Thien Mu Pagoda is a place not to be missed on the journey to discover Hue.

Located on Ha Khe hill, on the left bank of the Perfume River, 5km west of Hue city center is an ancient temple that anyone coming to the ancient capital cannot ignore, which is Thien Mu Pagoda.

Thien Mu Pagoda overlooks the romantic Perfume River.(Photo: hieuvo_2211)

Thien Mu Pagoda is one of the most famous scenic spots in Hue. Built in 1601, during the reign of Lord Nguyen Hoang – the first Nguyen Lord in Cochinchina, with an age of more than 400 years, this is also one of the oldest pagodas in the ancient capital.

Surrounded by a stone and brick citadel shaped like a turtle, overlooking the poetic Perfume River, Thien Mu Pagoda appears as a lyrical dot that adorns the peaceful picture in Vietnam. of Hue.

The temple campus is airy with many green trees, divided into many areas: in front of Nghi Mon gate with a wharf with 24 steps up and down, the three gates are four pillars built close to the main road, towers and buildings. …; Inside Nghi Mon Gate, there are shrines, guest houses, flower gardens, etc.

The most prominent and also symbol of the temple is the Phuoc Duyen tower. The tower is 21m high, including 7 floors majestically reaching the sky. The delicate sculptural lines tinged with the moss of time further enhance the beauty of a majestic and historic religious building.

Walking around the pagoda, visitors can not only see the ancient works bearing bold images of royal architecture and ancient Hue palaces, as if they were lost in the space of hundreds of years ago, but also listen to the stories of the ancient people. associated with this sacred place.

Many people have heard an oral story about the “curse” of parting between couples when visiting Thien Mu Pagoda. The “curse” is said to originate from the tragic love story of a couple from ancient times, she is a young lady and he is just a poor orphan. Because of the family’s prohibition, the two decided to go to the boat dock in front of Thien Mu Pagoda to sacrifice their lives.

Ironically, only the boy died while the girl washed ashore and was saved, then she was forced to marry into a wealthy family. Over time, the boy’s soul died in the Perfume River because of resentment, so he hung around the temple area forever, cursing that any loving couple who came here would break up.

However, the truth is that there is no “curse” that originates from ancient times, the temple grounds are dense with trees, and many loving couples invite each other to come here to do bad things, so people have made up stories. the above tragic love and the “curse” to keep the purity of the temple door.

Thien Mu Pagoda has experienced many ups and downs in history, not only being a sacred place in terms of religion but also becoming a landscape associated with the ancient capital. Strolling around the Perfume River and being immersed in historical stories and myths about Thien Mu Pagoda is definitely a memorable experience in the journey to discover Hue.

Photo: Internet (Vietnamese.Quest.net)