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Published: October 6th 2010
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Ho Chi Minh Complex completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Beside that you can visit one pillar pagoda as well because it's so close to Ho Chi Minh museum.
One pillar pagoda Start with One pillar pagoda. It is based on Chua Mot Cot street and is one part of Ho Chi Minh complex.
The entrance fee for all part of this complex is free.
One-Pillar Pagoda is located in the architectural complex of Dien Huu Pagoda on Chua Mot Cot Street, Ba Dinh district, on the right of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, less than 3km from Sword Lake.
The pagoda was built in 1049 under the Ly Dynasty. King Ly Thai Tong (1028-1054) saw in his dream Avalokitesvara standing on a lotus altar and giving her hand to take him to the altar. When awake, the king told his close mandarins about his dream. Some considered it a bad omen: a monk advised the king to construct a small pagoda resting on a big stone pillar in the middle of Linh Thieu Lake, which resembles the lotus altar the King
saw in his dream. But according to a stele inscription composed by a venerable monk, the pagoda came into being during the time Vietnam was occupied by the Tang Dynasty from 671 to 904. In the middle of a lotus pond a stone pillar was erected to support a jade house, inside which the statue Avalokitesvara was worshipped. The pagoda was a very sacred place.
During the Ly Dynasty, King Ly Anh Tong did not have his Heir Apparent and he usually came there to pray. One night, in a dream he saw Avalokitesvara invite him to the altar and put a child on his lap. In the same month his queen gave birth to a son. The king decided to build another pagoda, which was called Dien Huu, to the right of One-Pillar Pagoda in order to enlarge the worship space. In 1080 King Ly Nhan Tong ordered to cast a big bell to be hung in the pagoda and to build e phuong dinh (square pavilion) out of green stone, 8 truong (about 10.4m) high. Since the bell was too heavy to be hung, it was left on the ground, so it could not make noise when
it was beaten. The land on which the bell was placed was the shelter of tortoises. So, the land was named Quy Dien rice-field and the bell named the same. When the Ming invaded the country and besieged by Le Loi in Dong Quan (present Ha Noi) , they melted the bell to produce military weapons since they ran out of munitions. In the 12th century the then pagoda was much bigger than the present one. A stele inscription says that the pagoda was overhauled and expanded in 1121, and it took 16 years to complete.
Since One-Pillar Pagoda underwent many overhauls, it does not retain its original appearance. The present pagoda bears the architectural style of the Nguyen era in the early 19th century. The lotus altar is square; each side is 3m long; the curved roof rests on a cylindrical stone pillar, 4m high (not including the part which is submerged in the earth) and I-2m in the diameter. The stone pedestal is composed of two parts, skillfully glued together. At the first glance they look like a huge stone. The uniqueness of this pagoda is that the whole structure rests on a stone pillar.
Ho Chi Minh stilts House
The house on stilts is the place where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. It was built In 1958 In the Presidential Palace area, at the end of the Mango Path (Duong Xoai). Next to the house is the star apple tree from the South, planted in 1955. The hibiscus fence around the house reminds one of the houses in the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh. In front of the house is a fishpond. The house on stilts comprises two floors.
President Ho Chi Minh stayed and worked on the upper floor. The ground floor was served as a small meeting room for the Politburo. Cadres and soldiers were warmly received in this house. All the furniture in the bedroom and the working room are very simple. The most valuable items are books. In addition to revolutionary books, magazines, newspapers and other documents, on his bookshelves and desk, there are books on the good examples of people and soldiers. Uncle Ho used to read them and encourage people to follow those good examples. On his desk still settled the books he was reading.
For other part related to Ha Noi
Photo 6
road from one pillar pagoda to Ho Chi Minh stilts house 1000 years Celebration, please refer to:
Ha Noi - 1000 Years Thang Long
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