Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, also called Duc La Pagoda, is located in Tri Yen commune, Yen Dung District, Bac Giang province, ranked as National Culture-History Heritage in 1964, then Special National Heritage in 2015 by the Government. The pagoda worships Budha and Three Founders of Truc Lam Sect, King Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), religious name Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang, zen master Phap Loa(1284-1330), and zen master Huyen Quang(1254-1334).
It is told that the pagoda was built in the Ly dynasty and expanded in Tran Dynasty, about century XIII. Development history went along with the formation and development of Truc Lam zen sect founded by King Tran Nhan Tong. The Three Founders of Truc Lan Sect senquentially took the roles of manager and master here, thus Vinh Nghiem has been considered as the origin of Truc Lam zen sect, the first buddhism university of Vietnam, and buddhism center during Tran dynasty.
The pagoda is surrounded by beautiful lanscape, and on the hexagonal stele placed in the courtyard since year of Hoang Dinh 7th (1606) carved with sino-characters: “Vinh Nghiem pagoda is a wonderful scene laid in the middle of beautiful nature of Kinh Bac area with high mountains range, solemn and imposing, forming a basket-shaped lowland enclosed the pagoda which lays beside the vast river flowing like a white silk on the ground. It is truly the most wonderful scene on earth”
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda has seven main architectural blocks: the three-entrance Gate; Forecourt, Burn Incense, Upper Shrine; The First Home; Campanile; Second home; Two east-west corridors; Tower garden. Over many renovations, most of its remaining architecture are works of art in Le and Nguyen dynasty. At present, the pagoda is still preserving many valuable objects on display such as Buddha statue system with standard decoration, stone columns, horizontal lacquered boards, pairs of wood panels, worshipping objects etc. Especially, it still preserves a wood-blook storage house with more than 3,050 engravings printed in Chinese which is very valuable to study Buddhism, science and history etc. Up to now, the wood-blook warehouse has been recognized as the World Memory Memorial of Asia and the Pacific by UNESCO. In order to preserve and promote the values of the wood blocks, in 2017, the pagoda inaugurated the storage and displaying place of wood blocks, thus meeting the requirements of preserving precious objects on display and creating favorable conditions for tourists to visit and study.
Vinh Nghiem pagoda festival is held from the 12th to 15th Lunar February, attracting many visitors to visit from everywhere. In 2013. Vinh Nghiem Pagoda Festival is recognized as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the State
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