Bai Dinh pagoda in Ninh Binh – The first and most important thing is wonderful landscapes of Ninh Binh land have played an important role on the development of Viet Nam tourist industry to the world today.
Not only do the marvelous sceneries make you dote on it, it also elicits a precious land with ancient historical relics of ancient Vietnam which is the second thing you should know. Bai Dinh Padoda includes both of majestic sceneries and spirit values. This is the largest spiritual pagoda in Viet Nam and one of the must-see places in Ninh Binh.
I’m going to introduce you about some records that make Bai Dinh Pagoda become a famous pagoda in Viet Nam as well as in Asia. These are also highlights in the Pagoda if you visit it. What are the reasons make you decide to visit Bai Dinh Pagoda?
Things to know before visit to Bai Dinh pagoda
Below is amazing attractions near by:
- Mua Cave – Hang Mua
- Tam Coc – Bich Dong Pagoda
- Hoa Lu Ancient Capital – Detailed Travel Guide – 2022
- Trang An Complex Landscape – All You Need To Know Before Travel -2022
Overview
Bai Dinh Pagoda is on Bai Dinh mountain in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district. The Pagoda is 5 kilometers to the Northwest from Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and 15 kilometers from Ninh Binh city 95km from Hanoi. From Trang An Grottoes, go northbound to reach the pagoda.
The Pagoda with a breakthrough – one of Southeast Asia’s largest Buddhist complex. It consists of several temples and over 500 intricately carved statues of Buddha, including one that’s made of bronze and is 10 metres in height.
It has a large campus with 539 hectares including 27 hectares of the old and the newly built areas. The Bai Dinh Pagoda welcomes thousands of travelers each year.
Entrance free ticket
- Visiting Bai Dinh you are no need to pay entrance fee, but It costs 80.000 VND for 2 ways if you hire a electric car to go for a sighseeing and visit tower.
The Best time to travel to Bai Dinh
The most suitable time for Bai Dinh Pagoda trips is in spring (from January to March of the Lunar Year) when the weather is warm. Visitors can combine spring traveling, sightseeing, praying for luck in the temple and participating in big festivals in both Trang An and Bai Dinh.
However, this time is the peak of festival tourist season, so there are a huge number of visitors, which leads to overload and overcrowding. Therefore, if any visitors do not like the situations, they can travel to Bai Dinh at another time in the year.
Bai Dinh pagoda opening hours
- Bai Dinh Pagoda is opened from 6:00 am everyday and usually closed at 06:00 pm.
Bai Dinh pagoda dress code
Visiting Bai Dinh, you must avoid wearing skirts, short and leggings. Moreover, wearing running shoes and sneakers instead of high heels as you will walk and climb a lot.
Bai Dinh pagoda map
Bai Dinh Pagoda Map
What to see inside Bai Dinh pagoda
Here are something special that attract tourists coming to Bai Dinh pagoda, they are also elements which make records for the pagoda.
Note: Bai Dinh pagoda is located in Ninh Binh province, 100 km away from Ha Noi capital in the north of Viet Nam.
Tam Quan Gate (Pagoda’s three-entrance gate)
Tam Quan Gate is considered as a face of Bai Dinh temple. The only way for Bonzes, Buddhist believers, and tourists to enter pagoda is passing Tam Quan gate. Compared with a pleasing architectural ensemble of Bai Dinh pagoda, The gate is imposing, majestic, and harmonious on the position. Each time when people step out the gate their feeling become very calm and untroubled.
Bell-tower
The bell-tower shaped in an octagon with immeasurably high 3 floors. Diameter of the bottom is 49 meter and total the height of bell-tower is 22 meters. It carved a lotus shaped lamp support. Eight sides of bell-tower are opened spaciously including a stair leading to the peak of the tower. On the top of the tower, you have a lookout of the earth and sky. At the middle of this tower, there is a big bell hanged.
A temple worshipping bodhisattva
A Temple worshipping Bodhisattva at Bai Dinh Temple
This is an unusual excellence of an architectural building made of most of precious wood with a system of traditional Vietnamese architectures. At the middle of the temple stand a statue of Bodhisattva. This statute is the biggest one in Vietnam.
Statue of Bodhisattva at Bai Dinh Pagoda
Buddha dharma lord temple
Statue of Buddha at Bai Dinh Pagoda
Behind the temple of Bodhisattva, it’s temple of Buddha bringing an outstanding architecture. The temple lasts 47.7 meters in length, 45.5 meters in width and has a height of 30 meters. There are five partitions in the temple.
Especially, this place always attracts many tourists coming here to adore and worship the most majestic statute of Thich Ca Buddha (Gautama Buddha) which keeps a record in Viet Nam. A giant statue of Thich Ca Buddha made from bronze weighs 100 tons with a height of 10 meters. Now the statue hits a record of the highest and heaviest statue of the Buddha in Viet Nam
Temple of three identical statues of Buddha
(it’s called Dien Tam The in Vietnamese)
After climbing up more than 200 stone steps you will reach at Dien Tam The. The building is the tallest, largest, and grandest in BaiDinh pagoda. There hasn’t been any type of architecture as magnificent as this one in Viet Nam. This temple worships 3 identical statues of Buddha which represent for the past, the present and the future.
On 12th Dec 2017 a Viet Nam book of records and National office of Intellectual Property recognized and issued certificate for a set of 3 statues as the biggest one in Viet Nam.
