Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia

Speaking of the pagoda Dau, all we know that it is a famous pagoda of Ha Tay, sheltering the whole corpse relics of the two bonzes Vu Khac Minh and Vu Khac Truong, place surnamed first famous landscape of Vietnam. The pagoda is situated on a hill in the middle of the field of village Gia Phuc (commune of Nguyen Trai, district of Thuong Tin). It is covered with luxuriant trees and surrounded with lakes with the river Nhue flowing behind, forming really a picturesque landscape.

The pagoda has the sino-vietnamese name of Thanh Dao ou Phap Vu, but its popular name is Chua Vua, Chua Ba ou Chua Dau. After the tradition, the pagoda was constructed in the time of Si Nhiep, at the beginning of the christian era, at the same time as Man Nuong and Phat Tu Phap.

Through historical periods, the pagoda has always been the object of care of the feudal dynasties of Vietnam, and has been repaired and upgraded many times. The stele, erected in the year Duong Hoa 5^th (1639) of Le Than Tong and preserved in the pagoda reports that the pagoda Dau was constructed under the Ly, repaired and enlarged under the Tran, Le and Mac. These restorations have left traces and vestiges in the architecture of the pagoda.

After passing through the entrance gate and the paved yard, we meet a couple of dragons at the two sides of the steps leading to the veranda of the vestibule. The dragons are robust, round-bodied, with many undulations, big-headed, the mouth keeping a pearl, the fore feet sustaining the chin, the crest directed upward with decorations of flames, the horns directed behind forming a square frame on the head. At the sight of these dragons, the researchers assert that these are master-pieces of the artists under the Tran. That is why the Museum of History of Vietnam has made copies of these dragons to expose at the yard of the Museum. The pagoda have still preserved many ancient steles, bricks decorated with dragons, carps transformed into dragons, lotus… carrying characteristics of the art of the Mac. We do not know what extent is the pagoda at that time, but the property of nearly 100 mau of rice-field of the pagoda noted on the stele erected in the year Sung Khang 4^th of Mac Mau Hop (1569) suffices to give us an idea of this extent.

Under the Le-Trinh, the pagoda is once more enlarged, under the presidence of Ngo Thi Ngoc Nguyen, wife of Thanh Do vuong Trinh Trang. The stele of the year Duong Hoa 5^th (1639) noted :” on the 10^th month of the year Binh Ty (1636), she takes from the treasure of the palace and from her own treasure the money to construct the two palaces Tien Duong et Thieu Huong, and to repair the damages. The work is finished two years later and gives a somptuous palace”. That is probably the most onerous reparation. It remains till now extremely delicate sculptural details. The pagoda Dau became a worshipping place, and a place of imploring to rain for the noble class of Le-Trinh, whence the name of Chua Vua (Royal Pagoda). The documents report that in time of drought, the court has transfered the statue of Phap Vu from Pagoda Dau to the Lord Palace to celebrate a ceremony of imploration to rain and has generally obtained good results.

Afterwards, the pagoda is still repaired and embellished under the dynasties Canh hung, Tay Son, Nguyen… In general, the present plan of the pagoda is the plan of the time of Le-Nguyen, with the disposition “the letter Cong inside, the letter Quoc outside”, with the front turned to south-east. Outside is the gate Tam Quan, which is at same time the steeple. Then comes the paved yard with the two houses Giai Vu. After is the palace Tien Duong which communicates with the palace Hau Duong (house of old bonzes) by two verandas, forming a square frame, surrounding the central part of the pagoda. The central part is composed of three houses forming the letter Cong, in front is the main palace, behind is the back palace, where is placed the statue of Phap Vu. A corridor connects the two palaces, and is the place where are exposed statues of Buddha, named Thieu Huong. In 1947, all the central part of the pagoda has been burnt by the French, and it remains only the foundation and the stone floor in the middle of the main palace. The floor is from limestone, white grey, decorated all around with dragons, horse saddles and flowers, bearing the artistic style of the Le-Mac.

In 1950, to meet religious needs, the authority and the local population have decided to recast the statue of Phap Vu. The statue is in bronze, in seated position, with crossed legs, with a height of 45cm. As a protection of the statue and the stone floor, the Long Dinh is constructed in bricks and cement. In 1986, the authority and the local population have constructed provisionally a construction in shape of a tube connecting the Long Dinh to the middle of the floor of the main palace. This construction is called by the population the Tam Bao or superior palace. Inside the construction, is placed the system of statues, composed of two classes: at high is the class of statues Tam The, then come the statues Cuu Long with the baby Buddha, surrounded by flowers of lotus, at the inner part is the statue of Phap Vu. Recently, the statues Cuu Long have been transferred in the house of old bonzes, replacing them by a wooden statue of Quan Am with thousand hands and thousand eyes.

Beside the central part, the pagoda still contains other constructions such as the pagoda Am (being before the worshipping place of the population), the altar of the Saint Mother, the altar of the bonzes Vu Khac Minh and Vu Khac Truong, the house of bonzes…

Thus one can affirm that the pagoda Dau is an architectural, religious and cultural vestige having a long history and having passed through many periods and transformations. The earth and the remains of the pagoda contain in their bosom messages of time. The acknowledgement by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the pagoda as a Vestige of national class in 1968, is a right act, acknowledging the true value of the pagoda. It is in fact a precious national cultural vestige.

Unfortunately, the central part of the pagoda comprising the three palaces Chinh Dien, Thieu Huong and Thuong Dien has been destructed, leaving only traces of foundations and the provisional house constructed in 1986 to serve as a place for worshipping Buddha. Really it is unworthy of a pagoda having a long history and of national class like pagoda Dau. The programme of reparation and restoration of the central part is quite necessary

to safeguard and to raise the value of this national cultural vestige. In this work, archaeological excavation must be the first step, aiming at gathering scientific informations, necessary for the conducting of the restoration. Certainly, the earth of pagoda Dau will deliver important traces permitting to better understand the inherent values of tha pagoda.

Nguyen Ngoc Chat