Thiên Mụ Pagoda

The Thien Mu Pagoda ( Vietnamese: Chùa Thien Mu; Hán tự :天姥 寺, or also known as Linh Mu,灵 姥) is a Buddhist monastery in Vietnam's Hue, situated on a hill on the north bank of the Perfume River. With the seven -story Phước Duyen tower which is the highest pagoda in Vietnam.

History

The Thien Mu Pagoda was built in the metal - buffalo 1601 Nguyễn Hoàng, the founder of the princely family of the Nguyen, in a simple design. This was 1600, the capital of his southern kingdom after Phú Xuân, today Hue laid.

Legend has it that night an old woman was found on the hill on the Perfume River, which was wearing a long red dress and green pants, claiming that this place belongs to a deity. They demanded that the name of this deity a pagoda had to be built, after which they disappeared into a cloud. Since that day the building " The pagoda of the old goddess of the sky " or "Pagoda of the heavenly woman " is called.

1665 the third building under Nguyễn Phúc Nguyễn Hoàngs successor Tan were renovated and expanded. This had already expanded the realm of the family to the southern provinces. In 1710 his son, Nguyễn Phúc Chu, pour a 3285 kg heavy bell for the pagoda. In 1844 it was restored under Emperor Thieu TRI and is today one of the major tourist attractions in Vietnam. Two smaller pavilions protect the 2.50 m large bell and a marble stele with the history of the temple. The 21 m high Phước Duyen tower, built in 1844 retrospectively, reminiscent of the five Manushi Buddhas who are, according to the Mahayana tradition appeared so far. Behind the high wall of the monastery complex covers with several halls and a garden with bonsai trees.

The monastery also has a somewhat more slightly unusual sight, an old Austin, a small car that is on the system in a garage. Located on the windshield this Austins a photo that 1963 went around the world and caused terror. The photo shows the self-immolation of the monk Thich Quang Đức on June 11, 1963 in protest against the Buddhist persecution and oppression by the Catholic Ngo Dinh Diem dictator. In the car said the monk had to go to a street intersection in Saigon, pour gasoline and light it. The photo -excited in the U.S. quite a stir. Five months later, the U.S. dropped the dictator Diem fall.