From Truc Lam Yen Tu to Truc Lam Yen Thanh

(Baonghean) - Located 45 km north of Vinh City, and 7 km west of Provincial Road 538 from National Highway 1A, Yen Thanh district covers an area of ​​over 54,200 hectares, comprises 39 communes and towns, and has nearly 280,000 inhabitants. It is situated in the central position of the Northeast region of Nghe An province.

Yen Thanh, both in the past and present, has been the rice granary of Nghe An: "Yen Thanh is mother and father; when hungry and ragged, go to Yen Thanh." Archaeological sites with stone axes in Bao Thanh commune show that Yen Thanh is a cradle of ancient Vietnamese people. As a "national bulwark," in the 10th century Prince Le Ngan Tich, in the 11th century Prince Ly Nhat Quang; in the 13th century Duke Tran Quoc Khang, in the 16th century Duke Mac Ngoc Lien, the most distinguished officials sent by previous dynasties to defend it; in the 19th century, Doctor Nguyen Xuan On and Vice-Doctor Le Doan Nha used Vu Ky hill as the base for the Can Vuong Uprising against the French.

This land has also produced many talented and skilled civil and military officials, and many renowned scholars throughout history: Hoang Ta Thon, the Great King of the Sea; Nguyen Vinh Loc, the "Hero of the Mountains"; Phan Cong Tich, the Grand Tutor and Duke of Lai Quoc; and Phan Dang Luu, the founder of the Tan Viet Revolutionary Party and an outstanding leader of our Party. From the Tran Dynasty to the Nguyen Dynasty, there were 4 First-ranked Scholars (Trang Nguyen), 3 Second-ranked Scholars (Tham Hoa), 3 Third-ranked Scholars (Hoang Giap), 7 Doctors (Tien Sy), and 4 Vice-ranked Scholars (Pho Bang). The first First-ranked Scholar from Nghe An was Bach Lieu, followed by First-ranked Scholars Ho Tong Thoc, Ho Tong Don, Ho Tong Thanh; Second-ranked Scholars Phan Tat Thong, Phan Duy Thuc, Phan Thuc Truc... The people of Yen Thanh are honest, simple, loyal, hardworking, resilient in battle, patriotic, studious, and revolutionary.

Panoramic view of Chi Linh Pagoda (Xuan Thanh - Yen Thanh). Photo: Ho Cac

In the subconscious of the people of Yen Thanh, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are intertwined and deeply ingrained in their being, demonstrating the richness of its historical and cultural relics. According to current statistics, the district has 520 historical and scenic sites, of which over 200 have been cataloged and managed, with 21 classified at the national level and 36 at the provincial level... Tradition is a source of great pride, but in a market economy, relying solely on agricultural production and clinging to tradition makes it very difficult to become wealthy.

After much deliberation, the Standing Committee of the 25th term of the Yen Thanh District Party Committee concluded that sustainable development requires unlocking the potential of nature, promoting cultural identity, especially spiritual culture, through tourism to publicize the image, scenery, and people of Yen Thanh. The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee advocated for the construction of a cultural tourism area linked to spirituality and ecology to attract visitors from all over. The highlight of this solution is to use Ru Gam and Song Dinh – symbols of prosperity, pride, and honor of Yen Thanh – as the core.

Located at the foot of the majestic Truong Son mountain range, Ru Gam is a 269-meter-high mountain also known as Thu Linh, Con Son, Phuong Son, and Dong Nhon. Midway up the eastern slope are two white rock formations: a large silver rock and a small silver rock. To the left of the large silver rock is a flat, smooth slab of rock, 6 meters wide and 9 meters long, resembling a chessboard. From the summit on a clear day, one can observe the entire northeastern region of Nghe An province. Ru Gam is a primeval forest with rich vegetation and many valuable timber species such as rosewood, teak, ebony, mahogany, ironwood, and agarwood... and many precious medicinal herbs such as wild yam, snow velvet, vine, and Polygonum multiflorum... some mahogany trees with a circumference requiring four people to embrace still remain. Many rare animals such as civets, pythons, squirrels, foxes, and parrots are also found in Ru Gam. Ru Gam has a temple dedicated to the White Stone God and the Nha Ong Temple dedicated to Ly Thien Cuong – a benevolent deity who encouraged settlement and development. Due to the sacred nature of these temples, Ru Gam has retained its ancient and pristine character.

