Dong Quang Pagoda stands opposite to Dong Da Hillock in Quang Trung ward, Dong Da district. Visitors can go there by car, bicycle, motorbike, or cyclo. The pagoda was built about 200 years ago when a mandarin named Dang Hau ordered to collect the corpses of Qing invaders after the Dong Da victory in 1789. The corpses were buried en masse in a stupa which was later enlarged into Dong Quang Pagoda. It is dedicated to the cult of Buddha and fallen soldiers in the Dong Da great battle.

The frame and wooden objects are part of the pagoda’s decoration. They include bed- heads, rafters and cau dau. Common decorative patterns are stylized tigers, dragons and clouds. The roofs margin is well decorated with floral and tiger bas-reliefs. The ends of the beam-trusses and rafters are elegantly engraved with motifs of bamboo and apricot trees, the chrysanthemum, tung tree (a kind of plant similar to the pine trees) and loc (deers). These patterns are characteristic of the art of engraving in the 20^th century. The collection of Buddha statues, stone steles and bells kept at the pagoda are over 1,000 years old.

Dong Phu Pagoda (Minh Long Tu, or Nhot Pagoda, currently called Den Pagoda) is
situated in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district. Starting from Sword Lake, visitors can go to Giap Bat by taxi, motorbike, or bicycle, and turn left to the pagoda. It is 10km distant from Sword Lake. This construction is about 1,000 years old. In 1072 two princesses of the Ly King abandoned Thang Long Capital to devote themselves to monk-hood at this pagoda. They offered to the villagers their 3,000 mau land granted by the King, taught them to reclaim waste land, to grow new rice strains and practiced crafts. In recognition of their great merits, the King decided to give them the religious’ title Dai Thanh Dai Bo Tat (Great Avalokitesvara). At Dong Phu pagoda, visitors can have an overview of cultural activities and material life of the local
population who live in the outskirt of Ha Noi. The palanquins for procession, worshipping altars, a collection of Buddha statues and the king’s royal edicts and decrees are jealously preserved by the locals.

Dong Ba Pagoda (Sung An Tu) is located in Thuong Cat hamlet, Tu Liem  district, 20km northwest of Sword Lake. The pagoda is accessible by taxi, bicycle, motorbike, or boat, since it is quite near the Red River’s dyke. The pagoda was built about 400 years ago. The collection of Buddha statues represents beautiful artworks sculpted 300 years ago. Two bronze bells and 14 stone steles kept at this pagoda are nearly 300 years old.

Dao Xuyen Pagoda (Thanh An Tu) is located in Dao Xuyen hamlet, Da Ton commune, Gia Lam district. Visitors can depart from Sword Lake, then cross Chuong Duong Bridge and go along the dyke of the Red River northeastwards to reach the pagoda. The total distance is about 10km by motorbike or bicycle.

The pagoda was built roughly 400 years ago. Its inner architecture is in the form of the Chinese ideogram Cong and outside in the form of the Chinese ideogram Quoc. It has a statue of Avalokitesvara with a thousand eyes and arms made in the 16^th century. The uniqueness of the statue rests in the fact that the woman’s face is typically Vietnamese. Visitors can also admire a
collection of Buddha statues dating back to the 18^th_19^th centuries.

Dai Lan Pagoda is located in Dai Lan hamlet, Duyen Ha commune, Thanh Tri district. It is 17km south of Sword Lake and is accessible by boat, car, motorbike, or bicycle. If one goes to Dai Lan hamlet, one can see there Dai Lan Pagoda and Dai Lan communal house. The pagoda contains a good collection of Buddha statues; a few carved works are hundreds of years old.

Dai Cat Pagoda (Sung Khang Tu) is situated in Dai Cat hamlet, Lien Mac  commune, Tu Liem district. It is about 17km northwest of Sword Lake and is accessible by car, motorbike, bicycle, or even by boat if one wants to meander along the left bank of the Red River. The pagoda stands on a large and high plot of land, nearby Dai Cat Communal House. This pagoda still possesses a good collection of carved artworks, stone steles, bronze bells cast 300-400 years ago, especially Buddha statues. It is pleasant to visit the village’s historical and religious sites, including the communal house and the pagoda and learn the lives of the locals.

Dai Ang Pagoda (Thien Phuc Tu) stands at Dai Ang commune, Thanh Tri district. From Sword Lake, visitors can take National Highway 1 to reach Van Dien town, then turn onto Road 70 and go along the bank of the river for 7km.

The pagoda contains a wide range of Buddha statues, especially the Guan Yin statue, 4m high, with one thousand arms and one thousand eyes. The Buddha statues have high artistic values. What visitors experience there is the exploration of a Vietnamese Buddhist village. In addition, it is an architectural work closely associated with the spiritual and cultural life of the inhabitants in
a suburb of Ha Noi.

Due Pagoda (Quang Khai Tu) is located in Tien hamlet, Dich Vong commune (Tu Liem district), 6km northwest of Sword Lake. This pagoda was built more than 1,000 years ago, under the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong (1072-1128). Formerly Due was the name of the village and this name was given to the pagoda where resident monk Le Dai Lien (alias Le Nghia) practiced Buddhism here. According to his genealogical records, after his parents’ death, he turned his house into a pagoda to worship the Buddha and his parents. It is eye-catching; its engraving

works are delicate; patterns of dragons and phoenixes are trimmed with lacquer and gold. The pagoda has one portico, three- treasure pedestals, a main sanctuary and auxiliary houses. It still keeps a few Buddha statues sculpted in the 18^th century. Every year the Due Festival is held in the first lunar month. One can go there by taking the road to Cau Giay district and then to Dich

Vong. It is accessible by car, motorbike, bicycle, or cyclo.

