One Pillar Pagoda

Located in Chua Mot Cot Street, next to Ba Dinh Square and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex. One Pillar Pagoda is also known as some other names such as Mat Pagoda, Dien Huu Pagoda, or Lotus Pagoda.

Surrounding One Pillar Pagoda

One Pillar Pagoda was built by King Ly Thai Tong in the winter of 1049. The old legend is said that the King dreamed about Guan Yin Buddha sitting on a huge bright lotus. Then the pagoda was built immediately with the architecture based on the lotus on the dream. Therefore, a pagoda with a unique pillar structure, which looks like a lotus blooming in the center of Linh Chieu pond.

The pagoda is placed on a stone pillar in Linh Chieu Pond. In fact, the pillar includes 2 stone blocks mounted as a unique detail of pagoda architecture. The pagoda is made of many valuable kinds of wood. In many pagodas from the past to the present, dragons are an indispensable symbol so the dragon shapes in One Pillar Pagoda were carved extremely sophisticated.

Unique Architecture of One Pillar Pagoda

There is a statue of Guan Yin Buddha worshiped inside the pagoda. The statue was designed following the dream of King Ly Thai Tong – Guan Yin Buddha sitting on a lotus. Linh Chieu Pond is full of lotus and surrounded by a low brick edge.

The Asian Record Organization has announced that the One Pillar Pagoda is "The most unique pagoda in Asia" in 2012 and the Guinness World Records also recorded the One Pillar Pagoda as "The most unique pagoda in Vietnam”. One Pillar Pagoda is near the center of Hanoi, tourists can easily reach it by various transportations such as bus, taxi or hire a motorbike, etc. When visiting the pagoda, you should wear formal clothes and follow all terms and conditions in this area.