(HBO) – After restoration, Hang (Cave) Pagoda in Yen Tri commune of Hoa Binh province’s Yen Thuy district still has the unique architectural features of a pagoda in a cave maintained while the landscape improved.
The special feature of the Hang Pagoda in Yen Tri
commune (Yen Thuy district) is that its entire space of worship is located
inside a cave.
Hang Pagoda is the common name of a Buddhist
temple built in Hang Chua (Pagoda Cave), also known as Van Quang Cave. In the
past, it has the courtesy name of Thanh Lam Tu.
The pagoda and the cave accommodating it are
about 85km to the south of the centre of Hoa Binh city, 5km away from Hang Tram
town, and 13km from Nho Quan town of neighbouring Ninh Binh province.
The cave was named Hang Chua (Pagoda Cave) since
two of the four caverns in the mountain house pagodas. The caverns are
decorated with not only the temples’ architecture but also poems and texts
engraved on their stone walls.
Archaeologists also discovered traces of the Hoa
Binh civilisation in Hang Chua such as food vestiges like snail and clam shells
and tool fragments.
Not only the architectural features but the
landscape full of greenery here also makes this place special.
In 1994, the site of Hang Pagoda and Chua Cave
was recognised as a national historical and cultural relic site by the Ministry
of Culture. Since then, the Hang Pagoda festival has been organised at the
beginning of every year, offering an occasion for visitors to admire the unique
pagoda landscape, pray for wealth, and join locals in folk cultural activities.
In 2020, some of the site’s facilities were restored
and built so as to help preserve and bring into play the site’s value./.
On February 12th (i.e. Lunar January 15), the People's Committee of Hop Tien commune, Kim Boi district organized the Festival of Sim Pagoda Festival in At Ty Spring, 2025. The festival welcomed many people and tourists to visit the pagoda and enjoy the scenery.
The palanquin procession to Sim Pagoda.
As Hoa Binh province is set to host 115 spring festivals, local departments, sectors and localities are joining hands to ensure safety for the events.
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