Statues of 500 Arhatsin the corridor
The biggest well of God in Vietnam
Gieng Ngoc was originated from 1000 years ago. This wall was built in a shape of the moon with a diameter of 30 meters, depth of water is 6 meters. Especially this wall has an inexhaustible source of water. The well is also another record of Bai Dinh. The pagoda has a biggest well of God in Viet Nam
Ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda
The area of ??ancient Bai Dinh pagoda (Bai Dinh Co Tu) is located on Bai Dinh mountain and is nearly 200m above sea level. Bai Dinh Co Tu is about 800 m far from Tam The temple. The ancient temple area includes the front temple, the cave to worship the Buddha, the temple to worship the mountain god, and the temple to worship Saint Nguyen.
According to Vietnamese folklore, the ancient Bai Dinh pagoda is located on an area considered sacred land, the birthplace of popular figures of the nation, including kings, saints, and gods. Most tourists coming to Ninh Binh visit Bai Dinh pagoda.
Bai Dinh Temple, Ninh Binh is the largest religious complex in Vietnam with many pagodas and towers, large and small, attracting a large number of domestic and international pilgrims and tourists. This is one of the largest constructions to commemorate the 1,000-year celebration of Thang Long – Hanoi in 2010.
How To Get To Bai Dinh Pagoda
From Hanoi:
- Travel with Bus/Car/Taxi 2 hours ~ 96km: You can take coach at Hanoi Southern Bus Station (Giap Bat Bus Station) to Ninh Binh (every 30 minutes), located on Giai Phong street; Price: 150.000 VND/ticket. You can also arrange a coach by contacting some tourism agencies right in the Old Quarter.
- By Motorbike: Travelling to Bai Dinh by motorbike is another option . It is going to take you around nearly 3 hours (around 100 km to arrive Ninh Binh )
Domestic buses in Ninh Binh:
- Bus route 08: Schedule: Nam Thanh rest station – 700-bed hospital – tuberculosis hospital – Eye hospital – maternity hospital – Army hospital – Lim Bridge – Provincial post office – Highway 1A – Huyen Bridge – Truong Yen – Truong Yen commune – three-way crossroad to Ga canal – Bai Dinh Pagoda – Anh Troi three-way crossroad – Ria three-way crossroad – Phu Long commune (Nho Quan district)
Pick up 1 suitable itinerary for your Bai Dinh pagoda tour
Come to visit Bai Dinh pagoda in Ninh Binh, never forgot to visit Trang An grottos, a wonderful landscape with discovering temples, grottos and taking boat tour. To be guided in Bai Dinh pagoda, book 1 day in Trang An Bai Dinh Tour with us, you are easy to learn more about an mysterious land in Ninh Binh.
Bai Dinh Trang An Mua Cave Tour is one of the most satisfying day tours in Ninh Binh with a combination of visiting picturesque Trang An grottoes, exploring the Bai Dinh – A Bigest Pagoda in Vietnam and the spectacular Mua Cave.
Suggested Itinerary Bai Dinh Trang An Day Tour
| TIME TABLE | ITINERARY |
|---|---|
| Morning Time | 8.00am in the morning, get a car for the departure to Ninh Binh. You will reach Bai Dinh Pagoda which is the first destination at around 10:20 a.m. Then you start to explore all the place, go through each tourist attractions in Bai Dinh Pagoda. It’s better to have a tour guide to go with you as he or she will explain the meaning of each place you go through. |
| Noon Time | After touring around Bai Dinh Pagoda, it’s time to have some lunch with Ninh Binh local dishes. You can choose a local restaurant to enjoy your meal. |
| Afternoon Time | The rest of the day will be spent in Trang An Tourism Complex which is 15 minutes from Bai Dinh Pagoda. Take a boat trip to explore and discover the nature and wild beauty of this area. This will be the highlight of your trip. At 4:30 p.m, get the car and go back to Hanoi Old Quarter Center. |
Suggested Itinerary Bai Dinh Trang An Mua Cave Day Tour
| TIME TABLE | ITINERARY |
|---|---|
| Morning | 08.00am: Get a tourist bus starts from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter Centel for departure to Bai Dinh pagoda. 10.30am: Arrive Bai Dinh Pagoda and Let's Start explore this beautiful Buddhist place of worship, with 500 La Han statues and the largest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam, 10 meters tall. Enjoy some free time with your guide to visit the pagoda and learn more about Buddhism. |
| Noon | After Finish your trip at Pagoda. Enjoy a buffet lunch of Vietnamese cuisine after you've seen the pagoda. Then hop back on the bus and continue to Trang An wharf. From here, take a boat trip to visit Trang An cave complex, made famous by scenes from the film King Kong. After the boat trip, you'll take a bike to visit traditional villages around the Trang An area. |
| Afternoon | The tour continues to Mua Cave. Listen to interesting stories about this place from your guide. After climbing 500 stone steps, you'll be able to see all the way to Tam Coc. Enjoy the stunning panoramic view of the countryside and Ngo Dong river. At the end of the day you'll get back on the bus and drive back to Hanoi |
Tips for your AMAZING Bai Dinh Pagoda Day Trip
- It is advised to bring along some pairs of sports shoes instead of wearing high-heels or doll shoes to protect the feet and make it convenient for moving as well. Because of the mountain, pagoda climbing will be included in the journey. Visitors may pack formal clothing when entering pagodas. Tourists should wear comfortable clothing, not tight, sweat-proof ones.
- There are many shops selling interesting souvenirs and attractive specialties. However, the price in the mountains is often much higher than that outside. Therefore, to buy local specialties as presents, tourists should go down the foot of the mountains to buy at a cheaper price.
- At the beginning of springtime, it often has drizzle. In case of that, visitors may bring a small carefully-folded umbrella.
- Remember to bring some pence when coming to pagodas and donating. Visitors should avoid putting money on Buddha statues. This behavior can damage the beauty of the pagoda area. Instead, tourists had better donate money into donation boxes.
Thank you for reading !
Have a look at itinerary from Hanoi:Suggested All Ninh Binh Itinerary from 1 to 4 days
