Tra Phuong (Thien Phuc) Pagoda, Hai Phong

Tra Phuong

This pagoda of the Nguyen Dynasty includes an entrance hall including five compartments and an apse including three compartments. Tra Phuong Pagoda is one of the centers belonging to the Buddhist architectural system of the Mac Dynasty. First built under the Ly Dynasty (1010 - 1225), the pagoda was initially called Ba Dinh. It is said that the original pagoda was located on a hillock in the south which was 200m far from the current one. It is said that Mac Dang Dung once took refuge in the pagoda and escaped from his enemies. With the establishment of the Mac Dynasty (1527 - 1592), Dang Dung reconstructed the pagoda and renamed it as Thien Phuc.

Apart from normal festivals, the pagoda honors its founders on every lunar January 22. Tra Phuong Pagoda today is both a site of historical and cultural importance and a Mac Dynasty art museum of Hai Phong City.