THIEN MU PAGODA (OF THE HEAVENLY LADY)
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A seven-storey octagonal pagoda over four centuries old, containing the bleached bones (Po Kou Ta) of saints and benefactors.
In colonial times, this Buddhist temple was surrounded by a profusion of monasteries and private schools. Only its 21-metre-high tower signalled it from the other side of the river. The sanctuary was built in 1601 on the ruins of a Cham temple dedicated to Shiva. According to legend, an old woman appeared here one night, dressed in a red tunic and green pants. Brandishing a lantern, she asserted that the configuration of the site was propitious for the construction of a Buddhist sanctuary capable of bringing fortune and prosperity to those who took part in the work. The temple was built at the point where beneficial influences converged. According to the people of Hué, the old woman sometimes reappears on the nights of the full moon.
The pagoda has been restored many times since it was built 400 years ago. During one of these major restorations, in 1695, Lord Nguyên Phuc Chu ordered the casting of this giant, sacred bell, the sound of which can be heard more than 30 km away. Nguyên Phuc Chu also ordered the engraving of the stele that traces the history of the pagoda. As it stands today, the seven-storey octagonal pagoda (formerly known to Europeans as Confucius Tower) was erected in 1844. It contains the bleached bones (Po Kou Ta) of saints and benefactors. Each floor is dedicated to a particular Buddha. To the right of the tower, a turtle carries on its back a stele recounting the history of the pagoda.
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