One Pillar Pagoda, along with Khue Van Cac of the Temple of Literature, is a symbol of the capital Hanoi. Known by many different names such as Dien Huu Tu (prolonging life), Lien Hoa Dai or Mat Pagoda, One Pillar Pagoda is an ancient pagoda built during the reign of King Ly Thai Tong in the 11th century.

One Pillar Pagoda was built in the image of a lotus blooming on the water, symbolizing the purity and nobility of Buddhism. The pagoda represents the lotus that Bodhisattva Quan Am bestowed upon King Ly Thai Tong in a dream. At the same time, One Pillar Pagoda was also the place chosen by the King to hold ceremonies every full moon and the first day of every month with the wish to pray for national peace and prosperity.
In 1954, the French colonial army used explosives to destroy One Pillar Pagoda before withdrawing from Hanoi. By 1955, Vietnam had rebuilt the pagoda on a small scale. Today's One Pillar Pagoda is only a part of the architectural complex of Dien Huu Pagoda, originally built in the 11th century.
The architecture of One Pillar Pagoda is extremely unique. Today, when visiting One Pillar Pagoda, visitors can easily see the Tam Quan gate with a horizontal plaque engraved with the three words "Dien Huu Tu". The original structure of One Pillar Pagoda was supported by wooden panels firmly attached to the stone pillars. The structure of the pagoda includes the Lien Hoa platform, the pagoda roof and pillars.
• The pillar is a round block built from 2 stone pillars stacked on top of each other. One part is submerged in the lake and the other part is 4m high above the water. The pillar has a diameter of 1.2m and is extremely sturdy.
• The Lien Hoa platform is a square block with surrounding bars, supported by sturdy pillars and columns. Inside is lavishly decorated with a gilded statue of the Goddess of Mercy with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands. The altar is decorated with many cloud patterns and gilded with red paint. Above is a small horizontal lacquered board on a red background engraved with 3 golden words "Lien Hoa dai".
• The temple roof is covered with red tiles, on top of the roof is the image of "two dragons facing the moon" - a typical architectural feature of communal houses, pagodas, and temples in Vietnam. This architectural feature is a symbol of fertility, the harmony of yin and yang. This is a typical image with strong humanism in the spiritual art architecture of the Vietnamese people.
Things to note when visiting One Pillar Pagoda
• Opening and closing hours of the temple: One Pillar Pagoda is open every day of the week (Monday to Sunday) in the summer, but in the winter it will be closed for 2 days a week, Monday and Friday.
• Vietnamese visitors are free of charge, foreign visitors need to pay a fee.
• You should pay attention to the issue of clothing when visiting One Pillar Pagoda, because this is a spiritual place, so you need to dress politely and discreetly, do not wear skirts or revealing clothes, and respect the standards of the sacred place.