Bich Dong Pagoda, Ninh Binh: Exploring Vietnam’s Ancient Temple Hidden in the Mountains

There are places you visit because they are famous, and then there are places that stay with you because of how they make you feel.

Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh, Vietnam, was one of those places for me.

Surrounded by dramatic limestone mountains, caves, lotus-covered water and dense greenery, this centuries-old Buddhist pagoda complex feels as though it has grown naturally out of the landscape.

What fascinated me most was not simply its history. It was the way the people who created Bich Dong worked with the mountain rather than trying to reshape it.

Discovering Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh

Bich Dong Pagoda is located in the spectacular limestone landscape of Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam, close to the popular Tam Coc area.

The pagoda forms part of the Trang An–Tam Coc–Bich Dong Scenic Landscape within the UNESCO-listed Trang An Landscape Complex.

The wider Trang An region is characterised by towering limestone karst formations, valleys, caves, waterways and rice fields — a landscape shaped over millions of years.

Even before entering Bich Dong Pagoda, you get a sense of what makes this place special.

A small stone bridge leads across the water towards an ornate traditional gateway. Lotus leaves and water lilies spread across the pond while huge limestone cliffs rise behind it.

Walking across that bridge felt less like entering a building and more like entering the mountain itself.

More Than 500 Years of History

The origins of Bich Dong Pagoda date back to 1428, when a small pagoda existed on the mountain.

Its story developed significantly in 1705, when Buddhist monks Tri Kien and Tri The arrived in the area. Impressed by the landscape, they decided to remain here, restore the existing pagoda and develop the religious complex.

The result was something unusual.

Instead of one large temple, Bich Dong was arranged across three different elevations of the mountain:

Ha Pagoda – Lower Pagoda
Trung Pagoda – Middle Pagoda
Thuong Pagoda – Upper Pagoda

The three are separate structures, but together they create a journey that gradually takes visitors higher into the limestone mountain.

Ha Pagoda – Beginning at the Foot of the Mountain

The first stop is Ha Pagoda, or Lower Pagoda.

Built on a raised foundation at the foot of the mountain, the five-compartment pagoda features traditional Vietnamese architecture, including wooden construction and curved tiled roofs.

But what I remember most is the atmosphere.

It was peaceful.

With the mountain rising behind the temple and trees providing natural shade, there was no feeling that you needed to hurry.

You could simply sit, observe and enjoy the silence.

And then the journey upwards begins.

120 Steps to Trung Pagoda

From the Lower Pagoda, approximately 120 stone steps lead towards Trung Pagoda, the Middle Pagoda.

This is where Bich Dong becomes particularly fascinating.

Rather than removing the limestone cliff to make room for the temple, the architecture incorporates the existing mountain.

Part of Trung Pagoda stands outside while another section merges with the natural rock.

Looking at it, I had the impression that the pagoda was emerging from the mountain rather than sitting on it.

For a place developed centuries ago, there is something surprisingly relevant about that idea today — that human development doesn’t always have to mean completely changing the natural landscape.

Entering Dark Cave

Behind Trung Pagoda is another extraordinary part of the experience: Dark Cave.

As you enter, the temperature noticeably changes. The air becomes naturally cooler, the daylight fades and the sounds from outside begin to disappear.

Inside are Buddhist images and spaces for prayer and contemplation surrounded by natural limestone formations.

There is also an important piece of Bich Dong’s history hanging inside the cave.

In 1707, monks Tri Kien and Tri The cast a large bronze bell for the pagoda. More than three centuries later, that bell is still preserved inside Dark Cave.

Standing beneath the mountain, surrounded by rock rather than constructed walls, creates a completely different atmosphere from the Lower Pagoda.

Climbing to the Upper Pagoda

After passing through the cave and emerging back into daylight, the landscape opens up again.

From here, another climb of around 40 steps leads towards Thuong Pagoda — the Upper Pagoda.

The temple itself is relatively small, but its location is remarkable.

Surrounded by limestone formations and vegetation high above the lower complex, it feels secluded from everything below.

What interested me was how different each stage of Bich Dong felt.

At the Lower Pagoda, you arrive and slow down.

At the Middle Pagoda, architecture begins to merge with the mountain.

Inside the cave, the outside world almost disappears.

And higher up, the landscape opens around you again.

It makes the climb itself part of the experience.

Why Is It Called Bich Dong?

The name has an interesting history too.

In 1774, Lord Trinh Sam visited the area and was impressed by the combination of mountains, caves, waterways, fields and abundant greenery.

He named the place Bich Dong, commonly translated as “Green Pearl Cave.”

Centuries later, the name still seems appropriate.

Greenery surrounds almost everything, while the pagodas appear between trees, cliffs and caves rather than dominating them.

Watch My Bich Dong Pagoda Experience

Photographs can show the beauty of Bich Dong, but they can’t completely capture what it feels like to walk from the lotus-covered entrance, climb the stone steps, enter the cool darkness of the cave and eventually reach the Upper Pagoda.

I filmed the complete experience during my journey through Ninh Binh.

🎥 Watch: Bich Dong Pagoda, Ninh Binh – Ancient Temple Hidden in the Mountains

Is Bich Dong Pagoda Worth Visiting?

If you are exploring Ninh Binh or Tam Coc, Bich Dong Pagoda is worth adding to your itinerary — particularly if you enjoy history, Buddhist architecture, caves and natural landscapes.

But for me, there was something more to this place.

We often change nature to make life more convenient. We cut through mountains, clear landscapes and reshape our surroundings.

Bich Dong offered a different perspective.

Here, the mountain wasn’t treated as an obstacle.

It became part of the architecture.

The caves provide natural coolness. Trees provide shade. The limestone cliffs provide the setting. And centuries later, the pagodas still seem to belong to the landscape around them.

Perhaps that was the lasting memory I took away from Bich Dong.

Sometimes we don’t need to change nature to create something beautiful. Sometimes the most beautiful result comes from learning how to live alongside it.