Visiting Ha Tan Pagoda

Việt Nam•13/03/2024

Ha Tan Pagoda was once a small village temple, built in the 1940s. A devout Buddhist from Ha Tan village, Mr. Luong Chau (Luong Tu Hoi), built the pagoda and donated the land, providing a place for Buddhists in the village to worship Buddha year-round. He also contributed to the maintenance and restoration of the pagoda over the years.

Statues of the 18 Arhats in the temple grounds. Photo: HL

However, there was a time when, due to the devastation of war, the villages were desolate and impoverished, and the temple also fell into ruin. In 1974, Ha Tan village was directly affected by the war, with the historically significant Battle of Thuong Duc, and the village temple also suffered greatly.

Ha Tan Pagoda is a place of worship for more than 1,000 martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the Thuong Duc battlefield. Photo: HL

After liberation, the small temple also fell into serious disrepair. For a long time, the Ha Tan village temple was without a resident monk. Every year, Buddhists and villagers would come to the temple to worship Buddha and make offerings to the Three Jewels. Eventually, the temple had a resident monk, Venerable Thich Dong Nhan.

The village temple, originally small, was dilapidated and ruined by devastating floods. The two rivers, once so picturesque, became ferocious and violent during each flood, seemingly swallowing up anything in the area where they meet. The government assisted the villagers in relocating entirely from the vulnerable area...

Summer retreat at Ha Tan Pagoda. Photo: HL

At this river confluence, thousands of young soldiers sacrificed their lives on the battlefield of Thuong Duc. In gratitude for the sacrifices of those who died on this land, with the permission of the local authorities and the families of the fallen soldiers, Ha Tan Pagoda has brought the spirits of 1,000 martyrs from the 304th, 324th Divisions and the 219th Regiment of the 2nd Army Corps to be enshrined in the solemn martyrs' shrine. Every year during the Vu Lan season, relatives of the martyrs from all over the country come here to offer incense and commemorate the souls of the martyrs who perished on this land. The pagoda also holds a grand ceremony each year to pray for the souls of the martyrs.

The temple garden offers a cool, peaceful green space. Photo: HL

During the period 2013-2015, thanks to the generous support and donations from Buddhists, businesspeople, and the general public, Ha Tan Pagoda had the opportunity to renovate and restore the main hall, guesthouse, kitchen, pagoda garden, and other landscapes.

Over the years and through numerous renovations and restorations, the temple was rebuilt on the foundation of the old temple, and the temple garden was harmoniously and beautifully cultivated and expanded, becoming a destination for sightseeing and worshipping Buddha for locals and tourists from near and far, especially on major holidays and at the beginning of the new year. The temple courtyard has many large trees providing shade, with laurel and sala trees in full bloom, and where the statues of the 18 Arhats stand serenely in the meditation garden. To the southwest of the temple, a statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, tens of meters high, sits majestically, facing the confluence of three rivers...

Ha Tan Pagoda is located on a strip of land at the confluence of three rivers. Photo: HL

To preserve this temple in this remote and dangerous location, countless efforts have been poured in by monks, nuns, Buddhists, and the local people. Venerable Thich Dong Nhan, the abbot of Ha Tan Temple, has repeatedly mobilized young men from the village to go into the forest to carry stones, cut trees, build embankments, and construct gabion retaining walls to block the raging water and protect the village and the temple. Each day, the arduous work of reinforcing the river and protecting the temple's foundations grew, and thanks to this, Ha Tan Temple remains firmly protected.

"To protect the beautiful temple at the headwaters of the Vu Gia River, and also to protect this picturesque Ha Tan village, the temple has devoted much effort to calling on monks, nuns, Buddhists, and philanthropists near and far to contribute and donate to the Three Jewels. Thanks to this, Ha Tan Temple has been preserved and maintained. However, the worry about landslides still remains..." - Venerable Thich Dong Nhan said.

The temple gate leads to Ha Tan village. Photo: HL

On a spring day, visiting the temple, standing on the promontory at the edge of the village overlooking the river confluence, the cool breeze blows, and the scenery is breathtaking. The sound of the temple bell echoing amidst the surrounding clouds and water brings a strange sense of peace. May the temple – "a sanctuary for the soul of the nation" in this place at the forefront of the waves – endure forever.

Source