Buddhists from near and far gathered to attend the important ceremony at Gam Pagoda. Photo: Thich Tue Minh

Surrounding Rú Gám is a complex of historical and cultural relics: the temple of Princess Bạch Y (Bạch Y was the daughter of King Hồ Quý Ly who built a temple and died here), Đình Sừng (the capital of Châu Hoan during the Tang Dynasty in Lăng Thành commune), Đức Hoàng Temple (Phúc Thành), the temple of Sát Hải Đại Vương Hoàng Tá Thốn (Long Thành), the temple of Trạng Nguyên Hồ Tông Thốc (Thọ Thành), Đền Cả, Bảo Lâm Pagoda, the memorial area of ​​Comrade Phan Đăng Lưu (Hoa Thành), the historical site of President Ho Chi Minh's visit, Cố Đá Temple (Vĩnh Thành), the memorial area of ​​72 revolutionary soldiers executed by the French colonialists during the Nghệ-Tĩnh Soviet movement (Mỹ Thành)... Around Rú Gám is a complex of scenic spots: the Dinh River flowing through Văn Thành, Hoa Thành, Tăng Thành communes and Yên Thành town, the stone church, Bảo Nham rocky mountain (Bảo Thành), the Moon Cave (Minh Thành), Vũ Kỳ rock cave... and some man-made scenic spots such as Vách Bắc canal, Vệ ​​Vừng dam, Mả Tổ, Quản Hài, Nhà game...

The Gám Temple and Pagoda is the cultural and religious center of a large region. Every year during the festival season, the local people organize processions to bring the deities from Rú Gám to the temple and pagoda for worship. The Gám Temple and Pagoda is a famous complex of spiritual and cultural structures. The temple is dedicated to deities who contributed to the nation's protection and people's well-being: Cao Sơn, Cao Các, Sát Hải Đại Vương, Tam Tòa Đại Vương, and Tứ Vị Thánh Nương. Gám Pagoda (Chí Linh Temple) is an ancient Buddhist architectural structure of high historical, cultural, and artistic value. The carvings and decorative patterns are extremely exquisite. These carvings also confirm that, from ancient times, Buddhism at Gám Pagoda belonged to the Trúc Lâm sect, a sect that flourished under the Lý and Trần dynasties. At Gám Pagoda, there is a pair of couplets that seem like a prophecy:

"The eastern water returns with much light and mist."

"Phượng Sơn westward faces the bright hall"

To the east lies the Dinh River, a powerful energy source that ensures bountiful harvests, while to the west, the Gam Mountain, with its majestic mountains and tranquil waters, creates a picturesque landscape. It can also be understood that Gam Mountain will open up a bright future for the development of Yen Thanh district.

The tourism potential is enormous, but figuring out how to harness that potential is a difficult problem. According to advice from several Buddhist scholars, King Tran Nhan Tong – a wise and benevolent ruler – after completing his historical mission of leading the nation to defeat the Mongol invaders and consolidating national independence, abdicated the throne to his son and went to Yen Tu Mountain to become a monk, establishing the Truc Lam Yen Tu sect. The Truc Lam Yen Tu sect was revived by Venerable Thich Thanh Tu at the end of the 20th century to restore the Buddhist philosophy of King Tran Nhan Tong.

Religious activities at Gam Pagoda. Photo: Ho Cac

The Provincial Association of Literature and Arts and Song Lam Magazine presented gifts to Gam Pagoda. Photo: Ho Cac

Poetry and music exchange featuring songs about the homeland. Photo: Ho Cac

The sect's pastoral approach combines monastic practice and meditation. The sect's principle is to cultivate individuals with pure hearts, honest lives, selfless dedication to relieving the suffering of sentient beings, patient practice, and a deep understanding of Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. Practitioners of the Truc Lam Yen Tu sect practice and study without taking exams for degrees, practicing at home or in monasteries and meditation centers. The Truc Lam Yen Tu sect emphasizes the principles of "Buddhism, Nation, and Socialism." Due to its purpose, principles, and methods of operation being in line with the people's wishes, the Truc Lam Yen Tu sect has been developing strongly, with a large number of monks, nuns, lay followers, and male and female believers throughout the country and abroad. After the district leaders worked with Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, the Venerable sent a special envoy to conduct a field survey, and subsequently agreed to appoint a monk to preside over Chi Linh Pagoda and oversee the construction of Truc Lam Yen Thanh Zen Monastery.

