Prayers at Tay Phuong Pagoda

In the chill of winter’s rain and drizzle, we were determined to pray for good luck and happiness for the New Year.
About 40 kilometers from downtown Hanoi, we took a motorbike on Thang Long Boulevard, then made a turn to Thach That in Ha Tay District, and arrived at Tay Phuong Pagoda after an hour. Tay Phuong Pagoda is an old pagoda built in the 17th century and is famous for its 16 statues of Arhat.
The pagoda, which is also called Sung Phuc pagoda, is on top of Tay Phuong Mountain in Yen Hamlet, Thach Xa Commune, Thach That District, Hanoi. The pagoda has many valuable old statues of Buddha and is surrounded by shady gardens and trees.
We parked the motorbike and climbed the 239 stone steps lined by bamboo trees to the top.
The pagoda has been renovated many times since it was built in 1632. It has three buildings on the mountainside called Chua Ha (Lower Pagoda), Chua Trung (Middle Pagoda) and Chua Thuong (Upper Pagoda).
The earthen bricks were made in Bat Trang without any glaze. All the windows are round with symbols of Buddhism, pillars are made of wood and altars and statues are placed on stones carved into lotus flowers. The curved roofs have two layers.
In addition to the 16 statues of Arhat, the pagoda has 62 wooden statues of other Buddhists.
After wandering around the pagoda, we burnt incense and prayed with Buddha for a better life in a new year ahead.