In the countryside of Bắc Giang province, in northern Vietnam, about fifty kilometres north-east of Hanoi, the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda stands by the Thương river, surrounded by rice fields and villages. It is one of the oldest and most important Buddhist centres in Vietnam, associated with the Trúc Lâm school of Zen Buddhism, founded in the thirteenth century by King Trần Nhân Tông, who abdicated to become a monk.
The pagoda's greatest treasure is its collection of woodblocks, over three thousand carved wooden blocks used to print Buddhist scriptures, dating mainly from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They were recognised by UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme for Asia and the Pacific in 2012. The pagoda buildings, with their curved tiled roofs and wooden pillars, are arranged around courtyards with gardens and ponds, and the atmosphere is peaceful, especially in the early morning when monks chant.
Riding in northern Vietnam is lively. The roads around Hanoi are crowded with motorbikes, trucks, buses and cars, and traffic follows its own rules: horns are used constantly, and vehicles weave in and out. Foreigners need a valid licence recognised in Vietnam. Beyond the city, the roads through the countryside are calmer, passing rice fields, villages and markets. The climate is humid, with hot summers and a monsoon season from May to September, and cool, damp winters. Spring and autumn are the best times to ride.
Bắc Giang, about fifteen kilometres away, is a city with fuel, shops and restaurants, and Hanoi has all services. Fuel stations are common along the main roads. Vietnamese food is a delight: phở, noodle soup, bánh mì, filled baguettes, and bún chả, grilled pork with noodles, a Hanoi specialty. Bắc Giang is famous for its lychees, harvested in early summer. Visiting Vinh Nghiem in the early morning, with mist over the rice fields and the sound of chanting from the pagoda, is a peaceful start to the day.