The most amazing ancient temple in Hanoi, where one pillar supports the entire building

The stone pillars of the One Pillar Temple symbolize flower stalks, and the four wooden supports around the stone pillars are like flowers. The temple body and the slightly tilted eaves on the four sides form petals. There is a plaque under the eaves of the front of the temple, which reads "Lotus Platform". Unfortunately, the original temple was bombed when the French withdrew in 1954, leaving only the stone pillars. In 1955, the One Pillar Temple was rebuilt on the original site.

Today, there is only one staircase to the One Pillar Temple, and the steps are extremely steep, but there is an endless stream of local people who burn incense and make wishes. Probably because of the legend of King Li Taizong, everyone thinks that this place is particularly effective for praying for children. Climbing up the steep steps, the temple is a little crowded. There is a golden statue of Avalokitesvara on the platform full of tributes. And next to the steps, there is an ancient tree with twisted and vigorous branches and leaves, green and red, shading the red tiles and gray eaves, which has its own realm.

Next to the One Pillar Pagoda, the Yanyou Temple has been restored and rebuilt. The temple is not large in scale. The main entrance is a Chinese classical archway with Chinese characters "Yuanjue Gate" written on it. If it weren't for the Vietnamese words written on it, I would have the illusion of being back in China in a second.

There are two main halls in the temple. The atmosphere in the hall is a little weird. Under the dim light, sandalwood fills every corner. The main body is crowded with various statues of gods, almost filling every niche that can be worshipped. Moreover, not all the gods in it are Buddhist gods. It seems that Taoism and their local gods have also been mixed in.

This is also the biggest feeling that the ancient buildings in Vietnam give me. It feels like a contradictory existence. Almost at first glance, it feels very similar to China, but after careful tasting, there are actually very different existence systems between the two, just like the Chinese characters that can be seen everywhere in Vietnamese temples or cultural relics. In fact, few Vietnamese people today know it.

🏞️Name | One Pillar Pagoda
🎫Tickets | Free
⛳Address | One Pillar Pagoda, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi