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left towards Bai Dinh Pagoda and the
Trang An ecotourism complex.
Bai Dinh pagoda is a mega-scale
construction being built to awe in-
spiring proportions. Buddhism has
cemented itself in the spiritual life
of Vietnamese people with its sim-
ple philosophies and modest pagodas
throughout the country, however Bai
Dinh pagoda is a super-sized religious
centre and a new symbol of Buddhism
for the 21st century.
From afar, I was amazed by the
giant pagodas and bell-towers stand-
ing out from the mountain. The most
prominent features of the pagoda
are two giant temples by the side of
the Bai Dinh Mountain, each around
200m high. One of the temples houses
a 100-tonne statue of the Great Bud-
dha, while the other will feature three
50-tonne statues of the Buddhas that
represent the past, the present and the
future. The temples are each 22 meters
high and more than 1,000 square me-
ters in area. The labourers completing
the roof looked like ants on enormous
pillars. The pagoda will also be home to
two large bronze bells of 27 tonnes and
36 tonnes, both designed by a famous
bronze casting guild in Hue City.
Leaving Bai Dinh’s amazing pagoda,
we drove along the new road that runs
between the imposing rocky mountain
ranges towards Trang An caves. The
wonderful clear road is ideal for cycling
and I made a promise to myself that I
would cycle next time around.
The Trang An eco-tourism centre
covers 1,566ha, including 980ha of
protected mountains and forest, with
the remaining land set aside for build-
ing the necessary infrastructure to cater
for growing tourism.
We strolled towards the wharf on
the edge of a lake. Floating on the crys-
tal clear pools a number of local women
waited in rowing boats. Once, these
local women were farmers, but their
paddy fields were incorporated into the
development of the Trang An ecotour-
ism centre and now they survive by
rowing tourists around their backyard.
A row boat is definitely the perfect
way to enjoy the scenery at Trang An.
We looked out across more than 30 riv-
er filled valleys which are home to some
50 caves carved into the limestone.
There is plenty to keep your eyes
out for here. The area is rich in rare
and precious flora and fauna and its
waters hide numerous antiques dating
as far back as the 10th century. We
rowed through nine caves towards the
Ancient People’s Cavern (Bang Cave),
where, in 2007, archaeologists found
tools made of pebble stone dating back
to the Stone Age.
Heading back to shore, there was
just time for one last detour – up
the hundred stone steps to the Tran
temple, which was built in honour of
the Tran dynasty in the 13th century.
When we arrived, a
Len Dong
ceremo-
ny was underway.
This is a ritual that is performed
to make contact with certain deities,
in this case
Dao Mau
, the Vietnamese
Mother Goddess. Quietly we sat in the
entrance and listened to the voices of
53
timeout
land
Tourist boats sail along the river in
Tam Coc - Bich Dong