Follow the road along the southern flank of the Đại Lãm mountain range in Nam Sơn Ward, Bắc Ninh Province, and look up toward the high slope: massive retaining walls of gray sandstone rise one above another in four monumental terraces stepping toward the ridge. On the windswept second terrace stands a monolithic greenish-gray stone pillar nearly five meters tall atop a two-tiered circular stone base, its shaft carved in high relief with a pair of sinuous Lý-dynasty dragons raising their heads to offer a radiant pearl beneath the Kinh Bắc sky. This is the ancient foundation and the rebuilt sanctuary of Dạm Pagoda, once the grandest royal Buddhist center of King Lý Nhân Tông's reign.
Unlike lowland village pagodas tucked quietly beneath old banyan trees, Dạm Pagoda bears the scale of a royal monument of stone and timber built into a mountain slope, uniting the imperial authority of the capital Thăng Long with the ancestral heartland of the Lý house in Kinh Bắc. Every lotus-impressed floor brick, every wave-carved stone stair stringer and above all the unique stone pillar that has stood firm for over nine centuries make this hillside a living chronicle in stone of eleventh-century Đại Việt Buddhist art.
IA royal monastery of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan
Dạm Pagoda stands in Tự Thôn Hamlet on the southern slope of Mount Dạm (classical name Mount Đại Lãm) in Nam Sơn Ward, Bắc Ninh Province (prior to 1 July 2025, Nam Sơn Ward of the former Bắc Ninh City, which after merging with the former Vân Dương Ward under Resolution No. 1658/NQ-UBTVQH15 retains the name Nam Sơn Ward). In the history of Vietnamese Buddhism under the Lý dynasty, this was not an ordinary village temple but a royal monastery and imperial retreat personally surveyed, funded from the state treasury and built with nationwide labor by Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan (Lê Thị Yến, c. 1044 - 1117) and her son King Lý Nhân Tông (reigned 1072 - 1127) over nearly a decade at the close of the eleventh century.
The pagoda has borne several names across historical chronicles and folk memory. Court annals such as the Việt sử lược (Abridged Chronicles of Đại Việt) and the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (Complete Annals of Đại Việt) record that upon its completion in the third year of the Hội Phong era (1094) or the sixth year of the Hội Phong era (1097), the court bestowed the formal title Cảnh Long Đồng Khánh Tự (景龍同慶寺). In later dynasties, stone inscriptions and Sino-Nom records called it Đại Lãm Thần Quang Tự (大覽神光寺), combining the name of Mount Đại Lãm with the temple title Thần Quang Tự. Among the people of Kinh Bắc, it is known in the vernacular as Chùa Dạm (a phonetic shift from Đại Lãm or from the word Chằm, referring to the vast marshy lake that once lay at the foot of the mountain), as well as Chùa Cao (the High Pagoda) and Chùa Bà Tấm in memory of Consort Ỷ Lan, the Kinh Bắc mulberry girl who rose to become Mother of the Realm.
The founding of Dạm Pagoda is bound up with the engaged Buddhism and penitential devotion of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan during the golden age of the Lý dynasty. Having twice served as regent behind the screen for King Lý Thánh Tông and King Lý Nhân Tông to safeguard the realm and open the first Confucian civil service examination in 1075, Ỷ Lan was also a devout practitioner well versed in Zen (Thiền) philosophy. In her later years she devoted herself to building more than a hundred pagodas and stupas across the Red River delta and her native Bắc Ninh to pray for national peace, atone for the karmic burdens of court politics and sow seeds of compassion for the populace. Among all the temples associated with her name, Dạm Pagoda on Mount Đại Lãm held the central place, where she frequently retired for meditation, consulted eminent national masters and was enshrined alongside King Lý Nhân Tông while the Lý dynasty still ruled.
The official annals of Đại Việt devote explicit entries to the construction of this monument. The Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (Basic Annals, Book 3) records that in the eighth lunar month of autumn in the Ất Sửu year, the first year of the Quảng Hựu era (1085), Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan toured Mount Đại Lãm, admired its remarkable landscape and resolved to build a monastery. In the Bính Dần year, the second year of the Quảng Hựu era (1086), the court officially began constructing the great pagoda on Mount Đại Lãm. The Việt sử lược (Book 2) and Lý-period epigraphy note that cutting into the steep slope and laying the stone terraces took many years: some historical accounts place the completion in the Giáp Tuất year, the third year of the Hội Phong era (1094), whereas the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư states that in the first lunar month of spring in the Đinh Sửu year, the sixth year of the Hội Phong era (1097), the monastery was finished, King Lý Nhân Tông granted the name Cảnh Long Đồng Khánh Tự and held a grand inauguration festival. The Hall of Myriad Paths records both 1094 and 1097 to reflect the multi-year completion of the Buddha halls and stupas on Mount Đại Lãm.
