The most beautiful religious buildings Hanoi

The temple of Kim Liên was built under Emperor Ly Thai Tô to worship Cao Son, one of the children of Lake Long Quan and Au Co, mythical ancestors of the Vietnamese people. It is said that in 1509, the Tong Duc, on the way from the Thanh Hoa to'his half brother Le Huy Muc, a cruel and débauché sovereign, stopped at the temple to obtain the support of Cao Son. He succeeded in his company and restored the prestige of the Buddhist dynasty by proclaiming himself emperor. This episode gave great prestige to the temple now protected by the new emperor. The temple of Kim Liên is dedicated to the cult of Cao His genius for the South.

At the top of Mount Câu Lâu, the pagoda is reached by a steep staircase where the ascent is made difficult by the irregular succession of laterite steps, blunted by time. The foundation of the pagoda would go back to the 8th century but it has undergone successive reconstructions: in 1632 (a stele mentions the work carried out) and, in 1794, during the reign of the Tây-Son, then after the bombings of 1954. The pagoda is known for its collection of jackfruit wood carvings, red and gold lacquered, including the famous 18 arhats.