Cho Hen Pagoda is located in Bui Khong Commune, Hai Do Commune, Hung Nguyen Prefecture (now Hung Yen Bac Commune, Hung Nguyen District, Nghe An Province). The pagoda was built around the 15th century, with the name Phuc Son Tu. In the mid-16th century, after General Dinh Bat Tuy received advice from Mr. Nguyen Dang Thuy and his three sons, he made great achievements, defeating the enemy army in the east of Truong Hen, bringing peace to the people. General Dinh Bat Tuy helped the people reclaim land, establish villages, open Hien Market (now called Hen Market), renovate Phuc Son Tu Pagoda and change its name to Hien Phuc Tu. In 1936, the people built Quang Thien Altar in the pagoda grounds. This architectural complex was called Cho Hen Pagoda by the people, because the pagoda was next to Hen Market.
The pagoda was built halfway up the mountain, in a beautiful and unique landscape location, surrounded by bustling villages and fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Standing at the pagoda, one can observe the vast area of the three districts of Nam Dan, Nghi Loc and Hung Nguyen. That value has been engraved in the parallel sentences at the pagoda:"The country is prosperous together/ The temple is the most sacred"(Meaning: Mountains and rivers unite to create good energy/ Hien Pagoda is very sacred). This place has also marked many important historical events. In the year of Giap Tuat (1874), this was the place that witnessed the fierce struggle of the Tran Tan and Dang Nhu Mai insurgents in the Van Than movement against the French colonialists under the Nguyen Dynasty and was also the hiding place of the insurgents when the uprising declined. During the Can Vuong movement against the French colonialists, Cho Hen Pagoda was the place where Ngo Quang's insurgents stationed to guard the Nam Dan - Nghi Loc - Hung Nguyen area. During the years 1930 - 1931, the pagoda was chosen as the place to hang the Party flag; this was also the secret meeting place of the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee before the August Revolution in 1945.
The pagoda consists of architectural works: pagoda gate; main gate; lower hall; upper hall; altar of the ten great beings; guest house. The architectural works are arranged at different heights in ascending order, so that the works do not block each other but also add solemnity and sacredness to this religious architectural work.
Over time and through many restorations and renovations, the pagoda still retains its original construction items. It is a place where cultural and religious activities take place, meeting the needs of all classes of people. The pagoda combines many types of beliefs: worshiping Buddha, Mother Goddess, and gods who have contributed to the people and the country. Many valuable documents and artifacts of history, culture and art are preserved at the pagoda, such as stone steles, royal decrees, parallel sentences, dragon thrones and many Chinese documents. In particular, the dragon palanquin with soft and skillful carvings; the ancient wooden statues are painted with gold, showing the liveliness and spiritual quintessence of each image and affirming the sculpting talent of ancient artisans. With its typical historical, cultural, scientific and aesthetic values; the Cho Hen pagoda relic was ranked as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic by the Provincial People's Committee in 1999.
Cho Hen Pagoda is a place to worship Buddha, the Three Holy Mothers and three human gods: Mr. Nguyen Dang Thuy and his two sons Nguyen Dang Dai and Nguyen Dang Cac - who contributed to the restoration of the Le Dynasty in the 16th century. Every year at Cho Hen Pagoda, local people organize Buddhist ceremonies and commemorate the death anniversaries of the three human gods who are revered as the village's tutelary gods, demonstrating the nation's morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking water".
To honor, promote and disseminate the historical and cultural values of the relic as well as the religious activities of the people, the Party Committee, the government and the people of Hung Yen Bac commune have organized the annual Cho Hen Pagoda festival. This year's festival was held from April 20 to 22, including the ceremony and the festival. The festival's main activities are volleyball competitions and cultural and artistic exchange programs; thereby building the great national unity bloc, at the same time promoting the cultural - artistic, physical education and sports movements among the people, creating spiritual motivation, encouraging the development of local movements. The ceremony, in addition to the opening ceremony, includes traditional ritual activities, including the opening ceremony, proclamation, great sacrifice and thanksgiving ceremony.
Comrade Thai Huy Dung - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Yen Bac commune said: Respecting the historical and cultural values of the nation, especially folk beliefs and culture, is the responsibility of each generation. Organizing the Cho Hen Pagoda Festival annually aims to educate the people, especially the young generation, about traditions and commemorate the merits of predecessors who have contributed to the country, thereby creating a sense of responsibility to build and protect the Fatherland today. At the same time, through the activities at the festival, creating a healthy spiritual and cultural living environment and a vibrant space for cultural activities and exchanges, physical education and sports for all people; contributing to preserving and promoting traditional cultural values as well as promoting the development of local arts, physical education and sports movements.
Especially now, tourism development is considered one of the key economic sectors of the country and the province; in its beautiful location and landscape along with historical and cultural values, Cho Hen Pagoda can become a spiritual and cultural tourist destination of Hung Yen Bac in particular and Hung Nguyen district in general.
In order to realize this desire, in addition to the work of managing and protecting relics, in the coming time, the locality will also attract resources to continue to renovate, embellish and upgrade the historical - cultural and artistic relic of Cho Hen Pagoda as well as develop the scale of Cho Hen Pagoda festival; contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of the people, making Hung Yen Bac commune develop richly, beautifully and civilized.
Hung Yen Bac is a commune with nearly 60% Catholics. Here, Catholics and non-Catholics are always united, unanimous, and agree to implement policies and plans of the Party Committee, government, and movements deployed by the Fatherland Front and organizations.
Notably, people have actively exploited the advantages of hill gardens to develop a combined agricultural and forestry economy, many forest garden farm models combined with commercial lemon growing (the whole commune currently has more than 200 hectares of local lemons and seedless lemons) and raising hill chickens, cows, pigs... People have applied scientific and technical advances to rice production, bringing mechanization into the fields and high-quality rice varieties into production with over 70% of the area.
Along with agricultural production, people are also actively developing occupations, such as establishing construction and carpentry groups, service businesses, etc. In particular, the labor export movement has been developed with nearly 400 workers working abroad. Average income per capita reaches more than 45 million VND/year (2022).
Along with economic development, the Party Committee, the government and the people care about cultural and social development, ensure national defense and security; unite to build advanced new rural areas. Currently, Hung Yen Bac commune has met the standards of the National Criteria for Health; 5/5 hamlets have achieved the title of Cultural Village. 2 primary schools and kindergartens are completing the criteria to meet national standards at level 2. The commune strives to meet advanced new rural standards by 2025.