Perfume Pagoda
The Perfume Pagoda ( Vietnamese Chùa Hương ) is a religious site in Vietnam , which is about 70 km southwest of Hanoi , high in the limestone mountains of Hương Sơn. The Perfume Pagoda is an extensive complex that consists of many temples, shrines and caves. As a pilgrimage site, it attracts thousands of Buddhists every year .
history
Legend has it that the Hương Tích grotto (now part of the temple complex) was discovered by a monk about 2000 years ago and has been used as a religious site ever since. The place was named by the monk after a Tibetan mountain where Buddha once led an ascetic life. According to another statement, the temple complex owes its name to the clean and fresh air in the area, as well as the smell of flowers and blossoming trees.
The first small temple was probably built on the site of today's Thiên Trù pagoda in the 15th century. In the 17th-18th More temples were built in the 19th century. During the First and Second Indochina Wars, the gate and bell tower of the Thiên Trù pagoda were destroyed. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1986 and the gate in 1994.
construction
Đền Trình
Đền Trình is the first structure in the temple complex that can be reached by rowing a boat on the Yen Vi River. Đền Trình is a registration shrine. In earlier times, all visitors to Chùa Hương had to register there and state their intentions. Today the stop in Đền Trình has a symbolic memorial value and serves as an introduction to the large temple complex.
Thiên Trù Pagoda
The name of the pagoda means "heavenly cuisine" or "pagoda that leads to heaven". This temple is one of the outer temples of the complex. He was in the 17th-18th Century built into a rock formation and is nestled between hills and mountains. The Thiên Trù Pagoda is dedicated to the deity Quan Am , symbolically the beginning of the journey to heaven. The pagoda is known for its Thuy Tien Tower, a granite monolith.
Tiên-Sơn grotto
On the right side of the Thiên-Trù-Pagoda is the Tiên-Sơn-Grotto, which is known for its five granite statues and various rock formations on the walls. When you hit your hand, some formations sound like bells.
Hương Tích Grotto
The Hương Tích Grotto is located at the top of the Hương Tích Mountain, which means “mountain of the fragrant trail”, and can be reached on foot or by cable car. The grotto is very important to the Mahayana Buddhists in Vietnam.
The inscription Nam Thien De Nhat Dong (by Trinh Sam, ruler of North Vietnam from 1767 to 1782) on the granite slab at the entrance means “The most beautiful grotto under the southern sky”. Several colorful stalagmites and stalactites can be found in the grotto, where religious events still take place today .
Other facilities in the temple complex are the Thuyết Kinh Grotto, the Phật Tích Temple and the Vong Temple.
use
Pilgrimage
Every year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to the temple complex to pray for forgiveness, happiness, health, offspring and prosperity at this holy site. The Perfume Pagoda is a popular attraction for local and foreign tourists.
Perfume Pagoda Festival
The Perfume Pagoda Festival (Hội Chùa Hương) takes place in the Perfume Pagoda during the first three months of the lunar calendar, between February and March. Buddhists from all over Vietnam gather there to worship Buddha in the temples. The festival is also popular among young people who want to bond for life.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Vietnam.com: Perfume Pagoda (Chùa Hương). Accessed November 14, 2018 (German).
- ↑ a b Sieu, Thich Thien: Vietnam's Famous Pagodas . My Thuat Publisher, Ho Chi Minh City 1995, pp. 283 .
- ^ Rough Guide Travel Guides (ed.): Rough Guides. The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia . 2002, p. 1312 .
- ↑ a b Phương Quỳnh Đỗ: Traditional Festivals in Vietnam . Thế Giới Publishers, Hanoi 1995, p. 220 .
- ↑ a b BAL Tours: Perfume Pagoda, Chua Hong, Thien Tru, Huong Tich Chu, Den Trinh. Retrieved November 14, 2018 .