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| Hue has hundreds of large and small pagodas, including ancient ones that are hundreds of years old. Photo: NQ |
Because of this, a friend of mine from Hanoi, while happily traveling in Hue, once called me in a panic: “Hey, why are all the noodle shops near my hotel open until noon every day, but today they’re all closed? Is something going on in Hue?” It took me a moment before I suddenly remembered: “Oh, today is a full moon day, they won’t open. Just go eat vegetarian noodles.” After being confused for a while, she eventually understood, and by lunchtime she came back enthusiastically praising the vegetarian noodles, saying only Hue could have something like this...
Perhaps my friend didn’t know that many shop owners also close for another reason: to go to the pagoda.
Hue has hundreds of large and small pagodas, including ancient ones that are hundreds of years old. Hue’s pagodas are beautiful, tranquil, gentle, and ancient, so many people want to visit them. Walking around the pagoda grounds, then entering the main hall to worship the Buddha, slowly, peacefully, just that alone already makes one feel light and calm.
But people in Hue don’t go to pagodas just to sightsee, but to immerse themselves in the local way of life. They garden, clean the pagoda grounds, and help monks and nuns with Buddhist tasks. If they have more time, they go into the kitchen to help prepare simple meals, chatting joyfully in a harmonious space with the monastic community. Just that is enough to bring happiness.
Pagodas in Hue are usually most crowded during major festivals such as Lunar New Year, Vesak (Buddha’s Birthday), and Vu Lan (Ullambana [or Filial Piety] Festival). But Buddhists in Hue also have the habit of going to pagodas on the 15th, 30th, and 1st of each lunar month. After carefully preparing household matters and offering fruits and incense at the family altar at home, they go to the pagoda, greet the monks, chant a sutra, and feel peace in their hearts.
My teacher, who was born into a family with many generations of devout Buddhists in Hue, once said that people in Hue in the past went to pagodas to pray for peace, not for wealth or fortune. And most importantly, going to the pagoda means learning to improve oneself, live purely, cultivate goodness, do good deeds, and avoid harming others. For the people of Hue, living well is itself the most meaningful offering.
And when going to the pagoda, one should eat vegetarian food. People in Hue believe that vegetarian eating is also a way to dedicate merit to their ancestors and parents.
According to the History of Buddhism in Hue by Ha Xuan Liem and Thich Hai An (published in 2001), 80% of Hue’s population follows Buddhism. Today, that number may have changed, but what has deeply rooted itself in people’s hearts and in the culture of the region likely remains unchanged through time. It is a way of life that is gentle, tolerant, virtuous, and quiet, a characteristic of Hue. It is also a healthy eating habit that has become a distinctive culinary culture of Hue: vegetarian cuisine. Few places have vegetarian dishes as delicious, beautiful, diverse, and rich as Hue.
As for my friend from Hanoi, I don’t know how she learned about it afterward, but she insisted on coming back next time so I could take her to a pagoda: “I heard Hue’s pagodas are very peaceful and beautiful, not as noisy and crowded as some other places.”
“Of course, I’ll be happy to welcome you.”