacks and filtered water to sip on the way to the pagoda. Don't forget to register for the 4G network before you can use it, or to be more careful, prepare a map for easy travel. In particular, you should bring a small umbrella to cover the rain and sun.
Visitors to Bai Dinh Pagoda will be given free vegetarian food and water
Above is a summary of interesting information about the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival in the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh. Hope you will have meaningful experiences in your upcoming trip to explore Ninh Binh.