As we began our journey from the town of Dau in Bac Ninh Province, taking the Duong River dike road seemed the best route. We spotted But Thap easily from a good distance away, thanks to its white stone tower, which rose high above the sugar-cane and paddy fields.

The tower, built in the 17th century, was dedicated to the founder of the pagoda – a Buddhist monk called Chuyet Chuyet. He had seen a crowd of swallows on the southern bank of the Duong River and thought it was a good omen. He decided to build a pagoda near the site and named it Ninh Phuc Tu (Peace and Blessing). The name But Thap was given to the pagoda by King Tu Duc in the 19th century. On a tour of Kinh Bac (area covering Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces), the King saw the stone tower shaped like a pen and renamed the structure But Thap.

Today, the pagoda stands amongst a lush canopy of perennial trees and wild grass, making it appear like an abandoned old house from the outside. The entrance, covered in moss, leads to a wooden house called Front Hall, which is only open at village festivals and on special religious occasions.

Floral motifs are carved into the hall’s weather-beaten front door and wooden pillars. The hall is separated from the yard by a veranda paved with mud tiles – a popular material in days long gone. In the middle of the yard stand a pair of bronze cranes, pointing their beaks to a high incense bowl.

We took a side gate to go in. Passing the courtyard, we entered the Main Hall. The name But Thap means pen tower and was given to reflect the pagoda’s tower, however the pagoda’s main attraction lies inside. The Main Hall harbours 50 statues of various sizes sculpted in the 17th century. Statues of legendary saints and the different personifications of Buddha are arranged in the order of the Buddhist heavenly world. The natural timber colours of the wooden statues have faded, and the figures have been left spotty by termites, but the expressive lines of the exquisitely carved sculptures, created by ancient craftsmen, still evoke awe.

One of the more remarkable statues at the pagoda is the A-Thousand-Eye and A-Thousand-Hand Goddess of Mercy. This work is considered one of the sculptural masterpieces of Viet Nam.

Legend has it that Princess Trinh Thi Ngoc Tu was forced to marry King Le Thanh Tong (1619-43) after her husband died. Heartbroken, she shaved her head and devoted her life to religion at the pagoda. When it came time to upgrade the pagoda, she asked the craftsman Truong Tho Nam to cast a Buddhist statue that symbolised the universal notions of Buddhism and the role of women in society.

After spending nine months living alone in a forest cave, the craftsman handed her the sketch for the statue. The Goddess of Mercy stands on a round lotus cup held in the air by two wooden dragons. The statue takes pride of place in the middle of the main hall. The Goddess looks down on the earth with her 11 faces. A thousand arms stretching from the cast with a thousand eyes on their palms symbolise the goddess’s supreme power, as well as encapsulating ideas of Vietnamese Buddhist philosophy.

The statue is also significant for its clever combination of Indian, Cham and northern Vietnamese sculptural styles. The concept for the Goddess’s many arms and eyes is derived from Indian and Cham dancers, and this image is represented in a lot of ancient Cham architecture. The Goddess’s clothes are finely carved with lotus, fire and dragon designs; the most popular motifs of Vietnamese sculpture from the Ly and Tran dynasties.

Buddhism has inspired the installation of the Goddess of Mercy with A Thousand Hands and A Thousand Eyes in many Asian pagodas, but Truong Tho Nam’s work is unique and seems best to capture Buddhist ideas in its painstaking craftsmanship and aesthetic values. The sculpture won a prize for excellence in Buddhist sculpture in India in 1958.

Another reason why But Thap is worth a visit, is the architecture of the buildings. The halls and houses, built using traditional materials such as stone, timber and mud, are connected to each other by tiled-roof balconies or stone bridges across small lotus ponds in the courtyard. The complex is like an ancient royal palace, but in this fort, it is religion that is celebrated.

A quiet stroll through the long corridors surrounding the pagoda’s buildings left us with a sense of supreme tranquillity.

Recognised as one of Viet Nam’s historic relics, But Thap Pagoda is today not only a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims but also a tourist attraction. The best way to reach the pagoda from Ha Noi, is to take Highway 5, then turn left at Phu Thuy Railway Station. When you reach Dau market, take a left onto the path that leads to the pagoda.