Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue, Vietnam

Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue Overview

The Thien Mu Temple, sitting on Ha Khe Hill 5 km on the northern bank of River Perfume, is a landmark monument of Hue. Its iconic seven-tiered Phuoc Duyen pagoda is considered the unofficial emblem of the city. Earlier known as Tu Nhan Pagoda, it stands 21 m tall and was built by Nguyen Emperor Thien Tri erected it. Each of the seven floors of the pagoda is dedicated to a different Buddha.

Meaning ‘Temple of the Celestial Lady’ in Vietnamese, Thien Mu Pagoda is the subject of many local lore and folk songs. Thien Mu Pagoda complex houses the Austin motor vehicle in which Thich Quang Duc was driven to his self-immolation. He was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death on June 11, 1963, at a busy Saigon intersection. The picture of the incident became one of the most significant photographs of the past century. There is also a garden full of seasonal blooms and bonsai trees behind the main shrine. Once a significant organizing point for Buddhist movement protests, the site is flanked by ornamental plants and flowers today. A giant bronze bell pavilion lies to the tower’s west.

Thien Mu Pagoda complex houses the Austin motor vehicle in which Thich Quang Duc was driven to his self-immolation. He was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death on June 11, 1963, at a busy Saigon intersection. The picture of the incident became one of the most significant photographs of the past century. There is also a garden full of seasonal blooms and bonsai trees behind the main shrine.

Architecture of Thien Mu Pagoda

The main sanctuary of Dai Hung shrine has a statue of Manjushri Buddha in the center. The statue is flanked by Adi Buddha or Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Di Lac Buddha or Maitreya Buddha, the future manifestation who will be the fifth and final of the current Kalpa. Together the three manifestations form the holy Shakyamuni triad of Mahayana Buddhism.

You enter the Thien Mu Pagoda through the three majestic gates erected by Nguyen Phuc Chu. The main gate is called Trung Quan, the left is named Khong Quan, and the right is Gia Quan. The gates are guarded by three statues of Buddhist guardians standing sentinel. Above the gates are an empty courtyard and a bell floor. He also constructed the shrines to Ngoc Hoang and Thap Dien Diem Vuong, the halls for dharma sermons, the bell towers, drum towers, the towers for preserving sutras, and the meditation halls, all of which are worth visiting. You must see the halls of Avalokiteshvara and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha as well.

On either side of the main temple are columns recording the architectural history of the pagoda as well as poems written as homages by Thieu Tri. There is a large marble turtle believed to be a sign of longevity. It is supposedly a statue of Bi Xi, the Chinese mythological dragon with the shell of a turtle who is one of the sons of the Dragon King. You can pose here for photographs.

Legend of Thien Mu Pagoda

The temple was constructed in 1601 on the commission of the first Nguyen lord, Nguyen Hoang. As the de facto independent ruler of Vietnam’s southern provinces, Hoang was touring the region of Thuan Hoa, now known as Hue, and came across an eerie local legend.

It spoke of an old lady, dressed in red and blue, sitting on the site where the temple now stands. She foretold a story of a lord who would build a temple at this place and help the country to prosper. The temple is named after this mysterious ‘Thien Mu’ or ‘Celestial Lady’. In 1695, the Chinese Zen Master Shi Da Shan was invited by Nguyen Phuc Chu to anoint Buddhism in the temple. Shortly after his visit, Chu installed the giant bell weighing 3,285 kg in the temple, which is said to be audible 10 km away. He also oversaw other major expansions in the pagoda’s history.