The One Pillar Pagoda is almost a thousand years old. Sort of. In another in a long line of despicably pointless destructive acts committed by colonial military forces, the French destroyed the nearly 1000-year-old pagoda in 1954 on their way out. The Vietnamese government subsequently rebuilt it.

The version that’s there now sits above a large lily pond (or small lake, depending on which way you look at it), tucked just behind the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in the Ba Dinh district of Hanoi.

The top is dark, carved wood shaped to resemble a lotus flower. The single pillar base it balances on was once also wood, but in the modern version, it’s rather ugly bare concrete. Concrete might be more practical, but I can’t help wondering whether a tin of dark brown paint was really that hard to find–it is, after all, named after the pillar.

Despite it being a replica, the One Pillar Pagoda is today considered one of Vietnam’s most iconic Buddhist temples.

Photos of the One Pillar Pagoda

What to Know Before You Go

The One Pillar Pagoda is close to the Botanical Garden and West Lake.

About the One Pillar Pagoda

• The One Pillar Pagoda is situated in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.
• The pagoda was originally constructed in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong.
• It was built to express gratitude for the birth of the emperor’s son and heir, after a dream in which the goddess Avalokitesvara presented him with a lotus flower.
• The One Pillar Pagoda is designed to resemble a lotus flower emerging from the water, symbolizing purity and enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition.
• The pagoda stands on a single stone pillar, which is approximately 4 meters (13 feet) high and 1.25 meters (4 feet) in diameter.
• The current structure is a rebuilt version of the original pagoda, which was destroyed during the French colonial period in 1954.
• One Pillar Pagoda is a small wooden structure, measuring about 3 meters (10 feet) in height and 3 meters (10 feet) in width.
• The pagoda houses a statue of the goddess Avalokitesvara, also known as Guanyin, which is made of reinforced concrete and covered with gold leaf.
• One Pillar Pagoda is an important symbol of Vietnamese history and culture, and it has been featured on various national stamps and currency.
• The pagoda attracts a large number of visitors, both local and international, and it is considered one of the most iconic landmarks in Hanoi.

One Pillar Pagoda FAQs

Reading Recommendations

If you’d like to dive deeper with some reading before your trip or during, here’s an excellent list of books of various genres related to Hanoi put together by Vietnamese novelist and poet Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.