Hanoi’s ancient One Pillar Pagoda, a historic Buddhist temple in Ba Dinhdistrict, will undergo extensive renovations in the first quarter ofnext year at a cost of over 18.6 billion VND (875,000 USD).
Preparations for the upgrade project are accelerated, according to Ba Dinh district’s authorities.
The upgrade will involve the main building and courtyard plus the surrounding lake, paths, and facilities.
The project is expected to be completed and open for tourists in early the second quarter of 2014.
Originallydubbed Dien Huu, which means long-lasting happiness and good luck, thepagoda was built in 1049 at the orders of King Ly Thai Tong.
During the Ly Dynasty, to mark Vesak or Buddha’s birthday, it was thesite where an annual royal ceremony to celebrate the event was held.
Legend has it that Ly Thai Tong, who had no children,used to go to pagodas to pray to Buddha for a son. One night, he dreamtthat he met Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the Goddess of Mercy, sittingon a great lotus flower in a square-shaped pond and handed him a babyboy.
Months later, when the Queen gave birth to aboy, the King was advised by a monk to erect a pillar in the middle of alotus pond, similar to the one he had seen in his dream, in honour ofthe Goddess of Mercy.
It was built of wood on asingle stone pillar 1.25m in diameter, 4m high and resembled a lotusblossom, the Buddhist symbol of purity.
With allits architectural and historical values, the pagoda was classified as anational historic site in 1962. On May 4, 2006, it was recorded inVietnam’s Guinness Book of Records as the pagoda with the most uniquearchitecture in Vietnam.
During its long history,the complex has undergone a number of renovations and has become one ofthe most interesting architectural complexes in Hanoi, attracting largenumbers of domestic and overseas tourists alike.-VNA
Preparations for the upgrade project are accelerated, according to Ba Dinh district’s authorities.
The upgrade will involve the main building and courtyard plus the surrounding lake, paths, and facilities.
The project is expected to be completed and open for tourists in early the second quarter of 2014.
Originallydubbed Dien Huu, which means long-lasting happiness and good luck, thepagoda was built in 1049 at the orders of King Ly Thai Tong.
During the Ly Dynasty, to mark Vesak or Buddha’s birthday, it was thesite where an annual royal ceremony to celebrate the event was held.
Legend has it that Ly Thai Tong, who had no children,used to go to pagodas to pray to Buddha for a son. One night, he dreamtthat he met Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the Goddess of Mercy, sittingon a great lotus flower in a square-shaped pond and handed him a babyboy.
Months later, when the Queen gave birth to aboy, the King was advised by a monk to erect a pillar in the middle of alotus pond, similar to the one he had seen in his dream, in honour ofthe Goddess of Mercy.
It was built of wood on asingle stone pillar 1.25m in diameter, 4m high and resembled a lotusblossom, the Buddhist symbol of purity.
With allits architectural and historical values, the pagoda was classified as anational historic site in 1962. On May 4, 2006, it was recorded inVietnam’s Guinness Book of Records as the pagoda with the most uniquearchitecture in Vietnam.
During its long history,the complex has undergone a number of renovations and has become one ofthe most interesting architectural complexes in Hanoi, attracting largenumbers of domestic and overseas tourists alike.-VNA
