Trấn Quốc Pagoda
Chùa Trấn Quốc
Hanoi's oldest Buddhist temple on a small peninsula in West Lake, about 1,500 years old, with an 11-story red pagoda reflected in the lake.
Trấn Quốc Pagoda was first built in the early Lý dynasty in the 6th century on the bank of the Red River. In the 17th century it was moved to a small peninsula on the eastern shore of West Lake, and it is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi. The most striking feature is the 11-story red brick pagoda built in 1998, with a Buddha statue carved from white jade in each niche on every level. The temple also has a bodhi tree cutting from Bodh Gaya in India. A small causeway along Thanh Niên Road links the temple to the shore, and in the evening you can photograph the pagoda and the West Lake sunset from the causeway. Entry is free. Visitors must wear knee-length trousers and cover their shoulders, and the temple is very busy on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month.
Opening hours
About 08:00–16:30
Nearby sights
- Quán Thánh Temple
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- One Pillar Pagoda
- Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
- Đồng Xuân Market
- Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
- West Lake (Hồ Tây)
- Hanoi Old Quarter