Thien Mu pagoda – oldest pagoda in former capital of Hue

Located on Ha Khe Hill, on the northen bank of the Huong River, some 5km from the downtown area of Hue, Thien Mu was the oldest pagoda, the capital of Viet Nam under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).

Thien Mu (also known as Linh Mu) pagoda is located on Ha Khe Hill, on the northen bank of the Huong River, in Huong Long Commune, some 5km from the downtown area of Hue city, Thua Thien Hue-province (Photo: VNA)

Thien Mu pagoda was built in 1601 under Lord Nguyen Hoang’s reign, making it the oldest pagoda in Hue (Photo: VNA)

It was re-built between 1691 and 1725 under the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu (Photo: VNA)

The pagoda, which houses many valuable antiques, receives hundreds of foreign and local visitors every day (Photo: VNA)

Seen from above, it resembles a giant turtle extending its shadow onto the Huong river (Photo: VNA)

Hugged by the winding Huong river, Thien Mu is adorned with pine trees, bonsais, and meditative ponds (Photo: VNA)

VNA