Dau Pagoda Bac Ninh

Dau Pagoda is located in Thanh Khuong commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province, some 30 km from Hanoi. Dau pagoda Bac Ninh was built between 187 and 226 AD. This ancient pagoda has undergone many restorations and expansions, with the largest construction undertaken under the Tran dynasty between the 17th and 18th century.

The temple itself dates from the 2nd century with construction in 187-226 AD. It is the oldest documented Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam. With Luy Lau being an entrepot between China and India, Dau Pagoda was the stopping point for both Northern (Mahayana) and Southern (Theravada) Buddhist pilgrims and monks.

Architecturally the temple contains a number of important buildings in Vietnamese Buddhist art. At the center is a large three-story brick tower named Hoa Phong. Other historical pieces include stone and wooden statuaries, a number of which predates the 10th century.

The Dau pagoda Vietnam comprises three main halls: the front hall, the worshipping hall and the upper hall. The pagoda is closely associated with the legend of Buddha and the four genies: the Cloud Genie, the Rain Genie, the Thunder Genie and the Lightening Genie which reflects the harmonious combination of Vietnamese folklore and Buddhism. The Dau pagoda is one of the few that still follow the Buddhist worshipping ritual of the Le dynasty.

The pagoda guards a number of valuable artifacts including a wood block that dates back to 1752 and 6 documents on conferring titles dating back to the regimes of King Minh Mang in the 18th century, King Tu Duc in the 19th century, and King Khai Dinh in the early 20th century.

According to historians and Buddhism researchers, the Dau pagoda is the center of Vietnam’s Buddhism. In December, 2013, the Dau pagoda was recognized as a special national relic.

Dau Pagoda Map

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Dau Pagoda Tours

Want to discover Dau pagoda on two wheels? Take a look at our excursions below.

Bac Ninh Packages