Pau García Solbes
A very curious building
The One Pillar Pagoda is one of the most famous monuments in the city of Hanoi and is located in the Ba Dinh district near the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, Presidential Palace, and Stilt House, all of which you can visit during the same day.
The pagoda's current incarnation comes after a long series of reconstructions, the most recent of which happened in 1954 when it was burned by the French during their retreat from Hanoi. The original temple was built in the 11th century by the emperor Ly Thai Tong. This name might not sound familiar to you, but it's ubiquitous on street signs throughout the entire country.
The temple stands on a pond filled with lotus flowers. In fact, the goal of the architects was to build a temple which resembled a lotus flower. To access the sanctuary, climb the stairs leading to the altar.
When we visited, there were many people coming to pay their respects at the lotus shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy. It's interesting to watch the people coming and going, offerings in hand, along the temple steps.
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