Chùa Non Nước, Sóc Sơn

Part of the Sóc Temple historical relic complex, Chùa Non Nước and the Vietnam Buddhist Academy form a grand architectural and artistic site that was inaugurated and opened around five to seven years ago. It is also an increasingly popular spiritual destination for visitors from near and far.

Panoramic view of Chùa Non Nước

Commonly known as Chùa Non Nước, the temple is located in Phù Linh Commune, Sóc Sơn District, on the outskirts of Hà Nội, at an elevation of 110m above the foot of the mountain. It follows the Northern Buddhist tradition and stands within the Sóc Temple relic complex. Legend has it that after defeating the Ân invaders, Thánh Gióng stopped here on his way back to Sóc Mountain and went down to bathe in West Lake. When he continued his journey, he left behind the iron whip that had broken in battle. The local people then built a temple in his honor.

The temple was founded long ago. According to temple records citing Thiền Uyển Tập Anh and Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư, its abbot was Zen master Ngô Chân Lưu (933 – 1011), a fourth-generation member of the Vô Ngôn Thông Zen school. In 971, Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng bestowed upon him the title Khuông Việt Đại Sư. Toward the end of the Lý dynasty, the temple had two eminent monks serving as abbots: Zen master Trường Nguyên (1110 – 1165) and Zen master Nguyện Học (? – 1181), both tenth-generation members of the Vô Ngôn Thông Zen school.

Chùa Non Nước, formally known as Sóc Thiên Vương Thiền Tự, stands within the Sóc Temple relic complex at an elevation of more than 110 m above the foot of the mountain. The temple sits at the center of an arc-shaped mountain range, resembling a person seated on a throne and looking down over a clear blue lake and the prosperous villages of Vệ Linh Commune, Sóc Sơn District, Hà Nội.

The temple later fell into disrepair. In 2000, Venerable Thích Thanh Quyết oversaw its reconstruction and commissioned a bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, which was the largest in Vietnam at the time.

• See more: Top attractions in Sóc Sơn