One Pillar Pagoda
Chùa Một Cột
A small lotus-shaped shrine standing on a single stone pillar, one of Hanoi's symbols, located beside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex.
One Pillar Pagoda was first built in 1049. According to legend, Emperor Lý Thái Tông dreamed of Avalokiteshvara seated on a lotus, and upon waking he built the temple. The shrine stands on a single stone pillar in the middle of a square lotus pond, shaped like a lotus rising from the water, and is one of Hanoi's symbols. The original structure was destroyed in 1954 by the retreating French army, and it was rebuilt to its original design in 1955. The small shrine enshrines Avalokiteshvara, and visitors can climb the steps to the front of the shrine to pray. It is located between the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. It is free to visit and usually seen together with the mausoleum and the Presidential Palace, taking about 20 minutes.
Opening hours
About 07:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
- Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
- Temple of Literature
- Quán Thánh Temple
- Trấn Quốc Pagoda
- Hanoi Train Street
- Hỏa Lò Prison