One Pillar Pagoda
Visit the One Pillar Pagoda, a unique 11th-century Buddhist temple in Hanoi, famed for its lotus-inspired design and cultural significance.
The One Pillar Pagoda is one of Hanoi's most famous spiritual sites and a unique architectural symbol of Vietnam and Asia. It represents the capital's thousand-year-old cultural heritage. The pagoda is on Chua Mot Cot Street in the Ba Dinh District of Hanoi. It is also called Dien Huu Tu (Pagoda of Permanent Blessings) or Lien Hoa Dai (Lotus Tower).
King Ly Thai Tong built the pagoda in 1049. Legend has it that the king, who had no children, dreamed that the Goddess of Mercy, Quan Am, was sitting on a lotus throne and giving him a son. The king built a pagoda on a single stone pillar shaped like the lotus throne to show his thanks after the dream came true, and a monk told him to do so. According to historical records, the original structure was a stone pillar that rose from a square pond and held a shrine to Quan Am. Later Ly kings added to and improved the complex, showing how devoted the dynasty was to Buddhism. This was a time when Buddhism was at its peak in Vietnam.
French troops destroyed the pagoda during the First Indochina War, but it was completely rebuilt in 1955. It was named a National Historic and Architectural Relic in 1962, and the Asia Book of Records honored it in 2012 for its one-of-a-kind architecture.
The pagoda is made up of a single stone pillar that holds up a small tower in the shape of a lotus flower over a pond. This represents purity and spiritual growth. The building has traditional Vietnamese features like curved tiled roofs and two dragons facing the moon, which stand for balance, harmony, and fertility. The One Pillar Pagoda is still a place to pray and think about things today. It is a permanent symbol of Hanoi, along with the Temple of Literature, and it can be found in books, schools, and even on Vietnamese money.
Due to its proximity to both Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda's opening hours will also be influenced by these two locations. Consequently:
Location: Ong Ich Khiem Street, Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 08:00 - 17:00 (every day)
Entrance Fee: free
Google map: https://share.google/jvsS4vIf2gl9tI5oD