Many visitors who come to the newly reconstructed timber halls on the mountain slope assume that those buildings stand on the exact spot of the eleventh-century main hall, or think that Dạm Pagoda was merely a modest shrine that happened to leave behind a single stone pillar. Archaeological excavations prove otherwise: the original Lý-dynasty monastery of 1086 was a colossal rectangular complex stretching about 120 meters up the mountain slope and about 70 meters across, divided into four stone-embanked terraces rising tens of meters in elevation. What remains visible on the ancient ground are only the stone retaining walls, column bases and the dragon-carved pillar, yet the sheer scale of those stone embankments confirms that this was one of the largest Buddhist architectural complexes in medieval Vietnam.
IIOver nine centuries from Cảnh Long Đồng Khánh Tự to the present
The history of Dạm Pagoda spans from the zenith of the Lý dynasty through the Trần, Restored Lê and Nguyễn periods to the major archaeological excavations and reconstructions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Under King Lý Nhân Tông, Dạm Pagoda served not only as Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan's spiritual retreat but also as a ceremonial center of the royal house. Chronicles record that in the Ất Dậu year, the fifth year of the Long Phù Nguyên Hóa era (1105), King Lý Nhân Tông ordered the construction of three white stone stupas on Mount Đại Lãm, creating a skyline of sacred towers overlooking the vast waters south of the mountain.
Through dynastic upheavals and the ravages of time, the grand timber halls of the Lý era gradually vanished, yet incense worship at Đại Lãm Thần Quang Tự was never broken. Under the Later Lê and Nguyễn dynasties, villagers around the foot of Mount Dạm such as Tự Thôn, Lãm Thủy and Sơn Trung continued to rebuild smaller sanctuary halls on the third terrace to venerate the Three Jewels, Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông. In modern scholarship, Dạm Pagoda attracted early attention from French scholars of the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) in the early twentieth century, including Henri Parmentier and Louis Bezacier, before Vietnamese archaeologists conducted comprehensive excavations that brought the original Lý royal monastery back to light.
- 1085 - 1086Survey by Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and commencement of constructionIn the eighth lunar month of the Ất Sửu year (1085), Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan visited Mount Đại Lãm. In the Bính Dần year, the second year of the Quảng Hựu era (1086) under King Lý Nhân Tông, the royal court officially began building the great monastery on the southern slope of Mount Dạm.
- 1094 - 1097Completion and bestowal of the title Cảnh Long Đồng Khánh TựAfter nearly a decade of building the four stone terraces, halls and towers, the complex was completed in the third year of the Hội Phong era (1094) and formally named Cảnh Long Đồng Khánh Tự by King Lý Nhân Tông in the sixth year of the Hội Phong era (1097).
- 1105Erection of the stone stupas on Mount Đại LãmIn the fifth year of the Long Phù Nguyên Hóa era (1105), King Lý Nhân Tông commissioned three additional stone stupas at the Mount Đại Lãm monastery, completing the royal temple-and-stupa complex.
- 16th - 18th centuryRestorations under the Mạc and Restored Lê dynasties as Thần Quang TựThe pagoda underwent several restorations during the Mạc and Restored Lê periods under the formal title Đại Lãm Thần Quang Tự, adding stone stelae and a bronze bell while maintaining the shrine to Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông.
- 1946Loss of the traditional wooden structuresThe older wooden halls standing on the ancient terraces suffered severe damage during historical upheavals in 1946, leaving the four stone-embanked terraces, wave-carved stone steps, stone statues and the monolithic dragon-carved stone pillar.
- 1964Ranked as a National Historical and Cultural Heritage SiteThe Ministry of Culture issued Decision No. 29-VH/QĐ on 13 January 1964, officially classifying the Dạm Pagoda complex as a national heritage site.
- 2012 - 2015Archaeological excavation and reconstruction of the new monasteryThe Institute of Archaeology and Bắc Ninh Province excavated over 3,000 square meters across the four terraces, uncovering tens of thousands of Lý-dynasty bricks, tiles, terracotta dragon heads and lotus pedestals, and launched a major restoration project alongside the original ruins.
- 2017Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar recognized as a National TreasureOn 25 December 2017, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 2089/QĐ-TTg recognizing the Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar of Dạm Pagoda as a National Treasure in the sixth national batch.
