Over thousands of years of history, Bac Ninh has preserved an extensive system of Buddhist heritage sites, including pagodas of national and international stature.

Visitors admire the Amitabha Buddha statue at Phat Tich Pagoda.

No account of Buddhism in the region would be complete without Dau Pagoda, an ancient pagoda with a history spanning more than 2,000 years, associated with the early development of Buddhism in Vietnam and the distinctive worship of the Four Dharma Buddhas - goddesses that combine Indian Buddhism and Vietnamese mythology.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, the ancestral seat of the Truc Lam Zen tradition, is home to a collection of 3,050 Buddhist sutra woodblocks recognised by UNESCO as a documentary heritage of the Asia-Pacific region.

In Van Ha ward, Bo Da Pagoda attracts visitors with its ancient, tranquil character. It is home to Vietnam’s largest tower garden and a collection of ancient Buddhist sutra woodblocks recognised as national treasures.

Other architectural and sculptural masterpieces, including the Bao Nghiem Tower, the thousand-eyed, thousand-armed Avalokitesvara statue at But Thap Pagoda, and the monolithic blue-stone Amitabha Buddha statue from the Ly Dynasty at Phat Tich Pagoda, have become iconic examples of traditional Vietnamese art.

Each pagoda also carries its own deep historical story. Tieu Pagoda is associated with Zen Master Van Hanh, while Lim Pagoda is closely linked to the cultural space of Quan ho (love duet) folk singing festivals. Together, they form a diverse and distinctive portrait of Kinh Bac Buddhism.

Preserving these heritage values is not simply about safeguarding physical architectural structures, but also about nurturing the sources of ethics, wisdom and national cultural identity across generations.

VBS Bac Ninh currently manages nearly 1,500 monasteries and pagodas, with around 650 monks and nuns studying, practicing and carrying out Buddhist activities.

Its Executive Board has affirmed its central role in strengthening unity and effectively managing Buddhist affairs.

At the recent Congress of VBS Bac Ninh for the 2026-2031 term, the organisation adopted an action motto focused on preserving and promoting Buddhist cultural values.

Under the motto, conservation is the foundation, promotion is the goal, and development must be selective. VBS Bac Ninh will prioritise protecting and restoring existing structures while minimising new construction unless it is genuinely necessary.

An aerial view of Dau Pagoda.

To allocate resources scientifically, the Executive Board will coordinate in reviewing and classifying monasteries and pagodas according to the urgency of their needs, ranging from particularly important heritage sites requiring strict protection to deteriorating facilities requiring priority restoration.

At the same time, efforts will be stepped up to connect Buddhist heritage with the development of cultural and spiritual tourism.

Pilgrimage routes linking Luy Lau, Dau Pagoda, But Thap Pagoda, Phat Tich Pagoda, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda and Bo Da Pagoda with Quan ho culture and traditional craft villages will be developed in a more structured and intellectually rich manner.

Visitors will not only come to worship but will also have opportunities to experience meditation, tea drinking, Buddhist teachings and the study of woodblock heritage.

Digital transformation will also be strengthened through the digitisation of archival materials and inscriptions, the integration of QR codes and the development of a multilingual digital library.

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