Standing at the pagoda gate and looking inward, you will likely pause for a moment. Directly ahead rises a tall, thick-walled structure whose doorways and roof vaults sweep upward into pointed arches, looking from afar like a Western cathedral. Yet no cross crowns its peak, and once you step across the threshold, the interior reveals incense altars, Buddha statues, and parallel couplets in Chinese characters. To the right of that hall stands an eleven-tiered tower resting on the back of a giant stone turtle, to the left lies a calm lake, and in the middle of the lake sits an immense bronze bell on a stone pedestal.
Cổ Lễ Pagoda is therefore the hardest to classify among the great monasteries of the Red River Delta. What you see above ground today is not a Lý-dynasty timber pagoda, but a brick complex reconstructed in the early twentieth century. Its Lý-dynasty root remains alive, however, in a different layer, in the Saint-Patriarch venerated inside, in the liturgical custom, and in the Sino-Vietnamese name of the temple.
IVenerating the Buddha and venerating the Saint
The pagoda's Sino-Vietnamese name is Thần Quang tự (Divine Light Temple). Alongside the Buddha altars, the pagoda venerates National Master Nguyễn Minh Không, a foundational point to grasp before entering because it governs both the spatial layout and the way local villagers worship here.
This liturgical layout is known as Buddha in front, Saint behind (tiền Phật hậu Thánh), meaning that the front halls venerate the Buddha according to Northern Mahayana Buddhism while the rear sanctuary venerates a Saint-Patriarch who was an actual historical Zen master. Rather than a solitary invention of Cổ Lễ, this arrangement is the shared custom of a network of pagodas across the lower Red River basin that venerate Nguyễn Minh Không or Dương Không Lộ. Within this tradition, the eminent monk was elevated by folk belief to the rank of a Saint, complete with birth and death anniversaries, palanquin processions, and ceremonial eulogies, meaning he is worshipped through tutelary deity rites as well as monastic patriarchal rites.
According to Buddhist historical studies, Nguyễn Minh Không lived from roughly 1065 to 1141 under the Lý dynasty. Celebrated for curing Emperor Lý Thần Tông's illness, he was appointed National Master (Quốc sư). Folk tradition groups him among the Three Saint-Patriarchs under the Southern Sky alongside Dương Không Lộ and Từ Đạo Hạnh. While the tales of his mastery over bronze casting and healing belong to legend rather than court annals, those very legends explain why pagodas dedicated to him are closely associated with giant bronze bells and statues.
Beyond the Buddha and the Saint-Patriarch, the Linh Quang Shrine (Linh Quang từ) built in 1937 to the left of the assembly hall honors Saint Trần Hưng Đạo together with two Confucian doctoral laureates of the Đào clan who were native sons of Cổ Lễ village. Sources record the names of these two Đào laureates slightly differently, with an article in Ninh Bình Literature and Arts magazine matching imperial examination records as Doctoral Laureate Đào Toàn Bân and First-Rank Laureate (Trạng nguyên) Đào Sư Tích, the Department of Cultural Heritage website listing Đào Sư Tích and Đào Toàn Phú, and an article in the Journal of Buddhist Studies recording Second-Rank Laureate Đào Sư Mỗ and Third-Class Laureate Đào Toàn Mỗ. A Buddhist monastery enshrining the village's examination laureates is the hallmark of a scholarly countryside where monastery and Confucian study hall did not stand apart.
IITwo chronological layers of a single pagoda
To read Cổ Lễ Pagoda accurately, one must separate two chronological layers. The first layer is its origin, where the official heritage dossier records that the pagoda took shape under the Lý dynasty, and reports on the 2025 special national ranking specify the twelfth century during the reign of Emperor Lý Thần Tông. The second layer comprises everything standing above ground today, which belongs to the early twentieth century.
Between those two layers lies a historical rupture. Local cultural records state that in the Tân Hợi year (1611) a major flood buried the ancient monastery, after which villagers rebuilt the pagoda in a Công-shaped (I-shaped) timber plan during the Hoằng Định reign era (1601 to 1619). That 1611 Red River flood was the very same deluge that reshaped a string of ancient monasteries along the lower river, including the original Nghiêm Quang Pagoda from which the two Keo pagodas arose. In this low-lying delta plain, river water has rewritten architectural history more than once.