The large-scale archaeological excavation of 2012 conducted by the Institute of Archaeology across the four terraces of Dạm Pagoda yielded material evidence that corroborates the historical annals. Archaeologists uncovered massive double-lotus stone column bases, stair stringers carved with rolling waves and chrysanthemum vines, square floor tiles stamped with cuatrofoil and lotus motifs, lotus-tip roof tiles, glazed tubular tiles and hundreds of terracotta relief fragments depicting dragons, phoenixes, bodhi leaves and mandarin ducks in eleventh- and twelfth-century Lý style, identical in craftsmanship to artifacts from the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long and Phật Tích Pagoda. This confirms that the master builders of Dạm Pagoda were royal artisans dispatched directly from the court of Thăng Long to Mount Đại Lãm.
IIIThe four stone terraces and the National Treasure Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar
The architecture of Dạm Pagoda is organized into two distinct yet connected zones on the southern slope of Mount Đại Lãm: the original eleventh-century ruins across four stone-embanked terraces and the newly reconstructed timber monastery serving contemporary worship. Surveys of the archaeological site show that Lý-dynasty architects utilized the 15- to 20-degree mountain slope by cutting into the hillside, ramming earth and building dry-laid sandstone retaining walls to form four rectangular terraces stepping upward along a north-south axis (slightly inclined to the southeast), measuring roughly 120 meters in length and 70 meters in width, covering more than 8,400 square meters.
Each terrace is retained by dressed sandstone blocks stacked without mortar to heights of 3 to over 5 meters, linked by grand central and side stone staircases. The first (lowest) terrace, measuring about 120 by 60 meters, once held the triple gate and festival courtyard. Ascending the wave-carved stone steps to the second terrace brings visitors to the Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar of Dạm Pagoda on the eastern side and a matching stone foundation on the western side. The third terrace formed the core of the upper sanctuary and the great Lý-dynasty stupa whose square foundation measures 16.6 meters on each side, while the fourth and highest terrace backing against the mountain cliff housed the shrine to Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông.
The National Treasure Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar of Dạm Pagoda
The centerpiece embodying the sculptural mastery and scholarly mystery of Dạm Pagoda is the Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar of Dạm Pagoda, recognized by the Prime Minister as a National Treasure under Decision No. 2089/QĐ-TTg of 25 December 2017. The monument consists of two main parts: a two-tiered circular stone pedestal and a monolithic vertical stone shaft set at its center, reaching a total height of approximately 505 cm (over 5 meters above the terrace floor, not counting the 80 to 90 cm embedded underground). It is carved from fine-grained greenish-gray sandstone characteristic of the Lý dynasty.
The pedestal below is assembled from large curved stone blocks forming two concentric circular tiers like a giant lotus throne blossoming from the earth: the lower tier measures about 4.5 to 4.7 meters in diameter and 45 cm in height, while the upper tier narrows to about 3.4 meters in diameter and 46 cm in height, its exterior carved in relief with upturned lotus petals and surging water waves. Rising from the center of this circular base is the monolithic stone shaft about 425 cm tall and weighing an estimated 20 to 25 tonnes, shaped into two distinct sections: a nearly square lower block about 200 cm high (cross-section roughly 1.38 by 1.62 meters) that anchors the center of gravity, and an upper cylindrical shaft about 225 cm high with a diameter of 1.30 to 1.45 meters.
Wrapped around the upper cylindrical shaft is a high-relief masterpiece of a pair of Lý-dynasty dragons offering a pearl (lưỡng long hiến châu), carved to a relief depth of 8 to 10 cm. The two dragons undulate in graceful sinusoidal curves around the column, their tails intertwined on the northern rear face, their rounded, finely scaled bodies sweeping around the eastern and western flanks before raising their two heads to meet on the southern front face. Both dragon heads lift proudly with flame-like manes streaming backward, long crests, branched antlers and five-clawed forefeet jointly holding up a radiant pearl amid chime-shaped fire clouds and scrolling vines.
A monolithic sandstone pillar set on a two-tiered circular lotus base, total height about 505 cm, base diameter up to 4.7 meters, carved in high relief with twin Lý dragons offering a pearl, recognized as a National Treasure in 2017.
Four dry-laid sandstone retaining terraces stepping up the slope of Mount Đại Lãm, preserving wave-carved stair stringers and a 16.6-meter square Lý stupa foundation.
Two historic stone statues enshrined on the upper terrace, portraying Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông in royal attire with serene countenances.
A crystal-clear underground spring that never runs dry near the foot of the pagoda terraces and flat rock formations on the summit linked to legends of Consort Ỷ Lan.
