Visiting temples in Bac Giang at the beginning of the year.

Tay Yen Tu spiritual tourism area. Photo: Bac Giang Tourism

Bac Giang is located about 50 km from Hanoi , and is easily accessible via the CT01 expressway connecting Bac Giang and Lang Son.

Typically, tourists visit Bac Giang for a day trip. However, to have time to admire the temples and relax, visitors should undertake a two-day trip, visiting three famous temples: Yen Tu, Bo Da, and Vinh Nghiem.

Starting from Hanoi, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach the Tay Yen Tu spiritual tourism area in Son Dong district. The journey is 62 km long, via the CT01 expressway and then National Highway 17.

Located on the western slope of the Yen Tu mountain range (Quang Ninh province), Tay Yen Tu was built to recreate the path of Buddhist propagation taken by the founding masters of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in the scenery of the mountains and forests with their rich flora and fauna.

The temple complex comprises four areas: Trinh Temple, Ha Temple (Phật Quang Temple), Trung Temple, and Thuong Temple (Kim Quy Temple). The temples are located at altitudes ranging from 145 meters to nearly 1,000 meters, connecting to Dong Temple at the summit of Yen Tu Mountain. Visitors can take a cable car from Ha Temple to Thuong Temple and then hike along the mountain path to Dong Temple.

The total time for a visit here is approximately 3-4 hours, depending on individual needs.

Near the parking lot at the foot of Yen Tu mountain, there is a restaurant serving lunch. Additionally, at the Tay Yen Tu intersection - Tay Yen Tu town, about 2 km from the pagoda, there is also a restaurant offering various dishes made from free-range chicken from Son Dong, forest products, and affordable hot pot rice, accepting reservations for large groups.

From Yen Tu, tourists travel along DT293 to reach Vinh Nghiem Pagoda. The distance is approximately 60 km.

Vinh Nghiem ancient pagoda. Photo: Bac Giang Tourism

The pagoda has four buildings located within a spacious compound, surrounded by a bamboo forest. Besides being a place of worship for Buddha, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda also venerates the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam from the Tran Dynasty.

The temple still preserves an ancient collection of wooden scriptures spanning ten rooms. These scriptures, dating back 700 years, are a valuable library that the ancients called a "wooden library."

Bac Giang offers a variety of accommodations to suit different needs. Four-star hotels include Muong Thanh, Kinh Bac Palace, Mandala Hotel and Suites, Ravatel Luxury Hotel, Sojo Hotel Bac Giang, and Linn Hotel, with prices for a double room ranging from 700,000 to 1,000,000 VND per night. Other hotels have prices starting from 200,000 VND per night.

In the evening, tourists dine at restaurants in the city. If you visit around the tenth lunar month, don't miss the dishes made from soft-shell crab, a local specialty.

On the second day, visitors can visit the ancient Xương Giang citadel in the center of Bắc Giang city. This is a historically significant site, associated with General Lê Lợi and strategist Nguyễn Trãi, along with other generals who directly commanded the Battle of Xương Giang in 1427.

Bo Da Pagoda is located about 20 km from Bac Giang City on the way to Hanoi. Visitors can stop to admire the pagoda's scenery and rest for about an hour.

The pagoda retains its traditional Vietnamese architecture. Nearly 100 interconnected chambers are built using traditional materials such as fired bricks, tiles, earthenware, and surrounding walls made of earth. The walls, gates, and some structures are built of rammed earth in the traditional style. The pagoda has an 8,000 m2 garden with 110 stupas, serving as the resting place for over 1,214 monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers of the Lam Te Zen sect.

On the way back, tourists can have a late lunch in Bac Ninh City. Delicious dishes in Bac Ninh City include steamed young beef wrapped in rice paper, wild birds, Tich Nghi fish porridge, and crispy rice with goat meat. Bac Ninh City also has many specialties to buy as souvenirs, such as Phu The cake, Bui spring rolls, and Lang Cho rice cakes.

Visitors can combine a visit to the Do Temple in Bac Ninh City on the afternoon of the second day. Note that if visitors come to Bac Giang at the end of March, they should visit the more than 100-year-old kapok tree at the Ba Co Yen Dung shrine (Lang Son kapok tree) in Lang Son commune, Yen Dung district. This is the time when the kapok tree blooms with vibrant red flowers.

TB (summary)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/dau-nam-van-canh-chua-o-bac-giang-406261.html