Lang Pagoda, also known by its initials as Chieu Thien Tu or Ca Pagoda, is an important historical and cultural relic in the west of the ancient Thang Long capital. Now it belongs to Lang Thuong ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi city.
According to folk legend, King Ly Anh Tong (1138-1175) ordered the construction of Lang Pagoda to worship Buddhas, King Ly Than Tong and remember the merits of Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh.
Anecdote about a Zen master who was once revered by the people as an immortal saint.
According to Hoan Long Huyen Chi by Hoang Dang Quynh, there is a character named Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh who once went to Tay Thien to practice Buddhist magic. He is the person who laid the foundation for the folk Buddhist doctrine, opening the Mat Tong sect. He is also a cultural and artistic figure when developing unique Cheo art performance.
Before Tu Dao Hanh passed away, he told Zen master Nguyen Minh Khong that he would be reborn as the son of a nobleman, Sung Hien Hau (younger brother of King Ly Nhan Tong). Because King Ly Nhan Tong had no children, he took the son of Mr. Sung Hien Hau to succeed him, that is King Ly Than Tong.
Because of that legend, Ly Than Tong's son, Ly Anh Tong, built Chieu Thien Pagoda to worship his father and his predecessor, Zen master Tu Dao Hanh.
Currently, Lang Pagoda still preserves some ancient artifacts, including a small coffin containing bronze leaves written with Sanskrit characters in red ink. According to legend, later Tu Dao Hanh ascended to practice in Sai Son mountain (now Hanoi), then transformed into the Sung Hien Hau family and became King Ly Than Tong.
Place of preservation and long-standing religious activity
Through nearly 900 years of history, the pagoda has been restored many times. The current appearance is a restoration under Tu Duc's reign.
The pagoda grounds are spacious, the secular and Zen realms are divided by the surrounding brick walls; the layout is symmetrical with a vertical axis from the three-entrance gate to the ancestral house behind. Inside the three-entrance gate are 2 square courtyards, each side 100m wide, in the middle there is a stone column where palanquins are stacked when carrying saints. Inside the pagoda courtyard is an octagonal tower with 16 curved roofs, which is usually a place for incense offering ceremonies.
Behind the pagoda courtyard are Tien Duong, Trung Duong, Incense burner house, Upper hall, Left-right corridor, ancestral house, Mother house and tower garden. The architecture is layer upon layer with different functions, harmonizing with the garden, creating a harmonious and quiet space.
Under the corridor, there are also two rows of ten palaces and 18 Arhats along with many statues dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries spanning from the Le Dynasty to the Nguyen Dynasty.
The pagoda currently still preserves 198 large and small statues, 30 horizontal lacquered boards, 31 parallel sentences and 12 imperial decrees. The pagoda has 15 stone steles recording the history of formation, existence and major restorations of Lang Pagoda through dynasties, including a stele built in 1656 with very beautiful patterns. There are also a few rare ancient books.
Besides its ancient architecture, the pagoda is also a solemn Buddhist spiritual place. On major holidays of the year such as Tet holiday, Buddha's Birthday, tourists from all directions flock here to offer incense to worship Buddha, pray for peace and prosperity, and participate in traditional ritual activities.
Every year, people open Lang festival on the 7th day of the third lunar month, the day of encarnation of Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh. In the festival, there are ceremonies of carrying palanquins to offer incense, worship, Dan Luc ritual at the pagoda and folk games such as: pot smashing, rice cooking contest, cockfighting, poetry festival, calligraphy festival, chess competition...
The pagoda is expected to be renovated, architecturally and landscaped, and digital technology is applied to serve the preservation and promotion of values in a modern direction with a total investment of nearly 343 billion VND.
