Hoa Phong Tower

On the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, beside the Hanoi Post Office building, the Hoa Phong tower is the sole relic of Bao An Pagoda, Hanoi’s most famous pagoda in the nineteenth century. The tower was constructed of bricks and has three levels, a quadrilateral surface, and four doorways on the first floor, hence it is also known as the “tu mon thap.” On each door of the tower are the inscriptions Bao An Gate, Bao Nghia Gate, Bao Duc Gate, and Bao Phuc Gate, which convey key Confucian ideals.

According to the researchers, the Hoa Phong tower is an uncommon sort of Buddhist tower, with the first floor being larger and taller than the two upper storeys.

The tower is situated in a highly unusual location, in front of the temple’s entrance, rather than in the garden, as is typical for square towers in Vietnamese pagodas.

The colorful patterns depict the tower holding the popular Nguyen Dynasty ideology “C Nho Mo Thich.”

According to the historical records, Bao An Pagoda was established on the old foundation of Ngu Long Lau in the capital of Trinh Lord in the seventh year of Thieu Tri (1847). The pagoda is named Quan Thuong because Nguyen Dang Giai, the governor of Ha Ninh (Hanoi – Bac Ninh), is responsible for its construction.

On the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake, the Hoa Phong tower has become an iconic structure in modern times.