Ba Thien Hau Pagoda

Is a cultural relic of Binh Duong province. Thien Hau Temple "Thien Hau Cung" is often called Ba Pagoda by people with ancient architecture, is a sacred place of worship, a very familiar pilgrimage destination for people in Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City and some neighboring provinces.
It is a cultural relic of Binh Duong province. Thien Hau Temple "Thien Hau Cung" is often called Ba Pagoda by people with ancient architecture, is a sacred place of worship, a very familiar pilgrimage destination for people in Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City and some neighboring provinces.
Ba Pagoda is currently located at No. 4, Nguyen Du Street, Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong and a new Ba Pagoda was inaugurated in January 2013 in the center of Binh Duong new city. However, when mentioning Ba Pagoda in Binh Duong, people often immediately think of Ba Pagoda in Thu Dau Mot city.

Ba pagoda gate
THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
According to the legend recorded in the stone stele placed at the pagoda, she was born in the reign of Song Kien Long (AD 960), the 6th child of the Lam family in Bo Dien district, Fujian province, China. When she was born, she radiated light and fragrance. Growing up, she often rode flying carpets on the sea and traveled to many places. In the fourth year of Song Ung Hy's reign (AD 987), at the age of 27, she left this world and manifested. During the Yuan dynasty, she was given the title Thien Phi. During the Qing dynasty, King Khang Hy appointed her Thien Hau. And the title Thien Hau exists to this day.
From folk legend, she was transformed into belief and she was worshiped in many places by later generations. Comparing the things written in the above stone stele with some legends about her in other pagodas, there are some differences, but in general they all praise her as a virtuous, filial woman who sacrificed her life to save people and when she died, she became a saint, and was awarded by the Chinese feudal dynasties. Appreciating Lady Thien Hau, admiring and worshiping her as a saint, Chinese people want to educate their community through her example to learn her filial piety, kindness, and live virtuously. On the other hand, on the arduous road to overcome the storms and seas, going south to find land to settle down, they always prayed to her for help and blessings, and after settling down, stabilizing their lives, gathering happily, and doing prosperous business in Vietnam, their second homeland, they together built a temple to show their deep gratitude to her.
HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE
The pagoda was built around the middle of the 19th century. At first, the pagoda was located at Huong Chu Hieu canal (now the temple has been rebuilt on its original location). The ancients were influenced by the folk concept that the terrain to build Ba temples often followed the principle of mother temple architecture, which means always having a female element in construction, one of the female elements is the shrine, so choose a place near rivers, streams, ponds, lakes... that is, near a place with water, because water has a negative, feminine element.
By 1923, four Chinese states (Guangdong, Chaozhou, Fujian and Hakka) joined forces to recreate and move the temple to its current location.
ABOUT ARCHITECTURE, WORSHIP, DECORATION, INTERIOR
The entire temple is architecturally shaped like a triangle consisting of three rows of houses.
Entering the temple yard, in front of the main hall door, there is a large top for those who come to worship to burn incense.
The roof in front of the main hall is covered with yin and yang tiles with embossed lines, decorated with two dragons, pearl paintings, and carp turning into dragons. On both sides of the border of the roof are statues of "Moon Lady", statues of civil and military mandarins... representing the ideals of yin and yang and also characteristic of Chinese architecture.
In the middle, above the main hall door, there are three words "Thien Hau Cung", on both sides of the door are two pairs of parallel sentences praising her merits:
First pair of couplets:
Holy virtues combine heaven and oceans with universal virtues
The mother suspected that after mourning, she returned to bean chongguang.
Temporarily translated: The merits of saints can be compared to the heavens, their virtues are as vast as a sea of ships from all around.
Second pair of couplets:
Heaven forgives human beings and the holy mother
The final meeting together admires eternal wisdom and virtue.
Temporarily translated: In the upper realms, the name is kindness, in the human world, it is the holy mother. Everyone respects the majestic queen, and her virtue will last forever.
In the main hall, there are many parallel pairs hanging. The content of the parallel pairs is to praise her merits and miracles in saving humanity. Furthermore, she is the goddess who protects people at sea, so most of the parallel pairs mention images related to the sea and the wish for calm waves and calm waters.
At the main palace, worshiping the main deity Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the statue has a solemn crown and is usually replaced every year, or every two or three years. On the left side of the Lady's shrine is a shrine to worship the Five Elements Lady. The right side worships Bon, called Bon Dau Cong Cong.

Holy Mother Thien Hau
On both sides of the wall there are signs with the words Tuc Tinh - Hoi Ti, to call people to be serious or to stay away whenever there is a procession of Lady on the road. The second pair of signs says Thien Hau Nguyen Quan (god in charge of money). The pairs of signs are arranged in order during worship as well as during the procession to receive her.
In the palace, there is also a display of precious bowls containing the eight treasures of the eight fairies according to Chinese legend.
The two rows of houses on either side of the main hall have the words "That palace, office" written on the door, which are places of work, meetings and storage areas. Therefore, inside the right side are written words such as: "Huu communication" (going all the way to the right side), "Everything, Justice" (everything according to justice). On the left is written: "Di ceremony, Chief Justice" (follow the ceremony, preserve the main thing), "Quang noi" (be spacious inside), those short words are like slogans to remind everyone.
In general, in addition to the architecture and worship styles, Chinese pagodas and temples also have other characteristics such as incense rings and lanterns with Chinese characters written on them hanging a lot.
Ba Pagoda Festival is considered the largest cultural festival in Binh Duong province, held regularly every year on 3 days from the 13th to 15th day of the first lunar month with many special festival programs: Ba worshiping ceremony, lantern auction, Ba palanquin procession,...
Ho Chi Minh City 6028 view
Update day : 20/08/2023
Source : binhduong.org.vn Affiliate links
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