One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi

Located in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex in Hanoi, this temple is dedicated to the Goddess of mercy and protector of children, Quan Am. The structure gets its name because the wooden temple is supported by a single pillar.

The temple was built in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong who ruled from 1028 to 1054. According to legend, Quan Am came in a dream seated on a lotus and handed a male child to the childless emperor. Soon after, he married a peasant girl and a male child was born. The pagoda dedicated to Quan Am was built like a lotus rising from the water by the emperor after the birth of the child. The French forces destroyed the temple in 1954 during the First Indochina War. The temple was rebuilt in 1955 with a concrete pillar replacing the old stone pillar on which the original pagoda stood.

A flight of narrow steps lead to the small shrine where a gilded figure of Quan Am sits upon lotus blossoms. Locals worship at the temple for fertility and good health and the smell of incense permeates the building. Visitors are required to cover their legs before entering the temple. There is a small snack stand that sells refreshments for the convenience of visitors as they take in the beauty of the pagoda and its exquisite natural surroundings.