Phat Tich Pagoda, also known as Van Phuc Pagoda, is located on the southern slope of Phat Tich Mountain (also called Lan Kha or Fairy Mountain) in Phat Tich commune, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province. The pagoda houses Vietnam’s largest stone Buddha statue from the Ly Dynasty.
Every year, on the 4th day of the Lunar New Year, the people of Phat Tich hold a traditional festival to honor the contributions of the founders and restorers of the pagoda. During these vibrant spring days, visitors from all over come to worship Buddha, pick peony flowers, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Kinh Bac region, and participate in festival games such as wrestling, chess, swinging, and Quan Ho singing,…. This is where it’s believed that the legend of Tu Thuc meeting a fairy took place.
According to legend, Tu Thuc was from Thanh Hoa during the Tran Dynasty, under the reign of Emperor Tran Thuan Tong in the Quang Thai era (1388–1398). He was born into a family of officials, which earned him a minor government position in a district of Kinh Bac (now Tien Du district, Bac Ninh). He loved traveling, enjoying scenic landscapes, and writing poetry, often neglecting his official duties, which led to reprimands from superiors, prompting him to eventually resign.
The story also recounts that near his hometown was a famous temple with a large peony tree. During blooming season, people from all over gathered to admire the flowers in a lively festival atmosphere. It was here that Tu Thuc encountered a fairy. Some believe this temple was Phat Tich Temple.
In the second month of the year Binh Ty (1396), while visiting the temple, Tu Thuc saw a beautiful young girl around sixteen or seventeen years old who, while admiring the flowers, accidentally broke a peony branch. Unable to pay compensation, she was detained by the temple’s young monks as a penalty. Witnessing this, Tu Thuc, with a compassionate and chivalrous spirit, helped the young girl redeem the accident.
At Than Phu Gate:
Hearing about the beautiful mountains in Tong Son district, Tu Thuc took a young servant and a bag of musical instruments and built a small hut at the foot of a mountain. From there, he explored all the beautiful spots around the area.
One early morning, gazing toward Than Phu Gate, he saw five-colored clouds forming a lotus shape. Alone, he rowed his boat toward them. Arriving at the base of a towering mountain that ran along the sea, he moored his boat and climbed a high rock ledge.
Suddenly, he noticed a cave on the mountainside, with a wide, round entrance, and decided to venture in. After only a few steps, the cave’s entrance suddenly closed behind him, leaving him in pitch darkness with no clear path. Following a stream within, he walked for some time until he saw light ahead. Emerging from the cave, he found himself at the foot of another mountain, with steep slopes and towering heights. Clinging to the rocky surface, he climbed upward.
Reaching the summit, he found a broad path, and at the peak, the sky was clear, bathed in brilliant light. In the distance, palaces rose among lush green groves. He followed the path to one of the grand buildings, where two young women dressed in blue saw him and exclaimed to each other, “Our groom has arrived!” before running into the splendid mansion.
A short while later, they returned and invited Tu Thuc inside at the lady of the house’s request. Following the young women, Tu Thuc beheld vibrant palaces, walls adorned with brocade, and blue stone steps he had only read about in books until that moment. As he passed several doorways, he saw inscriptions like “Quynh Hu Hall” and “Giao Quang Pavilion.” Ascending to the upper floors, he met a woman dressed in white silk seated on a precious throne, with two sandalwood tables before her.
The woman, identifying herself as Lady Ngo of Nam Nhac Mountain’s earthly immortals, explained that this was the sixth cave of the thirty-six caverns of Phi Lai Mountain. She summoned a young maiden, and as soon as Tu Thuc saw her, he recognized the girl who had broken the peony branch in the temple.
The girl, named Giang Huong, remembered Tu Thuc’s kindness and felt deeply grateful. That very night, Lady Ngo arranged a floral banquet and had them married.
Tu Thuc stayed with Giang Huong for about a year, but eventually felt homesick and told her, “I have been away from home for so long that I often miss my old village. I wish to return for a brief visit.” Giang Huong advised, “I am not refusing your wish out of personal attachment, but earthly time is short, and I fear that even if you return, things may no longer be as they were.”
Lady Ngo then arranged for a carriage to take him back. Giang Huong wrote a sealed letter for him, instructing him to open it once he arrived home.
Bidding farewell to Giang Huong and Lady Ngo, he climbed into the carriage, which transported him in a flash to his old village. However, the scenery was entirely different, except for the familiar slopes of the mountains. He inquired among the village elders about his name, and one replied, “I remember hearing that my great-grandfather’s grandfather, who bore the same name, vanished into the mountains over eighty years ago. This is now the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Le Nhan Tong of the Le Dynasty (1459).”
Saddened, Tu Thuc looked for the immortal carriage, hoping to leave again, but it had turned into a phoenix and flown away. Opening Giang Huong’s letter, he read, “In the fairy realm, we were united, but now our bond has ended, and there is no hope for reunion.”
Afterward, people saw Tu Thuc with a small hat, entering Hoang Son Mountain (in Nong Cong district, Thanh Hoa), and he was never seen again.