By the turn of the twentieth century, the Lê-dynasty timber pagoda had fallen into disrepair. Beginning in 1902, Venerable Phạm Quang Tuyên dismantled the decaying halls and initiated a wholly new complex centered on the main sanctuary erected between 1914 and 1920 in a style local records call Nhất Thốc Lâu Đài (Single-Mass Towering Pavilion). Under his successor Venerable Thích Thế Long, the pagoda added the Nine-Tiered Lotus Tower, the Buddhist Assembly Hall, the 9,000-kilogram Great Bronze Bell in 1936, and the Linh Quang Shrine and Mother Goddess Palace in 1937, completing an ensemble of 17 buildings with 126 bays across nearly two hectares.
- 12th centuryLý-dynasty foundationThe heritage dossier records that the pagoda originated under the Lý dynasty in connection with National Master Nguyễn Minh Không. Reports on the 2025 ranking specify the 12th century under Emperor Lý Thần Tông. The library's data table uses 1150 as the conventional marker for this layer.
- 1611Flood buries the old pagodaLocal cultural records note that in the Tân Hợi year (1611) high floodwaters buried the original monastery, the same Red River flood that reshaped several ancient delta pagodas.
- 17th centuryReconstruction in Công-planDuring the Hoằng Định reign era (1601 to 1619), local residents rebuilt the pagoda in a traditional northern Công-shaped (I-shaped) timber layout.
- 1902 to 1920Rebuilt by Venerable Phạm Quang TuyênFrom 1902 the old timber halls were dismantled for reconstruction, and the brick-lime-molasses main hall was erected between 1914 and 1920 in the Nhất Thốc Lâu Đài style, creating the facade seen today.
- 1921Arched bridge across the lakeA three-span arched bridge measuring 10.60 meters long and 4 meters wide was built across Chu Tước Lake (also called Chu Tích Lake) in front of the pagoda.
- 1927 to 1929Nine-Tiered Lotus TowerSources differ on the start date of the lotus tower, with one recording 1927 and another recording 1929. The library records both dates.
- 1936 and 1937Assembly hall, Great Bell, and shrinesIn 1936 the Buddhist Assembly Hall was built and the 9,000-kilogram Great Bell was cast (later submerged in the lake and raised onto a stone pedestal in the lake in 1954). In 1937 the Linh Quang Shrine and Mother Goddess Palace were completed.
- 2025Special national heritage siteDesignated under Decision No. 1959/QĐ-TTg on September 11, 2025 as a historical and architectural-artistic monument, following its 1988 national monument ranking and the 2023 national intangible heritage inscription of its festival.
Cổ Lễ is often called a thousand-year-old pagoda, leading many visitors to assume that the pointed-arch building standing before them is equally ancient. Stated accurately, the thousand-year age belongs to the site of worship rather than the standing building. No structural component of the Lý-dynasty monastery remains above ground. The present architecture began in 1902 and was completed over the following three decades. Both chronological layers are genuine, provided they are not conflated.
IIIPointed arches, the lotus tower, and the bell in the lake
The structures of the pagoda unfold along a long east-west axis, proceeding inward from the lotus tower, arched bridge, three-entrance gate, assembly hall, and side shrines to the main sanctuary, patriarchs' hall, square pavilion, and bell tower. That elongated, open axis contrasts sharply with the compact square courtyard typical of northern Vietnamese pagodas.
The main sanctuary, called Nhất Trụ or Chính Cung in local records, measures 29.30 meters long and 13.90 meters wide in the official dossier (while some research articles record 35 meters long, 22 meters wide, and 29 meters high), consisting of nine vaulted bays linked in sequence. Its building materials are fired brick, lime, sand, mulberry paper, and cane molasses, without modern cement. From a craft perspective, this is the most remarkable feature of the monument, as a masonry hall rising nearly thirty meters stands entirely through vaulted load distribution and traditional mortar rather than reinforced concrete.
A tall, thick-walled masonry hall whose doorways and roof vaults rise into pointed arches inspired by Western Gothic architecture, while the interior altar arrangement remains wholly Vietnamese. Built of brick, lime, and molasses, measuring 29.30 meters long by 13.90 meters wide in the official dossier.
