Thiên Mụ Temple, Buddhist temple in Huế, Vietnam
Thiên Mụ is a Buddhist temple set on Hà Khê hill along the northern bank of the Perfume River in Huế, Vietnam, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The seven-story Phước Duyên tower stands at the entrance of the grounds and is the most recognized feature of the complex.
Nguyễn Hoàng had this temple built in 1601, seeking prosperity for his ruling line. Over the following centuries, later Nguyen rulers added buildings and religious objects, slowly shaping the complex into what visitors see today.
The temple's name means Celestial Lady in Vietnamese, referencing a legend about an old woman who once appeared on this hill and predicted that a lord would come to build a shrine here. Today visitors can watch monks in their daily routines and hear the sound of the large bronze bell carrying across the river.
The temple sits on a hill above the river, so visitors need to climb a short flight of steps to reach the main areas. It can be accessed from central Huế by several forms of transport, and guided tours run throughout the day.
A side building on the grounds houses the Austin automobile that monk Thích Quảng Đức rode in 1963 on his way to Saigon, where he set himself on fire to protest the persecution of Buddhists. Seeing the actual car in person gives visitors a very direct connection to that moment in history.
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