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Schedule

( One day and a half)

Time Activities

First Day 13:00- 14:00

-Pick tourists up at Vinh Yen bus station -Go to Tay Thien by bus

14:00-17:00

- Visit Truc Lam Zen monastery

17:00- 19:30

-Take a rest and have dinner at Hoa Binh hotel

19:30-22:00

- Be free to enjoy some activities ( camping, coffee, flower garlands and colored lanterns…

Second day

6:00- 7:00

- Enjoy breakfast at Hoa Binh hotel

7:00- 11:00

- Visit Thong, Cau, Co temples, Thien An pagoda, Bac waterfall

11:00- 12:30

- Take a rest, have lunch at Guest House

12:30-15:00

- Visit Tay Thien Mother temple, Tay Thien pagoda, ancient tombs of Zen bronzes, chessboard of fairies.

15:15- 16:00

- Come back to the Thong yard by hanger cable, cable car

16:00- 17:00

- Visit Dai Bao tower

17:00- 18:00

-Come back Vinh Yen bus station, finish tour

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Tay Thien has a total area of 148ha in Dai

Dinh village, Tam Dao district, Vinh Phuc

province. It is located on the slopes of

Thach Ban mountaintop.

Tay Thien is a historical and cultural area

including a system of temples and pagodas,

has value of culture and archaeology. Beside

the famous temples such as Thuong,

Thong,Cau, Co Tay Thien also has a lot of

pagodas ( Thien An, Tay Thien,…with

mystery and sacredness. Coming here,

tourists will be attracted by imposing

scenery and the ancient architecture.

Tay Thien is not only the fascinating

destination but also a symbol of spirituality

and belief in Vietnam.

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Tay Thien Zen monastery, which belongs to school of

“Truc Lam Yen Tu” founded by Emperor Tran Nhan Tong

is considered as one of the three biggest Zen

monasteries in Viet Nam. This is not only a place of

spiritual cultural tourism, pilgrimage but also a museum

storing artifacts found in ancient temples and pagodas

in Tay Thien area. It was built on the basis of an ancient

Zen monastery and known as a famous place of

Buddhism education that promotes the development of

Vietnamese Buddhism in both width and depth as well

as the communication with the other schools of

Buddhism in over the world.

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Situated on a hill with the total area of 4.5 ha and at

the altitude of 300 meters above the sea level. This

construction was designed by the connection between

lines formalized from ancient Vietnamese pagodas

and contemporary architecture. The general

architecture consists of Tam Quan gate, Main House,

Ancestral House. The statues in the Zen Monastery

were carved from sandstone, which were used for

statuary carving by Cham people and the ancient

Egyptian.

Coming here, tourists can enjoy vegetarian food in the

dining room as well as buy Buddhist books and

souvenirs in the bookstore. Moreover, there are 40

rooms in the guest house for visitors, Buddhists to

contemplate and study Buddhism in 1 or 2 weeks. Tay

Thien Zen monastery has the imposing scenery and

the bulky architecture which makes a great attraction

to the visitors.

Photo: hanotour.com

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An ancient pagoda in the old days which had been

forgotten for a long time before being restored

recently. The pagoda’s trace was discovered with many

pottery pieces decorated in the lotus shape, which

shows that it was built from 13th

century.

Nowadays, Thien An pagoda has been rebuilt with two

worship spaces, which becomes a sacred place for

those who are both pagans and Buddhist followers.

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Tay Thien Pagoda temple is according to Mahayana. It was

built in a campus with Tay Thien Mother temple at an altitude

of 530meters on Thach Ban mountain. The construction dating

of Tay Thien pagoda is not clearly confirmed. However, In the

Chinh Hoa (1680-1705) , Bao Thai (1720-1729) Le dynasties,

the pagoda has been renovated many times. According to the

statistics of École Française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO), there are

10 ancient wood statues lacquer painted. It was recorded in

the book “Kham Dinh Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc"

belonging to the period of Le Du Tong (1727) that: "when

Trinh Cuong was full of years, he went on a patrol irregularly.

He asked his eunuchs to renovate some pagodas on Doc Ton

and Tay Thien mountains to take precautions against sudden

accidents during his trip". As the result of archeology, there

are many objects having age from Ly, Tran dynasties. These

evidences proved that Tay Thien pagoda- an ancient one had

been existing for a very long time. In 1938, Dinh Son villagers

said that: “Tay Thien pagoda has the most supernatural power

and the most beautiful site in Tam Duong.

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In 2003, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

discovered the tombs of three Zen Master: Thich Phuc

Khue, Thich Giac Nghia, Thich Vong Son after renovating

Tay Thien pagoda. They were the first people who brought

Buddhism to Tay Thien area. These tombs are turned

towards the west and surrounded with natural stones in the

shape of pyramids.

On the top of Thach Ban mountain , there is a big stone. Its

was said that from 16th

century, this is place where three Zen

masters played chess when they were alive as well as after

becoming fairies. The trace of the chessboard is still on the

stone.

