Boc Pagoda - Find peace in the heart of Hanoi

Hanoi Boc Pagoda is a familiar place of worship not only for people in the capital but also for tourists from all over the country. This is also the place that marked the resounding victories of the Tay Son insurgents with the Ky Dau Victory (1789), writing a heroic history for the nation. Let's explore with Vietjet the quiet beauty as well as the historical values of Boc Pagoda!

Boc Pagoda in Hanoi is both a place to offer incense to Buddha and a place to mark the resounding victories of the Tay Son insurgents..

1. Where is Boc Pagoda?

Previously, the pagoda was also called Sung Phuc Tu or Thien Phuc Tu. But people are still used to calling it Boc pagoda. Located in the heart of the bustling capital, Boc Pagoda still retains the peace and purity of a Buddhist place. Every year, many Buddhists come here to pray for peace, worship and worship Buddha.

Address: No. 14 Chua Boc Street, Quang Trung Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi.
Business hours: from 6am - 7pm.

2. Instructions for moving to Boc Pagoda

2.1 How to get to Hanoi

If you come from the Northern provinces, you can choose a motorbike or bus as the main means of transportation to visit Boc Pagoda.

If you depart from Ho Chi Minh City, the Southern or Central provinces, there will be 2 main means of transportation to Hanoi: train and plane. However, traveling by air will be more convenient and save more time.

Currently, Vietjet is exploiting a variety of routes from many provinces in Vietnam to Hanoi with many attractive incentives. You can update the latest flight schedules and ticket prices to Hanoi HERE To best prepare for your visit to Boc Pagoda!

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See more: Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi: Address, images and notes

2.2 How to get to Boc Pagoda

Currently there are 3 most popular means of transportation to Boc Pagoda:

Motorbike: You can rent a motorbike and start from Hoan Kiem Lake, go in the direction of Le Thai To street, then continue on Ba Trieu street for about 1.5km and then turn right onto Le Duan street, Tran Nhan Tong street. Go another 800m then turn left onto Xa Dan street. Continue going about 600m and then turn left onto Pham Ngoc Thach street. When you arrive at TP Bank Ha Thanh, turn right onto Chua Boc street and then go about 500 meters to reach the temple.
Bus: If you want to travel by bus to Boc Pagoda, choose routes 12, 18, 26, 35A, 44. This is the cheapest means of transportation (from only 7,000 VND) but takes a lot of time, so you should be careful. Avoid traveling during rush hour to limit jostling and congestion.
Car rental by the hour: If traveling in a large group, you should rent a car for convenience and more flexibility in time. Or you can choose to visit by Double Decker Bus to see the panoramic view of the Capital from above.

3. History of Boc Pagoda formation

3.1 History of temple construction

Based on the information engraved on the oldest stele carved in the year Vinh Tri, the pagoda was built in the Later Le dynasty, under the reign of King Le Hy Tong (1676). After that, the pagoda was destroyed by war, and a monk named Truong Trung Ba and the people restored it.

In 1789, the pagoda was once again burned and completely destroyed in the battle against the Qing army. And 3 years later, during the reign of Quang Trung (1792), the pagoda was restored on the old ground, as a place of refuge for the souls of the Qing army and was renamed Thien Phuc Pagoda. However, local people still call it Boc Pagoda. “Boc” means “to expose”, referring to enemy corpses being exposed everywhere.

According to history books, in 1789, King Quang Trung advanced rapidly from South to North, defeating tens of thousands of Qing troops. Enemy corpses were scattered everywhere, people gathered them and built dozens of mounds around the area. The pagoda was built right on this location so it is called Boc Pagoda.

On January 13, 1964, the pagoda was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Historical-Cultural Monument. The pagoda is currently a place for monks and nuns to preach in Dong Da District and Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi.

3.2 Who does Boc Pagoda worship?

Initially, Boc Pagoda only worshiped Buddha. Later, to show respect to those who contributed to saving the country, the pagoda also worshiped King Quang Trung and other heroes. In addition, behind the pagoda there is a small temple named Thanh Mieu, built by King Quang Trung to worship the souls of Qing Dynasty soldiers who died in battle.

Boc Pagoda worships both Buddha and King Quang Trung, along with other heroes of the nation

4. Explore the unique features of Boc Pagoda

In addition to being a place to burn incense to worship Buddha, Boc Pagoda is also an architectural work of the most grand scale in Hanoi. The pagoda was built in the shape of the letter "Dinh" including: Tam Quan Ngoai, Tam Tuong Lake, Tam Quan Noi, Tien Duong, Thuong Dien, Nha To, Thanh Mieu, tower garden.

4.1 Tam Quan Ngoai

The three-entrance gate of the pagoda is shaped like a two-story arch, with the highlight being the image of a fiery sun and a sword head on the top of the gate's roof. The heads of the swords point straight up into the sky, as if soaring through the air, creating grandeur and majesty for the temple. Below is a horizontal panel titled "Thien Phuc Tu".

4.2 Statue Bathing Pool

As soon as you enter the temple gate, you will see a large lake, called the Statue Bathing Lake. Legend has it that this is where the Tuong soldiers (war elephants) of the Tay Son insurgents bathed after successfully defeating Khuong Thuong garrison. Currently, the lake has shrunk a lot compared to before. The lake is stocked with lotus and water lilies, creating a peaceful and serene scene for the temple.

4.3 Statue of Monsignor

Inside Boc pagoda there is a statue of Duc Ong, which historians believe is the statue of King Quang Trung, because behind the wooden pedestal of the statue there are the words "Binh Ngo creates Quang Trung statue". The statue depicts the true image of the cloth-clad hero with a majestic but simple demeanor, wearing a crown and belt but walking barefoot.

4.4 Ancient artifacts from the Tay Son period

Boc Pagoda also preserves many ancient artifacts of historical value from the Tay Son period such as: coin mints, horizontal paintings, couplets and poems of King Quang Trung when he marched to the North to expel the Qing army. The map of the Dong Da battle along with all kinds of weapons.

4.5 Unique cultural festivals

Every year, Boc Pagoda organizes the Go Dong Da festival at the Go Dong Da relic to commemorate the nation's famous Ngoc Hoi - Dong Da battle. During the festival, there will be palanquin processions, dragon dances, incense offerings at pagodas, and extremely attractive epic cultural programs.

5. Some notes when visiting Boc Pagoda

Below are some notes when visiting Boc Pagoda that you should know to have a complete trip:

You should choose polite and discreet clothes.
Don't talk loudly or joke.
Smoking is not allowed.
Do not cut ornamental plants in the temple and do not put incense indiscriminately in potted plants.
Show respect and devotion to your ancestors.
If you go to the temple during crowded holidays, keep your belongings carefully.
You can visit other places near Boc Pagoda such as: Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hoan Kiem Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi Old Quarter,...

After visiting Boc Pagoda, you can visit nearby landmarks such as Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

Hopefully the above article will help you gain more useful information about Boc Pagoda in Hanoi and have a memorable visit. Currently, Vietjet is exploiting a variety of routes flight to Hanoi from only 60,000 VND. Do not forget Hunt for plane tickets for 0 VND at 12 o'clock - 14h every day.

See more: Experience traveling to Hanoi on your own, visiting 36 streets

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