Hoa Lu was the site of the ancient capital city of Vietnam in the 10th century. Vietnam adopted Buddhism as the national religion at the time, and Hoa Lu and the adjacent area were home to a number of Buddhist pagodas under the patronage of the royal court. Bai Dinh Pagoda was among the most sacred Buddhist pagodas at the time and in 2003 a new Bai Dinh Pagoda was built in the same valley  with the old Bai Dinh Pagoda and claimed one of the biggest Buddhist pagodas in Asia... The old Bai Dinh Pagoda is still well preserved and shrouded in the Zen atmosphere on top of the Dinh Mountain.

the main pagoda of Bai Dinh at Ninh Binh Vietnam which houses the statues of the Buddha, the Goddess of Mercy, the 8 Kim Cuong and the sacred Guardians

To get to the Bai Dinh Pagoda, from Hanoi you travel to Ninh Binh Town. At the center of Ninh Binh Town near the Ky Lan Mountain (with a little temple on top), you take the right turn and travel 15 km further amid limestone mountains and rice fields to the Bai Dinh Pagoda.

A tour to the Bai Dinh Pagoda can be combined with visit to other sites of the ancient Hoa Lu Capital including Hoa Lu, Trang An, Tam Coc, Bich Dong, Kenh Ga hot spring, the Van Long Nature Reserve and the Cuc Phuong National Park. A complete tour of the whole area may take 1 to 3 days, and for the travelers who visit Ninh Binh in spring, autumn and winter time, you may want to have a leisurely cycling tour through the stunning mountains of Ninh Binh to visit the attractions.

The Arhat corridor at Bai Dinh Pagoda which is over 1 km long

The bell tower at Bai Dinh Pagoda which houses the 37-ton bronze bell

the altar for worshipping at Bai Dinh Pagoda

Bronze bell at Bai Dinh Pagoda

Ong Thien at Bai Dinh Pagoda (responsible for spreading good virtue)

Ong Ac at Bai Dinh Pagoda (responsible for punishing the devils and the wrongdoers)