If you are too bored of the bustles and lavish pleasures of the city, be tired with dozens of jobs and relationships, then Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda is a wonderful resting and relaxing place helping you separate from the noisy society.
Unlike other temples, Huyen Khong Son Thuong pagoda belongs to the Nam Tong Buddhism school. It is located in Cham hamlet, Huong Ho commune, Huong Tra district, Thua Thien-Hue province. Entering the temple grounds, through a gate, you can see a large rock drawn with poems of profound spiritual significance- according to the monks and nuns living on the temple grounds. When you go inside, you feel overwhelmed by the tranquility and simplicity of its landscape.
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The temple precinct is a green garden with small streams full of purple water lilies, precious orchids, fragipane, cycas pectinata, pines, cypress, hundreds of year old trees which create a peaceful space.
The pagoda area has the main hall, the “Am May Tia”, the Nghinh Luong Dinh, the guest house, “Chung Hoa Duong” (the activity house), “Qua Thien Duong” (the dining room), “Tue Hoc Duong” (the study room), Tang Xa and so on.
The main hall is a variation of a Hue communal house with traditional architectural style and materials to keep the sprit of Hue and Vietnamese souls, taking harmony with nature and poetry to be the main idea; slight religious role, the focus is directed towards meditation. In particular, the main hall is also a place for visitors to come to worship and make offerings as well as for the disciples to listen to the Dharma. In addition, this is also the place to organize the main ceremonies of the temple such as: An ascetic residence, Vesak, a ceremony for monks.
Continuing up the stone steps, visitors will visit the space that the Buddha and the bell tower are located – where visitors can admire the panoramic view of the temple from above.
Tu Van Am or Am May Tia is designed almost synchronously with the main hall, the place for the abbot of the temple to stay, work and meet guests. Around Tu Van Am is planted with different kinds of ornamental plants making the space here more green and clear. Visitors to the temple are most crowded on Lunar New Year because everyone wants the first day of the year to be fresh and the next days are peaceful.
Nghinh Luong Dinh is a building made of tiles and trashwood obtained from planted forests, an open space with three sides. This is the place where the cross takes a rest, tea, talks. One more special thing, here is also the world of poetry and calligraphy is carved on many different materials.
Regarding to the art space – quite large, this is also the remarkable point about art making the temple become famous and attracting many tourists to Huyen Khong Son Thuong pagoda. The art space includes stone grass garden, “Khong son thien uyen”, cluster of houses for exhibiting art images, poetry workshops, meditation.
Stone grass garden is only green grass and gray stone are located on an area of about 500m2. It is just a small piece with the idea expressed as the language of Grass and the language of Stone. “Khong son thien uyen” is a fairly large architectural cluster, located on a space of about 1.5ha – including simple art works – combined in harmony with nature, with the soul of the countryside, the spirit of meditation, the soul of poetry.
Thu Phap Dinh which used to have a simple structure, full of bamboo pictures, a bit of art, has now been semi-solidly designed – a place to display calligraphy all year round with verses changed according to seasons and festivals of the year.
On weekdays, having less visitors, the space seems to be quieter. But if you come here on holidays or festivals you will see a completely different atmosphere, laughter, talk echoes around the wall of the mountain.
If you do not know where to go on holidays, let’s relax and calm down in Huyen Khong Son Thuong. You will love this place, very quiet and full of meditation. There is hardly any place that can bring you this peaceful feeling.
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