Vo Vi Pagoda is an ancient pagoda with a peaceful beauty, located precariously on the top of Vo Vi mountain, Chuong My ward, Hanoi city.
With the surrounding scenery of clouds and mountains, this place makes many tourists feel like stepping into a fairyland in the sky and earth.
According to documents, the pagoda was formed in 968 during the Dinh Dynasty. During the Pre-Le Dynasty (980 - 1009), the pagoda was named Phuc Tru Tu and was built at the foot of Trao mountain.
By the Tran Dynasty, the pagoda was renamed Trai Tinh Tu, moved to the mountainside. By the 6th Hong Thuan reign of the Later Le Dynasty (1514), the pagoda regained the name Vo Vi Tu like the Dinh Dynasty and was moved to near the top of the mountain as it is today.
Legend has it that General Tran Van Tang became a monk from a young age. After contributing to pacifying the enemy, he retired to Mount Wuwei to build a pagoda for cultivation, choosing a quiet and peaceful retreat. The name "Wuwei" is also associated with the spirit of peace and transcendence that he entrusted through the poem "Trung phỏng Vô Vi tự" carved on stone.
Despite experiencing many historical upheavals and many restorations, this ancient pagoda still retains its inherent rustic and simple beauty. The space here is peaceful all year round, with few people passing by, creating a feeling of being separated from the urban noise.
The pagoda has a fairly small area, only about 10m2, nestled under ancient flower trees casting shade all year round. Stepping through the Tam Quan gate with three Chinese characters "Vo Vi Tu", visitors will encounter a stone-paved path consisting of hundreds of steps along the mountainside.
The higher up, the steeper and narrower the road, leading to the front hall, model house and main hall.
Behind the ancestral house is a small, precarious road clinging to the cliff leading to Nghenh Phong tower - the meditation place of the monks. Here, an ancient bell cast from 1814 is still preserved.
From Nghenh Phong tower, visitors who want to reach the highest peak of Vo Vi mountain must continue to climb steep stone steps and sneak through narrow stone crevices.
Standing on the top of the mountain, Buddhists and tourists can capture the peaceful scenery of the countryside and the vast mountains, feeling the rare peaceful beauty of an ancient pagoda amidst Hanoi nature.
