Tam Son Pagoda (Chua Tam Son). Popular name; Chua Tram Gian (Pagoda of one hundred compartments). Official name: Cam Ong Tu in Tam Son village, (Tien Son district, ancient Bac Ninh). The pagoda is built on top of Tam Son hill.
The first construction dates back to the late Xth century, early Xlth century (famous monks: Nghiem Bao Tinh. Pham Minh Tam, La Dinh Huong). Vestiges: remnants of ‘a pedestal in terra cotta (in the form of a lotus), building materials carrying carved decorated patterns… The last construction dates from the XVIIth century (Chinh Hoa reign: 1680 – 1705); it was the work of royal concubine Nguyen Thi Ngoc Vinh. (Brick stairs from hill foot to the pagoda, bell of 1693, stone pillar called Chuc Thien Dai where the name of donors in 1697 are inscribed). The pagoda had a hundred compartments and statues of value. At the end of 1973, it was destroyed by American bombs. In provisional reconstructions, there is a beautiful gong (1672) on which the names of many doctors of the Ngo family are engraved.