At the end of 2010, the People's Committee of Nghe An province agreed on the policy to allow the People's Committee of Yen Thanh district to develop a detailed construction plan for the Ru Gam cultural, spiritual, and ecological tourism area. The People's Committee of the district collaborated with Hoang Dao Architectural Company of Professor Hoang Dao Kinh - one of the leading architectural companies in Vietnam - to finalize the architectural plan.

On October 28, 2012, the People's Committee of Yen Thanh District solemnly held a ceremony to announce the Decision of the Provincial People's Committee approving the detailed construction plan for the Ru Gam ecological and spiritual tourism area. According to this Decision, the total planned area is over 316 hectares, divided into 5 functional zones:

The original historical site includes the Chi Linh temple, pagoda, assembly hall, and parking area for tourists and Buddhist followers visiting the temple. The site has been expanded, upgraded, restored, and renovated to a spacious and modern size, covering an area of ​​19.6 hectares with a construction density of 30%.

Spiritual and Festival Area: Located on the eastern slope of Ru Gam mountain, covering an area of ​​100.2 hectares. This includes a Buddhist monastery for monks, situated at Gam Temple, in front of the large Silver Rock scenic spot, comprising 40 temple-style buildings with a construction area of ​​nearly 9.8 hectares, the largest of which (the main temple) has an area of ​​700m2, with a construction density of 30%; a Buddhist nun's monastery for nuns, located on the northeastern slope of the small Silver Rock area, comprising 29 temple-style buildings with a construction area of ​​nearly 4.85 hectares, with a construction density of 30%; and a pagoda garden area including a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni at the mountain peak, and halfway up the southeastern mountain are shrines to Bodhisattvas, Maitreya, and gardens of Lumbini, Bodhi, and stupas, covering a construction area of ​​0.78 hectares.

The Bach Y Temple complex: Located north of the spiritual and festival area, it is dedicated to the worship of Princess Bach Y, the Three Holy Mothers, Saint Tran, and the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara..., with a total area of ​​7.89 hectares;

Martyrs' Cemetery Area: Located in the northeast of the spiritual and festival area, it includes the following structures: a shrine and museum for martyrs, a memorial monument, a green garden, and a martyrs' cemetery, covering an area of ​​6.8 hectares with a construction density of 20%.

Ecological Resort and Integrated Service Area: Located northwest of the spiritual and festival area, covering 157.75 hectares, it comprises three functional zones: An ecological resort at Xuan Nguyen Lake, including hotels, lakeside villas, bungalows, restaurants, and a system of entertainment and other supporting facilities, covering 27.91 hectares; a comprehensive tourism area situated on the western mountain peak to the edge of Xuan Nguyen Lake, including facilities such as traditional restaurants, refreshment stands, viewing pavilions, sculpture gardens, swimming pools, etc., covering 4.06 hectares; and a themed park located south of the comprehensive tourism area, including facilities such as a biosphere museum, viewing pavilions, restaurants, entertainment and other supporting facilities, covering 0.82 hectares.

At the design approval workshop organized by the Provincial People's Committee in February 2012, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Comrade Ho Duc Phoc (now the Provincial Party Secretary), concluded: The funding for the construction of the spiritual tourism complex includes the original historical site, the spiritual and festival area, the Bach Y Temple area, and internal roads connecting the temple and pagoda with the Zen monastery, and between the various components of the Zen monastery, all undertaken by the Truc Lam sect. The province and district will call on organizations and individuals inside and outside the province to invest in the construction of the ecological tourism area. The Martyrs' Memorial Temple will be funded by the district through budget mobilization and community contributions.

Although the project is very large in scale, it does not disrupt the environmental landscape. The religious structures are all located under the canopy of the special-use forest, for which the General Department of Forestry has authorized the planning of the project. The People's Committee of Yen Thanh district is currently implementing the construction and protection of the Ru Gam special-use forest planning project. The project has a high feasibility, but its realization faces many difficulties and requires the support, assistance, and cooperation of many levels, sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals, especially the great efforts of the Party Committee and people of Yen Thanh.

The construction project of the Ru Gam Eco-Spiritual and Cultural Tourism Area will open up a new future and a new face for Yen Thanh district. It will attract a large number of domestic and international tourists annually, create many jobs for workers, improve infrastructure, educate people on morality towards truth, goodness, and beauty, overcome and push back social evils, and gradually restore cultural and spiritual values.

From Truc Lam Yen Tu to Truc Lam Yen Thanh, the first leg of the journey left a strong mark of sustainable development and the imprint of Vietnamese culture and spirituality in every citizen of this heroic rice-growing district.

Nguyen Tien Loi

(Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Thanh District)