One Pillar Pagoda, Buddhist temple in Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, Vietnam.
One Pillar Pagoda is a house of prayer in Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, Vietnam, rising above a rectangular pond. The small wooden sanctuary is held up by a single octagonal column emerging from the water, resembling a lotus stem.
Emperor Ly Thai Tong had the sanctuary built in 1049 after the Goddess of Mercy appeared to him in a vision. French troops destroyed the original building in 1954, and it was rebuilt the following year using traditional methods.
The name of the site comes from its construction method, with the entire building resting on a single pillar. Worshippers come here to light incense and pray, while visitors admire the simple wooden framework and bright tiles.
The site is open daily from sunrise to sunset and requires visitors to wear long clothing and maintain quiet behavior. A short walk through the surrounding park leads to the entrance, where shoes must be removed before stepping inside.
The structure ranks among the smallest religious buildings in Vietnam, with an interior that barely fits more than five people. Despite its tiny size, it appears on Vietnamese banknotes and postage stamps.
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