(BNP) – On the morning of May 8th, Tri Qua ward held the opening ceremony of But Thap Pagoda Festival 2026. Attending the ceremony were Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Mai Son; Venerable Thich Thanh Phung, Member of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Head of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Bac Ninh province.
The delegates perform the incense offering ceremony at But Thap Pagoda.
But Thap Pagoda, also known as “Ninh Phúc thiền tự,” is situated on the southern bank of the Duong River in But Thap residential area of Tri Qua Ward. It is a renowned cultural and religious site closely associated with Vietnamese Buddhism. Originally built centuries ago, the pagoda was renovated during the Tran Dynasty and became the residence of Zen Master Huyen Quang, the third patriarch of the Truc Lam Zen Sect. During the Le Trung Hung Period, the pagoda underwent major restoration and expansion. To this day, it still preserves much of its ancient architectural character, making it one of the most remarkable historic pagodas in Vietnam.
The pagoda was built in the "Nội công ngoại quốc" style, with many buildings arranged horizontally and vertically in a hundred-room layout. The overall architecture of But Thap Pagoda is symmetrically arranged along a sacred path in the following order: the Tam quan (Triple gate), Gác chuông (Bell tower), Tiền đường (Front ceremonial hall), Thiêu hương (Incense burning hall), Thượng điện (Main hall), Tích Thiện Am, Nhà trung (Middle hall), Phủ thờ (Worship shrine), Hậu đường (Rear hall), and on either side are rows of corridors, each row consisting of 26 rooms running from the front hall to the rear hall. On either side and behind the main structure are the pagoda gardens with ancient brick and stone towers, most notably the Bao Nghiem Tower, Ton Duc Tower, Tam Hoa Tower, and Ni Chau Tower... In 2009, during the restoration of Ton Duc Tower, two bronze books were discovered, believed to have been commissioned by Empress Trinh Thi Ngoc Truc for burial with the monk Minh Hanh upon his death in 1659.
The pagoda currently preserves many precious artifacts dating back to the 17th-18th centuries and four national treasures: the Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Handed Avalokiteśvara statue, the Nine-Lotus Platform, the Three Buddhas statue set, and the incense altar. In 2013, the pagoda was classified as a Special National Monument.
The But Thap Pagoda Festival is held annually from the 22nd to the 24th of the third lunar month to commemorate the passing of the monk Minh Hanh (1644 - 1659) and is considered the collective memorial day for the founding monks of But Thap Pagoda throughout history.
The festival is organized to continue preserving and promoting the unique cultural beauty and values of the locality, while also promoting the image of Tri Qua homeland and its people; strengthening community solidarity; promoting the development of cultural and spiritual tourism, and enhancing the value of historical relics.