An ironwood architectural complex roofed with curved tiles built in traditional style, comprising the Triple Gate, Front Hall, Upper Sanctuary, Patriarchs' Hall, Mother Goddess Hall, bell tower and drum tower.
Regarding the function and symbolic meaning of the Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar of Dạm Pagoda, Vietnamese archaeologists and art historians have advanced three major interpretations that should be noted side by side. The first interpretation (championed by art historian Chu Quang Trứ and folklorists) views the cylindrical shaft rising from a square base within a circular lotus pedestal as a synthesis of the Linga and Yoni fertility symbol (blending indigenous fertility beliefs and Chămpa cultural influences during the Lý era) with Buddhist dragon-and-lotus iconography to pray for dynastic continuity. The second interpretation (supported by archaeologists of the Institute of Archaeology who in 2012 documented a large mortise socket on top of the pillar and roof tiles around its base) holds that the pillar served as the single stone support for a timber sutra pavilion or incense pavilion, similar in concept to the One Pillar Pagoda (Diên Hựu Tự) in Thăng Long. The third interpretation reads it as a Buddhist dharani or cosmic pillar symbolizing Mount Meru and royal protection of the Dharma. The library presents all three perspectives so readers can appreciate the multi-layered depth of this national treasure.
IVThe lie of the land and the facing
This section is the library's own reading through the eyes of traditional form-school feng shui, not something recorded in the pagoda's stelae or historical chronicles. We state this clearly so that readers can distinguish historical documentation from geomantic interpretation.
At coordinates 21.1434 degrees North latitude and 106.1020 degrees East longitude, Dạm Pagoda sits on the southern slope of the Mount Dạm range (Mount Đại Lãm), a prominent mountain ridge stretching more than two kilometers from northwest to southeast and rising nearly 120 meters above sea level amid the low-lying Bắc Ninh plain. In traditional feng shui reading of the dragon vein (long mạch), the Đại Lãm range acts as a lesser ancestral mountain descending from the midlands into the delta, forming a commanding rear backing (hậu chẩm) that shields the sanctuary completely from the cold north and northeast winter winds.
The supreme geomantic quality of Dạm Pagoda lies in its classic configuration of sitting against the mountain and gazing upon water and the natural two dragons vying for a pearl formation of the terrain. The monastery sits in the north-northwest sector (Qian - Hai) and faces south-southeast (Xun - Si). Directly below the southern foot of Mount Đại Lãm once lay a vast expanse of marshy lake (known locally as the Dạm lagoon or Chằm) connected to the ancient Tiêu Tương River and the Cầu and Đuống river systems, creating a broad water-gathering bright hall (minh đường). Farther ahead to the south, the low hills of the Quế Võ area rise as a respectful front screen (tiền án), while two spurs of Mount Đại Lãm extend on the east and west flanks to embrace the four terraces like the Azure Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right guarding the node (huyệt). By stepping four stone terraces up from the edge of the Dạm lagoon into the mountain belly and erecting the twin-dragon stone pillar on the second terrace facing the southern bright hall, the Lý-dynasty geomancers dotted the eye of the dragon vein, uniting mountain qi with water qi to anchor prosperity for the ancestral homeland of the Lý royal house.
VThe Dạm Pagoda festival and the commemoration of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan
As a royal monastery bound up with the life and merit of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông, the traditional festival of Dạm Pagoda is one of the major cultural gatherings of the Kinh Bắc region. Every year, the main festival is celebrated by the communities of Nam Sơn Ward (the former Dạm canton of nine villages that jointly venerated the Buddha and Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan) on the 8th day of the 9th lunar month, commemorating the inauguration of the pagoda and honoring the merit of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông. In addition, in early spring and on the 25th day of the 7th lunar month (the death anniversary of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan, who passed away in the Đinh Dậu year 1117 according to the annals), the pagoda and local villagers hold solemn incense-offering rites.
During the ninth-month festival, the most distinctive ritual is the procession of palanquins and the water-fetching procession from the Fairy Well (Giếng Cô Tiên) at the foot of the mountain up to the upper sanctuary for the bathing-of-statues rite and offerings to the Three Jewels, followed by traditional sacrificial ceremonies performed by village elders from the nine villages around Mount Dạm. The festive portion comes alive with antiphonal Quan họ Bắc Ninh folk singing in the pagoda courtyard and along the mountain slopes, recalling the grand inauguration festival of Cảnh Long Đồng Khánh Tự hosted by King Lý Nhân Tông more than nine hundred years ago.
