Hanoi is known for its many historical relics and unique architectural works. Each project is unique in beauty and meaning.
One Pillar Pagoda is a unique work built on one-column impressive architecture.
One Pillar Pagoda
Address: Chua Mot Cot Street, Doi Can Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi Vietnam
One Pillar Pagoda is located in the center of Ba Dinh district, next to the relic complex of Ba Dinh Square and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It is like an ancient lotus in the heart of Vietnam’s capital.
You can combine visiting the pagoda with Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, and the Thang Long Citadel.
Learning about One Pillar Pagoda
One Pillar Pagoda is also known as Mat Pagoda, Dien Huu Pagoda, or Lien Hoa Dai. This temple with unique architecture was built during the reign of King Ly Thai Tong in 1049.
Legend has it that King Ly Thai Tong dreamed of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara meditating on a bright lotus, and she stretched out her hand to lead the king to the lotus platform. After waking up, the king immediately ordered the One Pillar Pagoda to be built according to what he had seen in that dream.
The temple was concreted with a typical one-pillar structure. The architecture looks like a lotus flower growing in the middle of Linh Chieu Lake. It combines many different types, from sculpture to carving and painting. The water surface is also a beautiful mirror that brightens up the temple above.
One Pillar Pagoda has a square block with each side of 3m. Below is a stone pillar 4m high, 1.2m in diameter, with two blocks attached.
On the body of the pillar are eight wide wooden wings that look like blooming lotus. Above the roof of the pagoda is the moon, and on both sides, two dragon heads adorn the moon. The pagoda has four roofs with four curved edges and embossed dragon heads.
To perform the ceremony on the temple floor, you must go up 13 steps. Inside the pagoda, there is a statue of Lady Buddha sitting on a golden lotus flower.
Over many dynasties, witnessing the change of history, the pagoda has also been restored and repaired many times. The temple’s architecture has also changed from the original.
However, with its typical architecture, the Asian Records organization confirmed One Pillar Pagoda as the most unique architectural temple in 2012.
Notes to know before visiting the One Pillar Pagoda
One Pillar Pagoda is a historical site and also a sacred place, so when coming here, you need to pay attention to the following:
- Choose clothes that are discreet, polite, and suitable to the acceptable customs and culture of the Vietnamese people.
- Behave appropriately, keep order, and yield to each other when entering the temple to worship.
- The temple area is small, and the aisles are narrow. It would help if you did not jostle or push each other when waiting for the ceremony.
- For a famous site like One Pillar Pagoda, most tourists want to take souvenir photos. So, while shooting, you should keep order, avoid being noisy, and avoid affecting others.
The festive season of One Pillar Pagoda
On the 8th day of the fourth lunar month, 1049, after completing the Dien Huu Temple, Ly Thai Tong invited the monks to hold the Buddha bathing ceremony here.
Since then, every year on this day, the people of Thang Long Citadel have organized a festival to pray for blessings. After each ceremony, everyone releases animals (often birds) to show their sincerity.
One Pillar Pagoda enters the festive season filled with bright red lanterns and paper flags.
Especially on the occasion of the first Lunar New Year, people from all over the country flock here to attend the activities of lighting up the temple and offering incense sticks to pray for peace and happiness for a new year.
If you have the opportunity to visit Hanoi, do not miss One Pillar Pagoda in your journey.
Coming there, you will feel a quiet, peaceful space and have a significantly better understanding of Vietnamese architecture.
