Sải Pagoda

Sải Pagoda, with the formal name Tĩnh Lâu Tự, is located on the bank of West Lake in Hồ Khẩu village, Trung tổng, Vĩnh Thuận district, Hoài Đức prefecture, now Bưởi ward, Tây Hồ district, Hanoi city.

Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda was recognised as a historical and cultural relic according to Decision No. 1460 QĐ/BT dated 26 June 1996 by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam.

According to ancient stele inscriptions still preserved at the pagoda, the pagoda stands on a vast area of up to 10 mẫu (Vietnamese acres), right at the edge of West Lake. According to cultural researchers, Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda dates back to the Lý dynasty. Previously, the pagoda was called Thanh Lâu Tự and colloquially known as Sải Pagoda; later, during the Nguyễn dynasty, it was renamed Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda.

At nearly midnight on 5 November 2016, a fire broke out at Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda (Tây Hồ district, Hanoi). The Tổ house, where the abbots of the pagoda through the generations are worshipped, was almost completely destroyed. According to reports, the fire was discovered at Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda at about 23:40 on 4 November 2016 and quickly flared up. From kilometres away, many people could see the flames and columns of smoke rising by West Lake.

The pagoda is built in an area of beautiful scenery, with West Lake in front of it, and the overall landscape of the area also features the presence of Trấn Quốc Pagoda, Vệ Quốc Temple, Tây Hồ Palace... creating a complex of cultural relics.

The tam quan (three-entrance gate) of the pagoda is built in an arched style with two storeys and eight eaves, roofed with tubular tiles imitating lime mortar, creating a graceful and light appearance. The main hall of the pagoda is structured in the shape of the Chinese character đinh (丁), consisting of five front halls (tiền đường) and four rear sanctuaries (hậu cung). The pagoda roof is covered with "mũi hài" tiles, and the ridge ends are decorated with two square marks, while the lower ridges are built in three tiers and adorned with ornamental patterns in the shape of the "triện" character. The front of the pagoda is marked by two bronze pillars connected to the side walls of the front hall, topped with pairs of nghê (mythical lions) in a posture of vigilance, symbolising the scrutiny of the human spirit before entering the gate of meditation. Below each pair of nghê are lantern canopies and lanterns, all decorated with motifs such as dragon heads, "hổ phù" (tiger face), flowers, etc. The pillar shafts are squared on all sides for inscribing parallel sentences (câu đối).

Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda still preserves valuable works in the Vietnamese artistic style of the 17th century. Notably, the Cửu Long altar of the pagoda is made differently from other Cửu Long altars, resembling a ceremonial umbrella (bảo cái).

The three Tam Thế statues in the pagoda are crafted in moderate size, close to real human proportions, in the posture of sitting cross-legged on a three-layered lotus pedestal, with slender faces, straight noses, slightly smiling mouths, and half-closed eyes as if looking down. In addition, there are 38 other statues of various sizes, among which the Amitābha (A Di Đà) statue, 1.34m high, is the largest in the Buddha hall. At the entrance hangs a bronze bell cast in the 7th year of Cảnh Thịnh (1799), inscribed with the words "Thanh Lâu Thiền Tự" (meaning Thanh Lâu Pagoda bell).

The pagoda also preserves 15 stone steles, a Stupa Garden, and many ancient horizontal boards and parallel sentences, making Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda a complete Buddhist architectural work and a prototypical structure of ancient Vietnamese pagodas.

In April 2007, while digging with crowbars, a group of workers discovered an ancient tomb built in the "coffin within a sarcophagus" style. With its turtle-back shape, initial assessment determined that the tomb belonged to a deceased person of royal, mandarin, or at least wealthy status.

On the grounds of Tĩnh Lâu Pagoda about 40 years ago, a tomb of a princess was also discovered.