| Lunar date | Festival / Rite | Main rituals and activities |
|---|---|---|
| 8th day of the 9th month | Traditional Dạm Pagoda Festival (main festival) | Palanquin processions of the Mount Dạm villages, water procession from the Fairy Well, grand sacrifice honoring Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông, and Quan họ Bắc Ninh folk singing |
| 25th day of the 7th month | Death anniversary of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan | Buddhist memorial chanting and incense offering commemorating the passing of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan (1117) at the upper shrine on Mount Đại Lãm |
| First lunar month (early spring) | New Year peace-prayer ceremony | Pilgrims worship the Buddha across the four stone terraces, admire the National Treasure Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar and pray for spring blessings |
| 15th day of the 4th and 7th months | Buddha's Birthday and Vu Lan Filial Piety Festival | Bathing the Buddha rite, Dharma talks and prayers for parents' salvation in keeping with Northern Buddhist tradition and the filial example of King Lý Nhân Tông |
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Khu Tự Thôn, sườn nam núi Dạm (núi Đại Lãm), phường Nam Sơn (trước ngày 01/07/2025 là phường Nam Sơn, thành phố Bắc Ninh cũ), tỉnh Bắc Ninh
- Getting there
- From central Bắc Ninh (the Kinh Bắc / Suối Hoa area), follow National Highway 18 or Provincial Road 278 southeast for about 7 to 8 km to Nam Sơn Ward, then turn onto the road ascending the southern slope of Mount Dạm at Tự Thôn Hamlet. From central Hanoi, take the Hanoi - Bắc Giang Expressway (new National Highway 1A) for about 35 km to the National Highway 18 interchange and turn into Nam Sơn Ward.
- Coordinates
- 21.1434, 106.102
When visiting Dạm Pagoda on the slope of Mount Đại Lãm, please note that the heritage site spans four steep stone-embanked terraces linked by long stone staircases, so modest attire and flat, non-slip footwear are recommended. On the second terrace where the National Treasure Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar and ancient Lý-dynasty stone bases stand, visitors must not climb onto the circular lotus pedestal, rub coins against the stone or touch the dragon reliefs in order to protect the nine-hundred-year-old sandstone surface.
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?Quick Questions
Who founded Dạm Pagoda and in what year was it built?
Dạm Pagoda was founded by Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông in the Bính Dần year, the second year of the Quảng Hựu era (1086), following her visit to Mount Đại Lãm in 1085. Construction was completed between the third year (1094) and the sixth year (1097) of the Hội Phong era, when King Lý Nhân Tông bestowed the formal name Cảnh Long Đồng Khánh Tự, later also known as Đại Lãm Thần Quang Tự.
What are the dimensions and features of the National Treasure Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar at Dạm Pagoda?
Carved from greenish-gray Lý-dynasty sandstone, the monument rests on a two-tiered circular lotus base measuring 4.5 to 4.7 meters in diameter. The entire structure stands about 505 cm tall, of which the monolithic stone shaft accounts for about 425 cm, divided into a square lower block and a cylindrical upper shaft carved in high relief with twin Lý dragons raising their heads to offer a pearl. It was recognized as a National Treasure on 25 December 2017.
How do scholars interpret the meaning of the Dragon-Carved Stone Pillar of Dạm Pagoda?
Scholars offer three complementary interpretations: first, that its cylindrical shaft on a square base set inside a circular lotus pedestal synthesizes the Linga and Yoni fertility symbol with Lý Buddhist dragon-and-lotus art to pray for dynastic prosperity, second, that it served as the single stone pillar supporting a timber sutra or incense pavilion akin to the One Pillar Pagoda in Thăng Long, and third, that it stood as a Buddhist cosmic pillar affirming royal protection of the Dharma.
Which administrative unit of Bắc Ninh Province does Dạm Pagoda belong to after the 2025 reorganization?
Dạm Pagoda is located in Tự Thôn Hamlet on the southern slope of Mount Dạm (Mount Đại Lãm) in Nam Sơn Ward, Bắc Ninh Province. Under Resolution No. 1658/NQ-UBTVQH15 of 2025 issued by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the former Nam Sơn Ward and the former Vân Dương Ward (of the former Bắc Ninh City) were merged to form the new Nam Sơn Ward directly under Bắc Ninh Province.
When does the traditional Dạm Pagoda festival take place?
The main festival of Dạm Pagoda is held annually on the 8th day of the 9th lunar month with processions and sacrificial rites by the villages around Mount Đại Lãm to commemorate the pagoda's Lý-dynasty inauguration and honor Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan and King Lý Nhân Tông. In addition, a solemn memorial rite is held on the 25th day of the 7th lunar month to mark the death anniversary of Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan.