Thai Lac Pagoda, also known as Phap Van Pagoda, Phap Van Tu or Ba Ca Pagoda, is located in Nhu Quynh Commune, Hung Yen Province. It is one of the notable ancient Buddhist temples in the Red River Delta, distinguished by the combination of the Four Dharmas folk belief of agricultural communities and the architectural and wood-carving traditions of ancient Vietnam.
The pagoda worships Buddha and Phap Van, one of the four deities of the Four Dharmas, including Phap Van, Phap Vu, Phap Loi and Phap Dien. The belief originated in the Dau region, now in Bac Ninh Province. The Four Dharmas are associated with natural phenomena such as clouds, rain, thunder and lightning, reflecting the wishes of rice-growing communities for favorable weather and good harvests.
Based on studies of its artistic style, architectural components and the layout of the Upper Hall, Thai Lac Pagoda is believed to have originated during the Tran Dynasty. The Upper Hall preserves a particularly valuable collection of wood carvings, belonging to the small number of early Vietnamese wooden architectural remains that have survived to the present day.
With its outstanding historical, architectural and artistic values, Thai Lac Pagoda was recognized by the Prime Minister as a Special National Monument under Decision No. 1820/QD-TTg dated December 24, 2018.
Architecture of Thai Lac Pagoda
The pagoda was built on a raised mound, with its main entrance facing southeast. The monument is arranged along a northwest-southeast axis, comprising the Three-Entrance Gate, courtyard, Tam Bao, Patriarch’s House, Mother Goddess House, two corridors and a stupa garden. The overall layout follows the traditional “inner Cong, outer Quoc” configuration, with the buildings arranged relatively symmetrically and connected into a unified complex.
The Three-Entrance Gate features a two-tier, eight-roof structure. The central entrance is higher than the two side entrances. Above the main roof ridge is a nine-story pagoda-shaped ornament, while the roof corners are decorated with stylized dragons emerging among curling clouds. The square pillars feature raised decorative bands and Chinese-character couplets.
The Tam Bao complex has a “Cong” shaped layout, consisting of the Front Hall, Incense Burning Hall and Upper Hall.
The Front Hall is the largest building in the Tam Bao complex. It has nine bays, brick gable walls and a traditional tiled roof. The wooden frame consists of four rows of columns, with the main roof trusses predominantly constructed in the “stacked beams and bracket supports” style. The side trusses in the three central bays feature decorative wooden panels, while those in the remaining bays use a simplified stacked-beam structure.
Most of the architectural components in the Front Hall are made of ironwood. Decorative motifs include the Four Sacred Animals, pine trees and deer, flowers, leaves and various botanical patterns. Some components display artistic characteristics of the Nguyen Dynasty, indicating that the building underwent restoration during different historical periods. The Front Hall houses statues of the Virtuous Guardian, the Sage and Dharma Protectors, together with horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences and ritual objects.
The Incense Burning Hall, also known as the “Ống Muống,” connects the Front Hall with the Upper Hall. The two-bay structure has a lower floor level than the Upper Hall, brick walls and a traditional tiled roof. Its roof trusses are relatively simple, while several components near the Upper Hall are decorated with carved panels featuring dragons and dragon-horses.
The Upper Hall is the most valuable architectural component of Thai Lac Pagoda. It consists of one main bay with two side bays and is positioned perpendicular to the Incense Burning Hall. Its floor is higher than those of the buildings in front. The wooden frame consists of four rows of columns, with the main columns measuring approximately 0.45 meters in diameter and 2.95 meters in height.
While the buildings in front reveal several layers of restoration over time, the Upper Hall is particularly notable for its wooden structural components and carved panels displaying the artistic characteristics of the Tran Dynasty. This is the part that gives Thai Lac Pagoda its exceptional significance within Vietnam’s surviving ancient wooden architectural heritage.
Behind the main pagoda are the Patriarch’s House, two corridors, the Mother Goddess House and the stupa garden. The Patriarch’s House has seven bays and a wooden frame, with roof trusses constructed in the stacked-beam and bracket-support style. It is dedicated to Bodhidharma and successive patriarchs. The two corridors run parallel on either side of the Upper Hall and Incense Burning Hall, each consisting of seven bays. The Mother Goddess House has three bays, with its roof trusses following the bracket-support style. The stupa garden currently contains five brick stupas, including a three-story stupa dating from the Nguyen Dynasty.
A Treasure of Tran Dynasty Wood Carving
The most outstanding artistic value of Thai Lac Pagoda is concentrated in the Upper Hall, where approximately 20 wooden relief panels displaying the artistic characteristics of the Tran Dynasty are preserved. The carvings are mainly found on decorative wooden panels, leaf-shaped panels, side beams and components positioned between the hidden columns.
