Air

TEMPLES AND PAGODAS ON THE ITINERARY

Notes:

Temples and pagodas in Vietnam exist by donations of the people whom visit them. It is customary (I should say expected) that if one visits a temple or pagoda that one will donate to the temple or pagoda in the offering box. A donation does not indicate adherence to belief, but is a sign of thanks to those whom maintain the temple or pagoda. The Vietnamese consider it rude not to give some monetary gift.

Additionally, one should not view nor think of monks in the same manner as American culture views clergy. Monastic demeanor is determined by the chief monk and pagoda demeanors vary extremely; many monks--in fact most--are more than happy to speak with visitors; many also welcome the opportunity to practice their English as a great number are studying English. If you see a monk and wish to speak with him, please do.

The "ritual of incense": please have your guide demonstrate for you the ritual of burning incense. It will help with understanding Buddhist worship.

Children of the Pagoda: you will see young boys with varying degrees of hair not yet shaven at the pagoda; the nearer they become to monkhood the less hair which they will have. These children are taken to the pagoda by their parents because they are "problem children," deemed too difficult for their parents to raise. They are thus given to the monks to raise; you will see also them attending normal school in their novices' attire.

One final note: only about thirty-five percent of Vietnamese claim to be Buddhist while slightly more than ten percent are Christian. Animists--particularly among the hill peoples--Taoists and atheists all populate Vietnam.

Some of the following temples and pagodas might appear on your itinerary.

Den Ngoc Son (Jade Mountain Temple)

It is not unusual to have a temple dedicated to several different entities, but it is unusual to have a temple dedicated to such diverse entities: scholar Van Xuong (of whom I know very little), Tran Hung Dao (more famous than Ho Chi Minh; he defeated Kublai Khan, the son of Gengis Khan, in two decisive battles in 1255 and 1258 in northern Vietnam; the Vietnamese were the only nation to defeat the Mongols whom stormed onto the plains of Europe before their thrust died of exhaustion) and La To, the father of Vietnamese medicine. It is at the end of the The Huc (Rising Sun) Bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake; it rests on a lovely tree-shaded island.

Chua Tran Quoc (Tran National Pagoda)

The exact date of the construction of the pagoda is unknown, however it was more than likely built during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400) and then probably towards the beginning of the Tran Dynasty due to its name: Chua Tran Quoc (the Tran National Pagoda.) It is perhaps one of the most beautiful in Vietnam. It is on the shore of Ho Tay (West Lake) in the north of Hanoi.

Chua Mot Cop (One-Pillar Pagoda)

This is the most famous pagoda in all of Vietnam and in my opinion is an architectural masterpiece of simplicity and beauty. The pagoda was built by the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) whom came to power with the aid of the Buddhists and were therefore major proponents of Buddhism. The construction of the wood pagoda, which rests on a single giant stone pillar, was designed to mirror the lotus flower, a Buddhist symbol of purity. In an act of which only the French and Siamese seem capable, the French in their final exit from Hanoi in September 1954 destroyed the One-Pillar Pagoda. The pagoda was initially constructed in 1049 and was, of course, reconstructed by the communists after the departure of the French.

Chua Dien Huu

I shall not venture a translation of the name (it is Sino/Vietnamese) nor of the history of the pagoda, rather I shall leave this to your guide. This pagoda is directly across from the One-Pillar Pagoda and is a delight; note the wooden sculptures on the alters which are reminiscent of Laotian religious wood carvings.

Den Van Mieu (Temple of Literature)

Founded in 1070, this was Vietnam's first national university. It is dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. The temple was built by the same Ly emperor who built the One-Pillar Pagoda. Besides the obvious architectural treasures of this temple, there are two things worthy of comment: first, the university was built by a Buddhist emperor to reorganize the mandarin class as well as provide an educational vehicle for the new dynasty's children; its construction was concomitant with the Chinese Sung Dynasty's new interpretations of Confucian works; this, despite the Ly Dynasty's hostility to the heavily Chinese oriented mandarin class (Vietnam had just regained its independence from China in 938 AD with the collapse of the Chinese T'ang Dynasty); what was born with the construction of the new university were the seeds of the defeat of Buddhism for in the ensuing years the graduates of the university permeated the royal administrative systems and achieved the ascendancy of Confucian thought over Buddhist thought. Secondly, and far more significantly, a tradition of education began to become impregnated into the fabric of Vietnamese society which endures to this day; Vietnam, for example, has the worlds second-highest literacy rate. . . above ours.

Chua Quan Su (Ambassador's Pagoda)

The pagoda takes its name from its former function: that of a guest house for Buddhist ambassadors to Vietnam. Note that the design of the pagoda is vastly different from typical Vietnamese pagodas; it is far more reminiscent of Japanese pagoda designs than Vietnamese. Be sure walk to the side and to the rear of the pagoda.

Chua Thien Mu (Heavenly Mother Pagoda)

This pagoda was founded in the very early seventeenth-century by the Nguyen lords (later of the Nguyen Dynasty) whom ruled the southern part of Vietnam until thirty-years of civil war in the late eighteenth century ended in their rule over the entire country. Lord Nguyen Hoang had a vision of a fairy--and fairy's are rife throughout Vietnamese culture and all fairy's are extremely beautiful--whom told him that a member of the ruling family would build a pagoda on the banks of the Perfume River (Huong Giang); he immediately ordered a pagoda constructed. It was from this pagoda in May of 1963 that a Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc (Monk Externally-Bight Virtuous), departed for Saigon. Upon arrival in Saigon he assumed the lotus position, was doused with gasoline and then lit a match and entered history.

Chua Tu Hieu (Filial Piety Pagoda)

Though some may dispute my translation of the name, it mirrors the history of the pagoda: there once was a monk whose mother became very ill; the doctor prescribed a diet of red meat for her. In caring for his mother the monk went each day to the market to purchase meat and was scorned by the local people for monks are forbidden to eat meat; he never disclosed the reason for his purchases and persevered through the ridicule of the people. It was later learned why he purchased the meat. The palace eunuchs, upon learning of his piety towards his mother were awed, for they too, having been sold as young men to the court so that their family's could earn a sum of money, had made a great sacrifice for their families. They supported the pagoda with generous gifts and petitioned the emperor to be buried at the pagoda, a wish which was granted. This is my favorite pagoda in Vietnam. It is on a pine forested hillock in the Hue countryside well off the normal track. The pagoda almost has a magical state about it. From the reflecting pond at its entrance to its inner courtyard filled with delicate flowers, a sense of serenity permeates the air.

Chua Thien Hau (Sea Goddess Pagoda)

Built in the early nineteenth-century by Chinese of Cantonese origin, the pagoda was dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea which is a particularly Chinese goddess; the Goddess is endowed with the ability to protect sailors and save people at sea. The spiral incense used at this Chinese pagoda is unique to this pagoda. Note that the open-air design is Chinese rather than Vietnamese.

Den Binh Duong (Binh Duong Temple)

This is a temple constructed to honor the Vietnamese war dead of both the French and the American wars. As thirty-five years of war in the twentieth-century has cast such a long shadow over Vietnam, a visit to this temple is worthwhile. The 50,000 whom it honors were all from within a twenty-kilometer radius of the temple. Total American deaths during the entire American