Boi Khe pagoda, also known as Dai Bi (Tam Hung commune, Thanh Oai district, Hanoi) is a 700 year-old-pagoda and this place has significant values related to history, culture and architecture of Hanoi city in particular and Vietnam in general.

The pagoda is located in the front of the village and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Stepping inside the pagoda, visitors can immediately realize the peaceful environment. 

Outside the pagoda, there is a large front yard, accessible through the brick gate of the temple. 

Following the entry to the temple are the Five-Element gate and a bridge. Back to inside the temple, this is a place with three rooms in wooden style followed with two floors and an eight-roof system.

Above the Three-way Gate is the bell tower. This gate was made in 1603 under the reign of King Le Trung Hung. The structure of this place was repaired in 2006. The main structure of Boi Khe pagoda was distributed with Buddha in the front and God behind.

The worship of Buddha is arranged in the front courts, then, there are shrines to worship Gods. In general, the temple has the shape of foreign structure because of both-sided corridors.

To be more specific, in the front court, there is a system of green-stoned poles. On the poles, there have been engraved scripts that indicated the beauty of the pagoda. 

On the left hand side of the court, there is a small place, worshipping the princess of the Mac dynasty who repaired the temple then. On the hallway, each side had seven rooms for 18 Arhats.

The front of the temple had nine chambers. The system of Buddha statues in Boi Khe pagoda is quite abundant, and arranged and decorated in the Manhaya type. 

The statue of Quan Am with hundred arms and hundred eyes is located in the most gracious position from Tran dynasty. 

Above the pagoda there is a room with a height of 5.5 meters, which is looked like a blooming lotus.

There were seven leverages that made from planks which uphold the roof of the pagoda. These leverages were disguised by stone dragons to increase the beauty of the holy place. 

Dragons were made like raging fire, which was the motif of the Tran dynasty. 

One more confirmation was the symbol of Garuda, which was also a motif from the Tran dynasty.

Next to this building, there is a large lotus flower, bloom in white fragrantly in the summer. Boi Khe pagoda also has many precious objects such as 10 steles, of which the oldest one was from the year of Thai Hoa the 11th (1453), or the latest one, which was made on year of Thanh Thai the 7th (1895), scripted Thanh Boi mysterious story.

Next is the “Dai Bi Tu” was made in Hong Thuan the 7th (1515), scripted besides the story of Thanh Boi story, there is a record on the reparation of the pagoda in the beginning of sixteen century.

The precious stoning item is only a lotus-shaped pedestal, carved with holy birds in corners, dragons in the front and mystical beasts, above is engraved lotus, below is the temple. It was made by a master at Quoc Oai.

In 20/4/1979, the Ministry of Culture and Community confirmed Boi Khe pagoda as a national architectural monument.

Hanoitimes