An octagonal tower standing on the back of a giant stone turtle in the middle of an artificial mountain lake. The heritage dossier records 11 tiers (one base tier, nine lotus tiers, and one finial tier) standing 26.30 meters tall, whereas many press and research articles record a 32-meter tower with a 98-step spiral staircase inside.
A three-span covered bridge built in 1921, 10.60 meters long and 4 meters wide, spanning the front lake called Chu Tước Lake in the heritage dossier (and Chu Tích Lake in some Buddhist studies). Worshippers cross the bridge before reaching the three-entrance gate.
The Great Bronze Bell (Đại Hồng Chung) cast in 1936, weighing 9,000 kilograms, standing 4.2 meters tall with a diameter of 2.03 meters. Submerged at the bottom of the lake for safekeeping in the mid-20th century, it was raised in 1954 and placed on a stone pedestal in the middle of the lake behind the assembly hall, having never once been struck.
A three-tiered, eight-roofed bell tower at the rear of the axis. It hangs a 9,000-kilogram bronze bell cast in 2003 as a replica of the 1936 bell, while its top tier holds an older 300-kilogram bell cast in 1799 (the seventh year of the Cảnh Thịnh reign of the Tây Sơn dynasty).
The memorial stupa garden honoring former abbots within the grounds, including the stupa tomb of Venerable Phạm Quang Tuyên, who initiated the 1902 reconstruction.
Why did a Buddhist pagoda borrow the pointed arches of a church? The answer lies in the historical moment. By the early twentieth century, masonry vaulting techniques had become widespread across the lower Red River Delta while large-diameter ironwood timber was growing scarce. The builders chose a structural system that could rise high and endure while keeping the devotional heart inside unchanged. That approach appeared elsewhere in the region, but at Cổ Lễ it was carried to its fullest expression.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
This section presents the library's reading through the lens of traditional feng shui, not content copied from stone inscriptions or official monument dossiers. The library states this clearly so readers can distinguish historical documentation from interpretive reading.
The pagoda sits in the low alluvial plain of the lower Red River, where no natural mountain exists to serve as a rear pillow (hậu chẩm). In flatland geomancy, backing is provided instead by two features, an elevated earthen platform rising above the surrounding paddies and an encircling body of water. Both features are present here, and because the water consists of excavated lakes rather than a natural river, the builders actively shaped the terrain they needed.
The front lake is recorded in the heritage dossier as Chu Tước Lake (Vermilion Bird Lake). That name is telling. Among the Four Celestial Emblems, the Vermilion Bird guards the South and corresponds to the open space in front of a site that geomancy calls the bright hall (minh đường). Excavating a lake in front of the gate and naming it Vermilion Bird Lake follows classical doctrine to the letter, since water in the bright hall gathers qi, and visitors must cross a bridge over water before entering the temple grounds. That brief crossing breaks the everyday rhythm of the market road and prepares the mind for worship.
Regarding axis and orientation, the heritage dossier notes that the architectural complex unfolds along an east-west axis, departing from the south-facing convention of most northern Vietnamese pagodas. In classical reading, the east-west axis follows the path of the rising and setting sun, matching a temple named Thần Quang (Divine Light). When the meaning of the temple's name aligns with the directional axis of the land, traditional geomancy calls it proper form (đắc cách).
Finally, two prominent objects stand in counterpoint across the grounds, the Nine-Tiered Lotus Tower rising toward the sky and the nine-ton bronze bell once submerged at the bottom of the lake and now resting still on a stone pedestal right at the water's surface in the middle of the lake. One represents Fire and Wood, a brush-tip piercing the heavens associated with literary vitality and spiritual ascent. The other represents Metal set amidst Water, heavy metallic qi anchored in still water, associated with preservation and accumulation. Whether or not the builders consciously planned that pairing, reading the site today reveals both upward and downward vectors rarely seen together in a flatland monastery.
