| One
Pillar Pagoda (originally 1049, last reconstructed
1955) other
sites in Hanoi |
Hanoi, Vietnam |
Click on an image to enlarge
The One Pillar Pagoda is an architectural gem unique to Vietnam. Tradition says that it was first constructed in 1049 during the early Ly dynasty. Legend has it that King Ly Thai To dreamed of the goddess Quan Am sitting on a lotus leaf and offering him a son. Struck by the dream, the Emperor married a peasant girl who soon provided him with a male heir. In gratitude, the king built this pagoda to honor the goddess. Some have said that the pagoda resembles a lotus climbing out of the water.
The pagoda was destroyed a number of times over the centuries, most recently in 1954 during the French Colonial retreat, but was reconstructed in its present form in 1955 with a concrete pillar.
Bibliography:
All images copyright 2003 Yunsheng Huang of the University of Virginia.
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