Discover the world's largest temple in Ha Nam

Located in Ba Sao town, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province, Tam Chuc pagoda is considered the largest pagoda in the world to date. About 70 km from Hanoi, this pagoda occupies 144 hectares out of the total area of ​​5,100 hectares of Tam Chuc National Tourist Area, attracting a large number of tourists from all over.

This is a large-scale tourist destination, combining spiritual tourism, ecology and relaxation. Coming to Tam Chuc, the scene in front of you is a lake and surrounded by green natural forests, this place will make you fascinated by the rare peace and poetry.

Hoang Thuy Duong (Duong Duong Blog) recently had a trip to Tam Chuc Pagoda. Notably, on this occasion, she also participated in the Ha Nam Culture - Tourism Week 2023 and the Hot Air Balloon Festival taking place at Tam Chuc Tourist Area.

"When exploring Tam Chuc Pagoda, there is a feeling of both strangeness and familiarity. Passing through the majestic Tam Quan gate, it is like going back in time, returning to the old days. It is true that when coming to the sacred land of Buddha, my heart suddenly feels peaceful. When I set foot on a sightseeing boat, I feel like I am on Ha Long Bay, immersing myself in the majestic landscape of the mountains and rivers. In the distance, the majestic and solemn main hall gradually appears before my eyes. I really have to exclaim: what a wonderful location!", Thuy Duong said.

According to Thuy Duong, the Tam Chuc pagoda tourist complex is very large with a reception area, a spiritual area, and an experience area. Of which, the spiritual area alone has 24 points, the experience area has 35 destinations that you cannot visit all day. If you follow the order and have enough time, you can go through the works in turn such as: Tam Quan gate, Sutra column garden, Quan Am palace, Phap Chu palace, Tam The palace and Ngoc Pagoda. It takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours to visit the entire campus.

In Tam Chuc, the ideal time is in Spring and Autumn. The weather is cool at this time, suitable for a gentle trip. The temple is also extremely bustling on major holidays such as Buddha's Birthday (April 15th of the lunar calendar), Vu Lan (July 15th of the lunar calendar), Mid-Autumn Festival (August 15th of the lunar calendar) or on the first, fifteenth and New Year's days. However, on major holidays or weekends, the number of visitors to the temple is quite crowded. If you just want to visit and take photos, choose a weekday or a weekday.

The price of a ticket to visit Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam is a question that many tourists are interested in. In fact, tourists who visit Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam do not have to pay an entrance fee, but will need to choose one of two means of transportation: electric car or boat.

The round-trip electric car ticket price (from Tam Chuc Pagoda gate to the main hall and vice versa) is 90,000 VND/person. After that, visitors will visit the pagoda by road.

If you choose the one-way cruise service, the price will be 200,000 VND/person, the VIP boat ticket is 240,000 VND/person. You will fully explore Tam Chuc with the itinerary: Vesak International Conference Center, go to the boat dock, take a boat to visit the lake, Tam Chuc temple, the boat dock in front of Tam Quan Noi gate (by cruise, 30 minutes). Then, you continue to visit by road: Kinh garden, Quan Am palace, Phap Chu palace, Tam Bao palace, Ngoc pagoda, then to Tam Quan gate, take the electric car to the temple gate area.

In addition, Tam Chuc Pagoda also has many tourist services. The tea party cruise takes place from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm every day. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch the sunset on Luc Nhac Lake. This is also the only place in Ha Nam where you can watch the sunset sink into the water.

Notes when going to Tam Chuc Pagoda

Tam Chuc Pagoda tourist complex in Ha Nam is a spiritual tourist destination that is receiving a lot of attention from young people and Buddhists across the country. Tam Chuc Pagoda tourism has many interesting experiences, diverse and unique landscapes.

Tam Chuc Pagoda tourist area has a large area, you should carefully look at the map of the areas before going to avoid wasting time finding the way and wear sneakers when walking. Tam Chuc Pagoda Ha Nam is a spiritual tourist complex, so you need to choose discreet, serious clothes, and walk gently. During holidays and Tet, this place is very crowded with tourists, security is not guaranteed, you should pay attention to avoid pickpockets or snatching.

Note for tourists to Tam Chuc Pagoda: When entering the temple's shrines from the side door, do not enter the main door, do not step on the threshold but step over the threshold. Incense should only be burned at the top placed outside, and incense should be limited inside the temple because it can easily affect the Buddha statue and the Dharma instruments. Only put one stick in the incense bowl, do not randomly put incense into the statue's hand, tree stump or offerings. In addition, you are only allowed to take pictures outside, not inside the worship areas.

Phuong Thao is the Editor of Travellive Magazine. She is passionate about traveling and loves to capture moments with her camera in every land she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are her favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao - Photos: Hoang Thuy Duong, Dao Anh Thu