One Pillar Pagoda

The One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột) is one of Vietnam's most photographed structures — a small wooden pagoda perched on a single stone pillar rising from a square lotus pond. King Lý Thái Tổ built it in 1049 after dreaming that the goddess Quan Am handed him a son while seated on a lotus flower. The French destroyed the original structure before leaving Hanoi in 1954; the current pagoda is a faithful reconstruction. It sits within the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and is free to visit alongside it.

Located in the Ba Dinh complex, west of the mausoleum. Free entry. A brief but beautiful stop — best in early morning light.

Hotel recommendations coming soon.