Bai Dinh Pagoda

Temple in Ninh Binh

Temple Bái Đính — CC BY-SA 4.0 / Guerinf

Bái Đính Temple Complex

Bái Đính Temple (Vietnamese: Chùa Bái Đính, Chữ Hán: 沛嵿寺) is a sprawling complex of Buddhist temples situated on Bái Đính Mountain in Gia Viễn District, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam. The compound includes the original old temple and a newly constructed larger temple, making it the largest complex of Buddhist temples in Vietnam. It has become a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists from all over the country.

Bái Đính Temple, together with Phát Diệm Cathedral, Hoa Lư Ancient Capital, Tam Cốc-Bích Động, Tràng An, and Cúc Phương, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ninh Bình Province.

New Complex

The New Bái Đính Temple (Bái Đính Tân Tự) spans an area of 700 hectares on Ba Rau hills, near the Hoàng Long River. This expansive complex, constructed in phases from 2003 to 2010, features traditional Vietnamese architecture, including large halls, courtyards, and enclosures. The largest structure, the Tam Thế Hall, is particularly striking, with a roof ridge reaching 34 meters high and a length of over 59 meters.

Construction materials include locally sourced stone and timber from Ninh Bình, and tiles from Bát Tràng, with reinforced concrete used due to the scale of the project. The temple’s design adheres to traditional Vietnamese aesthetics, with curved finials and corner eaves that resemble a phoenix’s tail. The interiors showcase artisanal works from local handicraft villages, such as bronze sculptures from Ý Yên, stone carvings from Ninh Van, wood carpentry from Phú Lộc, and embroidery from Ninh Hải.

Old Temple

The original Bái Đính Temple is located at the foot of the mountain, about 800 meters from the new temple. Visitors reach the temple by ascending over 300 stone steps, passing through an ornamental gate. The temple itself is housed in a series of small caves on the mountainside and venerates both Buddhist deities and natural spirits of the mountains.

Bái Đính Temple Festival

Bái Đính Temple hosts a large festival on the sixth day of the first lunar month, attracting huge crowds. The festival features Buddhist rites performed in the New Temple alongside traditional rituals from the Old Temple, creating a unique blend of religious and cultural practices.

The Bai Dinh Pagoda appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Ninh Binh!

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