Dien Phuc Pagoda stands in Gia Lam hamlet (Le Chi commune, Gia Lam district), 15km away from Sword Lake. Visitors should cross Chuong Duong and Chui Bridges, then take National Highway 4, turn left, and continue 10km to reach the pagoda. It is accessible by taxi, motorbike, and cyclo. The pagoda currently preserves many valuable artifacts: wooden statues, stone steles and bronze bells. Also it holds many festivals that attract a lot of Buddhist believers and visitors from other localities. The festivals are listed as follow:

- Khai ha festival to end Tet (Lunar New Year) including a pig-slaughtering ritual held on the 10th day of the first lunar month;

- The Saint’s birthday, including a three- day festival with palanquin processions on the 11th day of the second lunar month;

- Exploits-celebrating festival lasting ten days. The participants dress in traditional clothes and make round sticky rice cakes. Held on the 10th day of the third lunar month;

- Hoa nhat te le festival held on the 10th day of the eighth lunar month when participants carry baskets of square sticky rice cakes stuffed with sugar;

- Three-day worshipping ceremony held from the 2nd to the 4th days of the twelfth lunar month.

Next to Dien Phuc Pagoda is the communal house of Gia Lam village. They constitute a group of historical and religious sites. Visitors to Dien Phuc Pagoda will feel as if they were taking a picnic to a village in the Red River Delta.

Dien Phuc Pagoda is located in Mai Lam hamlet, Le Chi commune, Dong Anh district, 10km north of Sworn Lake. Visitors can go there by bus, motorbike, bicycle, or cyclo. By chance, visitors can see a Vietnamese pagoda and a communal house because they stand next to each other. The engraving and sculpting works in the pagoda are of highly artistic value. There is also a set of statues. A trip to Dien Phuc Pagoda offers visitors a chance to explore the landscape, customs, and the life of the inhabitants in the Red River Delta.

Co Loa Pagoda (Bao Son Tu) is situated in Co Loa commune, Dong Anh district. Departing from Sword Lake, visitors can go there by bus, taxi or motorbike. First, go across Chuong Duong Bridge to Gia Lam Township, then cross Duong Bridge and follow National Highway 3 until you reach the milestone 17 where you should turn right and continue 3km to Sa Market. At the market, turn left, go some 300m and then take the right turn at the junction. The pagoda is 100m ahead. The total distance is about 18km. While visiting C6 Loa Pagoda, you can enjoy
the tranquility of a peaceful countryside. Its inner architecture is in the form of the Chinese ideogram Cong, outside in the form of Quoc . It has a group of very precious artifacts including 134 carved statues. The stele, bronze bells, and bronze gongs themselves reveal that the Co Loa
citadel was built in the 3^rd B.C. Visitors can relax under the shade of big old trees.

Co Linh Pagoda is located in Linh Nam commune, Thanh Tri district. It is about 15km south of Sword Lake along the dyke of the Red River. The pagoda was built close to the communal house, thus constituting a group of historical and religious site. To reach Co Linh Pagoda visitors can take a boat on the Red River to contemplate the landscape along its banks before disembarking, or they can take a motorbike or a bicycle.

Chem Pagoda (Ham Long Tu) belongs to Thuy Phuong commune, Tu Liem district. At Sword Lake, visitors can take a taxi, or ride a bicycle, a cyclo, motorbike, or bus to Tran Phu Street. Go ahead onto Kim Mil Street until you reach Cau Giay Bridge. Turn to the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, pass Hospital E, and go directly to Chem village. The distance from the centre of Ha N9i to Chem village is about 10km. A memorial stele dating back to the 12th year of Vinh Tri’s reign (1688) says that a Confucian scholar named Nguyen Dinh Ban and his wife donated their own money to building this pagoda for their fellow villagers. Thus, it must have been built before that date (1688).

It is situated on a high plot of land with a wide view. Its ancient composition and lay-out are kept almost intact. All architectural structures are harmoniously arranged in a closed precinct, under the shade of big old trees. The front ceremonial hall is composed of two parallel buildings. The outer building has five bays and six rows of columns, whose square pedestals are made of bricks. Trusses and tie-beams support two layers of eight roofs.

Chau Long Pagoda is located at No 44 Chau Long Street, True Bach ward, Ba Dinh
district. Visitors can ride a bicycle or a motorbike, or take a cyclo or a taxi, from Sword Lake through Hang Dao and Hang Ngang Streets, passing Dong Xuan market to turn left onto Quan Thanh Road, then turn right onto Chau Long Street. The total distance is about 4km. The pagoda was built in the 14th century. The extremely fine carvings on the doors, the horizontal panels, parallel sentence boards and the bronze bells are all of high artistic value.

Chan Tien Pagoda is situated at No 151 Ba Trieu Street, Le Dai Hanh ward, Hai Ba Trung district. From Swore Lake go along Ba Trieu Street for 2km. The pagoda was built in the 12th century under the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong. It faces west; its three-entrance portico is near Ba Trieu Street. Its architecture, engraving and sculpting decorations, Buddha statues, and votive objects are in the style of the 18^th century.