It is also home to over 3,000 carved woodblocks enlisted by UNESCO as World Documentary Heritage in the Memory of the World Programme in 2012.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was built in the Ly dynasty in the 11th century under the reign of King Ly Thai To (1010-1028) in the village of Duc La, Tri Yen Commune, Yen Dung District, about 80km from Hanoi.
It was where the three first patriarchs of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism: Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa and Huyen Quang once preached. It also served as a training institution for monks during the Tran Dynasty (13th-14th centuries).
The pagoda plays an important role in the history of Buddhism in Vietnam general and in the Tran Dynasty in particular.
It was recognised as a national historical – cultural relic site in 1964 and a special national relic site in 2015.
Thanks to its cultural and historical values that have been accumulated for centuries, Vinh Nghiem pagoda has been chosen by many travel agencies as a destination for spiritual cultural tours. The promotion of spiritual cultural values associated with tourism development is a way to develop tourism of Bac Giang, the land rich in traditional culture./.
