(BGO) - We have just crossed the forest with archaeologists to set foot on the sacred mountain of Ho Bac for the first time. This is a mountain on the Huyen Dinh - Tay Yen Tu range in Nghia Phuong commune, Luc Nam district, Bac Giang province. We had not only a trip to contemplate the natural landscape, but also an opportunity to learn about the archaeological excavation of Phuc Chu Pagoda, also called Ho Bac Pagoda.
We started from Thom Thum waterfall in Suoi Mo eco-tourism area in Nghia Phuong commune to reach the top of Ho Bac (at an altitude of more than 600m above sea level). We followed the trail formed on the top of the mountains. For a favorable trip, we were taken by two indigenous people with a lot of forest-crossing experience.
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Journey to Ho Bac peak. |
According to many locals, in the past, Ho Bac Pagoda had a structure of wooden pillars and a canvas roof. During the holidays, people from Thanh Mai commune, Chi Linh city, Hai Duong province and local people come to the pagoda to offer incense and worship. Over time, the old pagoda no longer exists. About 20 years ago, people donated money and efforts to build a small pagoda to serve as a place of worship.
In 1998, the provincial Museum initially surveyed this relic site and obtained many important documents. In 2012, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism granted permission for the Bac Giang provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the Vietnam Institute of Archeology to conduct archaeological excavations at the Ho Bac relic site. The results show that Ho Bac Pagoda is now only a ruin, but what left are enough to prove that it used to be a large-scale architecture on an area of about 5,000sq.m.
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An overview of Ho Bac Pagoda excavation area. |
Following the results of the previous surveys and excavations, in 2022, with the approval of local authorities, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with the Vietnam Institute of Archeology to organize excavations at Ho Bac Pagoda.
A foundation layer on the entire area was detected at a depth of 7-12cm. It includes two main components: compacted mountain rock mixed with highly cohesive clay. In addition, three are also many pieces of broken bricks and tiles. After clarifying this foundation layer, the excavation team carried out cuttings at its two locations to determine the next cultural layer.
At the location in the northwest corner of the foundation layer, the archeologists discovered many broken crockery and tiles mixed with gray soil, all dating back to the Tran Dynasty (13th - 14th centuries). From these results, the researchers initially determined the construction time and the existence of Ho Bac Pagoda, making new contributions to the perception of Tay Yen Tu area in the history.
The stratigraphy and system of artefacts collected during this excavation show that Ho Bac Pagoda was built during the Tran Dynasty (13th - 14th centuries), restored in the Le Trung Hung Dynasty (17th - 18th centuries) and existed until the Nguyen Dynasty.
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Many footstones are discovered at Ho Bac Pagoda excavation area. |
From the historical data with high accuracy, it can be seen that Ho Bac Pagoda has a very important position in the pagoda system in the Huyen Dinh - Yen Tu region. This is considered the transit point of two pilgrimage routes to Yen Tu peak: the western route from Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Yen Dung district and the eastern route from Thanh Mai Pagoda in Hai Duong province. Both routes meet at Ho Bac Pagoda.
Therefore, the excavation and overall study of Ho Bac Pagoda have provided objective and comprehensive data as a basis for an overall assessment of the historical - cultural values of the relic site in the context of the formation and development of the system of Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist relic sites.