The two central roof trusses of the Upper Hall are constructed in the “jiachiang” style. Inside the leaf-shaped panels are carvings of celestial figures with human heads and bird bodies, known as Kinnara, presenting flowers. This is an exceptionally rare decorative motif in ancient Vietnamese art. Similar imagery can also be found at Dau Pagoda and Boi Khe Pagoda.
The carved panels vary in size and are carefully worked on both sides. Their subjects include human figures, musicians, celestial maidens, dragons, phoenixes, flowers, clouds, water and Buddhist decorative motifs.
One particularly notable carving depicts a three-person musical ensemble, with musicians seated among clouds. The central figure plays a Vietnamese zither, while the two musicians on either side play the pear-shaped lute and three-stringed lute. Their layered clothing, postures and facial features appear closer to ordinary human figures than the divine musicians commonly depicted in Ly Dynasty art.
The celestial maidens offering flowers are among the most distinctive subjects. The Kinnara figures appear in several compositions. Some stand individually within rectangular panels, while others appear in pairs facing the center as they present flowers. Their upper bodies take the form of women, while their lower bodies are those of birds, with long tails and outstretched wings. Their hair is tied high, their bodies are dressed in close-fitting garments, and both hands hold flower vessels in a respectful offering gesture.
Another particularly rare motif depicts musicians riding phoenixes while performing music. The musicians sit on the backs of phoenixes and play various instruments, including pear-shaped lutes, moon lutes, bowed instruments and flutes. According to studies of ancient Vietnamese carving, this particular form is especially associated with Thai Lac Pagoda.
The hidden columns are decorated with figures known as Phỗng, depicted as plump children with rounded bodies and prominent bellies. They are bare-chested, wear necklaces and kneel while using their heads and hands to support lotus pedestals. These sculptures are valuable examples of Tran Dynasty artistic style, combining human figures with Buddhist imagery.
Images of sacred animals also occupy an important place in the decorative system. Dragons appear on numerous carved panels and side beams, sometimes emerging from clouds. Some panels depict dragons facing leaf-shaped motifs, while others show powerful dragons with elongated bodies and large heads, combined with clouds, flowers and other decorative elements.
Phoenixes are depicted with long beaks, extended wings, flowing tails and powerful legs. They appear both as independent sacred creatures and in compositions with musicians, creating a strong sense of movement within the carvings.
Alongside human figures and sacred animals, the artisans employed numerous motifs including lotus flowers, bodhi leaves, vines, clouds, water and flowing floral patterns. The carving lines are finely executed, with some passages possessing the delicacy of drawn lines. The combination of raised carving, deep relief and carefully controlled contours gives the figures a sense of depth while creating a natural transition between decorative art and architectural structure.
The carving system in the Upper Hall is significant not only from an artistic perspective but also as a valuable source of information about the cultural life of Dai Viet during the Tran Dynasty. Images of musicians, musical instruments, clothing, celestial figures, sacred animals and Buddhist motifs provide insight into the richness of contemporary spiritual and cultural life.
The artworks also reflect processes of cultural exchange and adaptation. Elements associated with Buddhist art and influences from northern China and South Asia were adopted, transformed and integrated with local artistic traditions, creating a distinctive expression of Vietnamese art during the Tran Dynasty.
The combination of architecture and sculpture is precisely what makes the Upper Hall of Thai Lac Pagoda particularly significant. The carvings do not exist as separate artworks but are integrated directly into the wooden structural system. In this way, the craftsmen simultaneously addressed the technical requirements of the building while creating works of independent artistic value.
Thai Lac Pagoda in Community Cultural Life
Thai Lac Pagoda is not only an architectural and artistic monument but also a long-standing religious center for the local community. The combination of Buddhist worship and the worship of Phap Van reflects the interaction between Buddhism and folk beliefs, particularly the rain-invoking traditions of rice-growing communities.
Every year, the Four Dharmas Festival is held from the sixth to the eighth day of the third lunar month. The festival is associated with rituals praying for rain and various community cultural activities. It provides an occasion for local people to honor the Four Dharmas deities while maintaining religious practices that have been passed down through generations.
Throughout its history, Thai Lac Pagoda has remained closely connected with the cultural and historical life of the local community. Despite undergoing several restoration campaigns, the monument has preserved important parts of its architectural system, particularly the valuable Tran Dynasty wooden carvings.
With its outstanding historical, architectural, religious and artistic values, Thai Lac Pagoda is one of the important monuments of the northern Vietnamese delta. In particular, the wooden reliefs in the Upper Hall provide valuable evidence for understanding the technical abilities, artistic thinking and cultural life of Vietnamese society during the Tran Dynasty.
The recognition of Thai Lac Pagoda as a Special National Monument by the Prime Minister under Decision No. 1820/QD-TTg dated December 24, 2018, confirms the outstanding value of the site. Today, the pagoda remains both a place of religious practice for the local community and an important destination for studying and appreciating the architectural and wood-carving heritage of ancient Vietnam.
