Vinh Nghiem Pagoda

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is a historic Buddhist pagoda located in Tri Yen Commune, Yen Dung District, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. Founded in the Ly Dynasty and expanded in the Tran Dynasty, it served as a major center of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism founded by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong. Recognized as a Special National Relic, it is renowned for its traditional Vietnamese architecture and its collection of over 3,000 Buddhist woodblocks.

Visitors can expect a tranquil Buddhist temple complex set at the foot of Coc Mountain near the Luc Nam River. The site includes a Tam Quan gate, main worship halls, ancestor houses, bell tower, and garden with ancient trees and steles. Interiors display Buddha statues, altars, and preserved woodblocks. The atmosphere is peaceful and religious, with areas for prayer, incense offering, and walking around courtyards and historic structures.

Originally built in the Ly Dynasty (11th century) and greatly expanded in the Tran Dynasty (13th-14th century) by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, founder of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism. It became the central Buddhist center and seminary for Truc Lam, where Zen masters Trúc Lâm taught and carved over 3,000 woodblocks for printing Buddhist sutras. The pagoda was recognized as a Special National Relic for its historical value.

Major center of Vietnamese Buddhism and Truc Lam Zen sect. Houses a unique collection of 3,050 woodblocks dating from the 14th to early 20th century, inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register for Asia-Pacific. The pagoda remains an active place of worship, pilgrimage and the annual spring festival that preserves traditional Buddhist rituals and folk culture.