The But Thap Pagoda – a journey into the realm of bliss

If you talk about Buddhism, you can’t ignore Bac Ninh – one of the most important Buddhist centers in Vietnam with numerous famous temples and pagodas such as the Phat Tich, Dau, Tieu and Dam Pagodas. Hidden in a small village in the municipality of Dinh To (Thuan Thanh County, Bac Ninh Province), the But Thap Pagoda was chosen as the destination of the first adventure trip of 2020 by the La Route des Découvertes club – accompanied and guided by Horizon Vietnam Travel. For the students, especially the new members, it was an unforgettable experience.

The venerable But Thap Pagoda in Bac Ninh

On Saturday morning, November 28th, 2020, the members gathered at 9:15 a.m. in front of the University of Foreign Languages (VNU Hanoi). Despite the cold of early winter, everyone was beaming with anticipation. At 9:20 a.m., Mr. Ta Duy Bau, director of Horizon Vietnam Travel, set off with twelve “Buddhists” towards Bac Ninh.

Although the route was not short, Mr. Bau made the trip worthwhile by driving and acting as a tour guide at the same time. He showed the students simple greetings such as “Mesdames, Messieurs, vous avez bien dormi la nuit dernière?” and how to respond to curious questions from foreign guests about Vietnamese culture. His cheerfulness and broad knowledge impressed the whole group.

At 1 p.m. the group reached But Thap Pagoda. After a lunch break at the village pond, everyone enthusiastically visited the facility. Mr. Bau explained the architecture in the style of “工 on the inside, 国 on the outside” and had the students practice as tour guides themselves before giving tips on how to become a good tour guide. The participants asked interesting questions, such as why the roof tiles are shaped like a turtle shell.

One after another, they admired masterpieces of ancient sculpture and architecture: the thousand-armed and thousand-eyed Guanyin statue, the stone bridge between the main hall and Tich-Thien-Am, the Cuu Pham Lien Hoa Tower and, above all, the Bao Nghiem Tower – the enduring symbol of the pagoda, which from a distance looks like a giant brush painting characters in the blue sky.

Although the trip only lasted one day, the knowledge and experience were very valuable. The members not only explored a time-honored pagoda, but also heard exciting stories about Buddha and life from Mr. Bau. At 5 p.m. the group returned safely to the university and thanked Mr. Ta Duy Bau – leader, tour guide and responsible “driver” at the same time. The excursion also offered the opportunity to practice tourist practice and get to know regional culture – especially Buddhism.