| Thien
Mu Pagoda (1844) other
sites in Hue |
Hue, Vietnam |
Thien Mu pagoda overlooks the Perfume River and the beautiful scenery beyond. Although the 21-meter tall tower is the centerpiece of the temple, the history of Thien Mu extends back to 1601, when the temple was founded by Nguyen Hoang, governor of Thuan Hoa province. Legend says that Nguyen Hoang built the temple to fulfill a prophecy from a 'fairy woman' (Thien Mu) that a great lord would arrive to build a pagoda for the prosperity of the country.
The temple also displays a 2000 kilogram bell cast in 1710 and a stele from 1715.
Bibliography:
All images copyright 2003 Yunsheng Huang of the University of Virginia.
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