Discovering Huong Pagoda: A spiritual journey

#Culture
Hương Pagoda is a colloquial term; in reality, Hương Pagoda or Hương Sơn is a whole cultural and religious complex in Vietnam, comprising dozens of Buddhist temples, several shrines dedicated to deities, and communal houses dedicated to agricultural beliefs. The center of Hương Pagoda is located in Hương Sơn commune, Mỹ Đức district, Hanoi, on the right bank of the Đáy River. The central temple in this complex is Hương Pagoda itself, situated within Hương Tích Cave.

Hương Pagoda dates back to the 15th century. The main structure was built around the end of the 17th century, but was destroyed during the Indochina War in 1947. It was subsequently rebuilt in 1989 by Venerable Thích Viên Thành under the guidance of the late Venerable Thích Thanh Chân.

Hương Pagoda dates back to the 15th century. In the past, King Le Thanh Tong, during his second inspection tour in January of the year Dinh Hoi, the 8th year of the Quang Thuan reign (1467), stopped his troops in this valley and ordered his soldiers to cook rice. The king observed the celestial phenomena and saw that this area fell within the territory of the star Thien Tru (a star associated with eating and change), so he named the temple Thien Tru Pagoda.

Three monks during the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (1442-1497) discovered Huong Tich Cave and built the Thien Tru thatched hut. From then on, Huong Tich Cave was called the inner pagoda, and Thien Tru was called the outer pagoda. Later, the two places and the entire area were given the common name Huong Pagoda or "Huong Thien Bao Sai".

After the founding period by the three monks, the Thien Tru Pagoda and Huong Pagoda experienced a period of interruption in abbacy until the seventh year of the Chinh Hoa reign (1686) during the reign of King Le Trung Hung. Venerable Monk Tran Dao Vien Quang (traditionally believed to have been a court official who resigned from his post to become a monk) then continued the reconstruction work.

Through generations of abbots, by the first half of the 20th century, this place was praised by visitors from all over as a magnificent castle, "uniquely the best in Southern Vietnam." Sadly, on February 11, 1947 (the year of the Pig), the French colonialists brought in troops and burned down Thien Tru, turning it into a pile of rubble and ashes. In 1948, the invaders burned it down again, and in 1950, French aircraft dropped bombs, leveling the towering ancient buildings of Thien Tru. The only remaining traces of Thien Tru today are the Pagoda Garden, which includes the Vien Cong Pagoda, a 17th-century terracotta art piece, and the Thien Thuy Pagoda.

In 1951, Venerable Thanh Chan erected six thatched houses from the ruins to provide a place for worship and incense burning. In 1989, under the abbacy of the late Venerable Thich Vien Thanh, the Huong Pagoda Construction Committee began the reconstruction of Thien Tru Pagoda, which was inaugurated in 1991. In 1994, the Nam Thien Mon Gate was also completed, standing majestically amidst the mountains and forests of Huong Son. In later years, continuing the Huong Tich lineage, Venerable Thich Minh Hien - the 12th abbot - expanded and built many new structures, so that today, we can admire this magnificent and beautiful architectural complex.

According to the book "Huong Son Thien Tru Zen Genealogy," a monk was ordered by Lord Trinh (after a tour) to determine the location and build Huong Tich Pagoda in Hanoi during the reign of Le Huy Tong under the Chinh Hoa era (1680-1704). According to the book Huong Son Bao Quyen, Huong Tich Pagoda in Ha Tinh is a high and secluded cave, often shrouded in mist.

So why is there another "version" of Huong Tich Pagoda in the North? The answer is that during the Le-Trinh period, most of the Le kings and Trinh lords were from Thanh Hoa province (see Hoang Le Nhat Thong Chi by Ngo Gia Van Phai), so the concubines and beauties were mostly selected from Hoan Chau. Every year, the concubines and palace maids from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh would travel to Huong Pagoda on Hong Linh mountain on the 18th day of the 2nd lunar month by water through Hoi Thong estuary (near Cua Lo today). Each time these "beauties" traveled so far, the Trinh lords were very hesitant (although they had arranged guards to serve them along the way). Therefore, the Trinh lords called a Buddhist monk to determine a location in the mountainous region of Ha Son Binh to build a second Huong Tich Pagoda for worship so that the "beauties" could attend the festival closer (according to Mr. Bui Van Nguyen, former General Secretary of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association). Thus, thanks to the "initiative" of Lord Trinh, Vietnam has two Huong Tich pagodas (Wikipedia).