Beautiful Day at Bai Dinh - The Largest Buddhist Temple Complex in SE Asia

Today I will share with you one of my favorite places to visit in Vietnam, the Buddist temple complex of Bai Dinh. This expansive complex of temples, pagodas and gardens stretches over an area of 700 hectares, and is the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. The temple complex is located in the Northern Vietnamese province of Ninh Binh, roughly 90 kilometers south of Hanoi.

Despite the great beauty of the place, many tourists do not come here, as there are other more widely known attractions in the area. I think many people also skip coming here because of how large it is and they simply do not allocate enough time in Ninh Binh to spend the day here.

When you enter the grounds you have the option of spending a little more on your ticket so that you can have a golf cart take you to some of the major sites. I highly recommend this option, as it is not much more money, and any way to minimize that crazy amount of walking you will do is probably a good idea. Luckily the day I went was not too hot, because walking for hours with full sun would probably have changed my opinion of the place.

I do not know a ton about the history of the site, but I do know that it holds many of the old records not just of Vietnam, but for the surrounding Asian countries as well. It has also been a place of pilgrimage for Buddists since ancient times. It is home to many notable buildings and structures including the largest bronze bell in Vietnam, the tallest stupa and longest Arhat corridor in Asia.

I remember being a bit stressed when I first arrived at this place, and that I almost did not enter. My family was visiting, and when they heard about how large the complex was some of them wanted to go to another location that I knew was an overhyped tourist trap. They had not timed the day properly, and knew they wouldn't have time to see both. Luckily we decided to split up, because this quickly became one of the most impressive and peaceful places I have visited in Vietnam.

Having very little knowledge about what to expect, I was constantly impressed by how each building seemed to one up the previous one. Each of the many sites was connected by well maintained gardens that evoked deeply complex and calming feelings inside me. There were many parts of the day where we just sat on a bench under a nice shady tree to enjoy the soft breeze and the sounds of singing birds.

Despite being an ancient site, many of the buildings had been newly renovated, and this large pagoda even had an elevator to the top. The views overlooking the countryside marveled the gold plated interior in its beauty and splendor.

If you find yourself in Vietnam, and have the time to spend, I highly recommend you take a trip to Bai Dinh. The pictures, although beautiful, do not do it justice.

All photos were taken by myself. I hope you enjoyed this post. :)