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Tay Thien mother temple (Thuong temple) is the highest place

in the system of temples worshiping mother of country Lang

Thi Tieu. According to myth, Mother Lang Thi Tieu was the

daughter of a chieftain - Lang Phieu and his wife- Dao Lieu.

They often called her by the name Tham ( Nhuoc Cam). She

was very prominent when being a child. At the age of 20, she

had recruited hundreds of soldiers and local people to help

the sixth Hung King to defeat An invaders at Phong Chau.

After being conferred a title as "Tam Đảo sơn trụ Quốc mẫu

Đại vương", she came back to live ordinary life in Tam Dao.

After that, Lang Lieu prince became the 7th Hung King- Hung

Chieu Vuong. One day, on the trip to Tam Dao, he met and

married Lang Thi Tieu. After becoming the queen consort, she

had a great contribution in teaching her people to raise

silkworms and grow rice as well as helped her husband to

govern country. Her efforts made the country develop

prosperously for a long time. Later years when Thuc enemy

from the North encircled Phong Chau, she appealed soldiers

to rescue the capital city. After she passed away, people buit a

temple on Tam Dao mountain to show the deep gratitude to

her great merit. Todays, Thuong temple after being renovated

has become an indispensable destination of tourists on the

trip to Tay Thien.

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Besides Thuong temple, there are

some other temple such as:

Thong, Co, Cau temples. Located

at the foot of Thach Ban

mountain. Thong temple is not

only the gateway but also the first

place in the system of temples

with extremely ancient

architecture and the appearance

of a very old banyan tree with

nine roots. Stepping more highly

and passing Cau temple, visitors

will have a chance to meet Co

temple.

Cau temple is a mysterious

temple. According to the legend,

it is a place where people worship

a young boy who helped the

Mother of Country by choosing

and training soldiers to protect

country. It is said to be built from

17th century, then, rebuilt in 1993.

Visiting Cau temple, tourists

usually pray for happiness,

luckiness and long live.

Co temple is located near Giai

Oan stream. This place was built

to memorize Co who was sent to

the Earth to follow and support

for Mother of country.

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Coming to Tay Thien,

tourists can take part in

many interesting activities

like incense offering

ceremony- an important

activity in temples and

pagodas to pray for

luckiness, happiness,

success and peace..., and

other activities such as:

camping, parade, flower

garlands and colored

lanterns festival. Tourists

will be fallen in line with

nature. Taking photos is a

wonderful activity to record

the experience.

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Flower garlands and colored lanterns festival is one of the activities

to welcome Tay Thien festival. It is held by thousands of monks on

15th

February Lunar night at the festival yard. In the divine melody,

the most expected and impressive moment of the night was the

traditional lantern burning. This is a cultural and spiritual beauty.

Each flower top is a good wish for the people. 17

Tam Dao is well-known

as a Kingdom of

chayote. Due to the

advantageous

conditions of weather,

the chayote in this area

grow very quickly.

Both bud and fruit of

chayote are used as

common ingredient in

different delicious

dishes. Tourists will

have chance to enjoy

some rural foods such

as: “củ từ” (tu bulbs),

grilled eggs, roasted

chickens, Cơm Lam,

vegetarian foods…)…

Grilled egg is a

popular food in Sa Pa

that tourists can have

chance to try when

coming here.

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Com Lam is a traditional

food of some ethnic

minorities. It is made

from sticky rice put into

bamboo tubes, then

broiled. The roasted

chicken with special

flavor of chickens raised

in the mountain.

Beside some rural foods,

tourists can enjoy not

only some Vietnamese

cuisines such as

seafood, fish, barbeque,

but also dishes with

European flavor like

spaghetti, lamb meat,

Australia beef…

Lac Hong Tay Thien Corporation has invested in building a Tay

Thien guest house on Tam Dao mountain slope near Thuong

Temple with open architecture style. It promises to give visitors

the pleasant experience when contemplating Tay Thien

mountainous scenery from the cozy and chic space of the

restaurant. Beside, Hoa Binh hotel is also a good choice for

visitors coming Tay Thien.

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The system of hanger cables designed along the stream, and

over the mountain helps visitors move more easily,

experience the strong feeling of being hanged on the sky. Tay

Thien cable transport is safe, fast and convenient to the

tourists being afraid of walking on mountain road. It costs

about 70.000VND to 120.000VND for one way per head.

Tourists can spend 20.000VND/once to take cable car from

Thong temple to hanger cable station.

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are our honor!

Hotline: 10080009 Address: EEk34-FFL-TNU Email: azeleagroup.@gmail.com

Content 1. Schedule ………………………………………………………. 1

2. Overview……………………………………………………….. 2

3. Zen Monastery……………………………………………… 4

4. Pagodas………………………………………………………... 6

5. Temples………………………………………………………... 10

6. Activities……………………………………………………… 15

7. Special Foods………………………………………………. 18

8. The service area…………………………………………….20

9. Means of transportation……………………………… 22

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