VThe ninth-month pagoda festival
The pagoda's principal festival takes place in the ninth lunar month to commemorate the birth of Saint-Patriarch Nguyễn Minh Không rather than in early spring, and was inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023. Sources consistently record the festival dates as running from the thirteenth to the sixteenth day of the ninth lunar month.
| Lunar date | Ritual | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 13th of the 9th month | Opening ceremony and incense offering | The festival opens with incense offerings at the Buddha and Saint-Patriarch altars and a formal petition to open the feast. |
| 14th of the 9th month | Procession and sacrificial rites | Palanquin processions around the pagoda and surrounding villages, followed by traditional sacrificial rites before the Saint's sanctuary. |
| 15th of the 9th month | Main feast day | The principal day commemorating the birth of Saint-Patriarch Nguyễn Minh Không, featuring sacred puppetry dances (múa chầu rối) and Buddhist liturgical rites. |
| 16th of the 9th month | Boat racing and folk games | Traditional boat races (bơi trải) on the river outside the pagoda alongside human chess, card singing, and village lineage competitions. |
| 1st and 15th of each month | Monthly observances | Outside the ninth-month festival, worshippers gather on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month and during the Lunar New Year. |
A signature feature of this festival is the boat race (bơi trải). Holding a multi-village boat race as part of a monastery festival shows that the Cổ Lễ festival is not a purely monastic observance, but carries the communal spirit of a riverine farming settlement. Because the figure commemorated is an eminent monk elevated to Saint-Patriarch, the ceremonies combine tutelary deity sacrificial rites with Buddhist liturgy.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- xã Cổ Lễ, tỉnh Ninh Bình
- Getting there
- The pagoda is located in Cổ Lễ commune, Ninh Bình province (formerly Trực Ninh district, Nam Định province), about fifteen kilometers southeast of the former Nam Định city center. Visitors traveling along this route can combine the visit with other Saint-Patriarch pagodas across the lower Red River basin.
- Coordinates
- 20.3215, 106.2634
This is an active place of worship rather than an exhibition hall, so visitors should observe the customs of the pagoda. Please dress modestly, remove hats when entering the main sanctuary, walk quietly and speak softly in the Saint's shrine, and refrain from climbing onto the stone turtle at the base of the tower or touching the bronze bells. The spiral staircase inside the Nine-Tiered Lotus Tower is narrow and dim, so please move in one direction to avoid blocking those descending. During the ninth-month festival, please yield the courtyard path to palanquin processions.
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?Quick Questions
Who is worshipped at Cổ Lễ Pagoda
The pagoda venerates the Buddha according to Northern Mahayana Buddhism in the front halls and National Master Nguyễn Minh Không in the rear sanctuary, following the Buddha in front, Saint behind layout. In addition, the Linh Quang Shrine beside the assembly hall honors Saint Trần Hưng Đạo and two Confucian doctoral laureates of Cổ Lễ village, Doctoral Laureate Đào Toàn Bân and First-Rank Laureate Đào Sư Tích.
Why does Cổ Lễ Pagoda look like a Western church
Because the standing complex was reconstructed beginning in 1902 by Venerable Phạm Quang Tuyên using pointed masonry vaults inspired by Western Gothic architecture, built of brick, lime, and cane molasses rather than timber. Inside, however, the worship space follows traditional Vietnamese Buddhist layout with incense altars, Buddha statues, and Chinese parallel couplets.
When was Cổ Lễ Pagoda founded
The official heritage dossier records that the pagoda originated under the Lý dynasty in the 12th century. However, no above-ground structure from the Lý monastery survives. The standing buildings were constructed between 1902 and 1937, so visitors should distinguish the age of the site from the age of the present buildings.
Where is the nine-ton bronze bell at Cổ Lễ Pagoda located
The 9,000-kilogram Great Bronze Bell (Đại Hồng Chung) cast in 1936 was submerged at the bottom of the lake for safekeeping in the mid-20th century, raised in 1954, and placed on a stone pedestal in the middle of the lake behind the assembly hall, having never been struck. A second 9,000-kilogram bell cast in 2003 hangs in the rear bell tower alongside a 300-kilogram bell cast in 1799 under the Tây Sơn dynasty.
How tall is the Nine-Tiered Lotus Tower and how many tiers does it have
Sources record two sets of figures. The official heritage dossier states that the tower stands 26.30 meters tall with 11 tiers (one base tier, nine lotus tiers, and one finial tier). Many press and research articles record a 32-meter tower with a 98-step spiral staircase inside, and sources also differ between 1927 and 1929 for its start date.