Echoes from the Past Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi

Hanoi city is dotted with many pagodas and temples of note. The architecture of these pagodas is diverse and reflects the period and religious beliefs of the time in which they were built. Many people appear to have contributed to the building of a pagoda in kind and cash and these are recorded on the stone stele at the sites as merits. All pagodas are complex entities and were built according to accepted norms and contained many buildings and shrines other than the pagoda itself.

The layout of pagodas were based on various scripts and the layout of the Tran Quoc Pagoda is according to the Cong script shape, where the temple part of the building and the thanksgiving house are parallel to each other; they are connected by a corridor called the incense burning house, where the monks worshipped.

Tran Quoc Pagoda is among the most impressive and is the oldest in Hanoi. This tiered tower with multiple eaves was constructed during the 6th century by emperor Ly Nam De when Buddhism was the state religion and even today it is a strong symbol of Buddhism in the city. As with other religious structures it was built to house religious relics and statues for veneration. The original name of the pagoda had been Khai Quoc and it had been built on the banks of the Red River. Relocation to its present site on an island separating the West Lake from Truc Bach Lake became necessary in the 17th century when the river bank crumbled. It was given its current name thereafter.

The courtyard of the pagoda is neatly laid out and has several smaller pagodas, large incense burners, rock sculptures and plants. The luxuriant bodhi tree in the premises is from a shoot of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, gifted in 1959 by the then president of India. The pagoda features many valuable Buddhist statues, though one in particular stands out; the red lacquer gold trimmed statue of Sakyamuni Buddha’s ‘parinirvana’ dated to the 17th century considered a masterpiece of traditional Vietnamese sculpture. There is also a 17th century stele of merit. The many shrines surrounding the pagoda are even today being used by Vietnamese Buddhists.

Extensive repairs were affected in 1815 to the pagoda’s triple gate, the main entrance, the main pagoda, the ancestral worship chamber, the guest house, the belfry and the garden tower. The pagoda is currently under restoration. Standing in harmony with its surroundings, it presents a beautiful and serene picture.

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