Kim Lien Pagoda

Nghi Tàm, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam

Now Open

Description

The Kim Lien Temple (Chua Kim Lien in Vietnamese) is a Buddhist temple in Hanoi. The temple is constructed on a strip of silty land adjacent to West Lake, formerly in Nghi Tam hamlet and now in Quang An village, Tay Ho district. According to legend, the temple was constructed on the site of the Ly Dynasty Tu Hoa Palace, which was named for princess Tu Hoa, daughter of Ly Than Tông (1128-1138), in an area that had previously served as a royal silk plantation. The present temple was rebuilt between 1771 and 1792.

The tranquil Kim Lien Pagoda of Hanoi is a historic pagoda founded by the Ly Dynasty in the 12th century. The pagoda’s architecture is extremely complex and exquisite, with three pavilions erected in a curved design. It has, among other things, statues of the Buddha, Princess Tu hoa, and Lord Trinh Giang.

In Hanoi’s Tay Ho District, the Kim Lien Pagoda (temple) offers a tranquil ambiance and exquisite sculptures of lotus leaves and dragons. It is a culturally significant landmark of national significance. The temple, also known as The Pagoda of the Golden Lotus, originally belonged to the Ly Dynasty and is renowned for its exquisite construction and historical significance. This ancient temple, located on the former site of the Tu Hoa Palace, contains statues of numerous important figures from Vietnam’s cultural past, such as Princess Tu Hoa, Lord Trinh Gian, the Heaven Ruler, the Earth God, and Pluto, as well as numerous Buddhist statues, making it an important religious and cultural landmark of the city.

The monument is a symbol of the sophisticated and graceful Buddhist architecture and is regarded as one of the country’s most beautiful temples. The gates are constructed to resemble a lotus and overlook West Lake, making them a popular site for photographs. Upon approaching the site, the visitor is awestruck by the three colossal pavilions, each of which is constructed above a platform with exquisite Buddhist statues. The main attractions are the statues of Guan Yin and Buddha Amitabha atop a stunning three-layered lotus. In addition, the calm of the location is enhanced with carvings of lotus, cloud leaves, and dragons executed in the style of the historic Le Trung Hung period. The ancient significance of the incense burners, ornamental jars, lacquered paintings, and wooden panel pairs, among other items used for devotion, makes one wonder about the past of this spectacular location.

Architecture of Kim Lien Pagoda

Looking at Kim Lien Pagoda from a distance reveals a secret beauty and a sense of pride with its distinctive wooden architecture: a row of four round wooden columns, above which there is a wide system of painted trees to the lower floor, gradually shrinking in the floor supporting the roof due to the roof’s curved soaring ships. The roof strip that forms the gate is elevated by the pair of large center columns. huge, tall, and broader than the side gates. On the wooden surface of the temple’s three-dimensional architecture are carved dragons and delicate, flexible flowers.

The architectural style of Kim Lien Pagoda should have a royal appearance, as it was likely influenced by its beginnings as a palace site and the worship of a Ly dynasty temple. The pagoda is organized along a symmetrical axis from the three to the Totem house. From the three mandarins, enter a courtyard that leads to three parallel pagodas arranged in the shape of the letter “tam,” beginning with the Xia Pagoda and ending with the Upper Temple facing east. Three levels of pagodas are connected by brick walls that extend to the ceiling and include round windows emblazoned with Buddhist characters.

The Kim Lien Pagoda’s roof is tiled with a two-story structure like a match stack. On each of the eight rooftops are eight dragon-shaped swords. The base of the column on the boulder is in contact with the stylized lotus form.

Inside Kim Lien Pagoda, there are numerous exquisite statues; the Buddha statues are arranged in two layers, with the Triad on top, followed by statues of Amitabha, Quan The Yin, and the Great World statue; A nan Da and Cauyu are the two greatest pupils of the Buddha. At the base of the statue of the Jade Emperor is the Kowloon Building. In addition, Kim Lien Pagoda contains a statue of King Zheng Chen, who provided funding for the construction of the temple in the 32nd year of Jingxing (1771). The statues are all fashioned after sculptures from the 18th to 19th centuries.

The pagoda also contains an ancient stele placed to the right of the temple gate on a square stone pedestal, but many of the inscriptions have faded with the passage of time. However, the date Thai Hoa three years of The Suu, or 1445 of Le Nhan Tong, can still be seen. Today, this is the oldest stele in Hanoi.