Located on Dang Van Bi Street in HCMC’s Thu Duc District, Nam Thien Nhat Tru (Southern One Pillar Pagoda) is not only a worshiping place for local Buddhists but also a well known tourist destination thanks to its peculiar architecture.
Nam Thien Nhat Tru in HCMC looks like the One Pillar Pagoda in Ha Noi
Modeled after the One Pillar Pagoda in Ha Noi, Nam Thien Nhat Tru consists of a small one-room temple hall rising on a 12-meter pillar. It was made of reinforced concrete while the One Pillar Pagoda in Ha Noi was made of wood.
Nam Thien Nhat Tru is in the middle of the 600-square-meter Dragon Eye Lake, which is home to fish, tortoises and lotus.
Covering around one hectare, Nam Thien Nhat Tru was built in 1958 by Superior Buddhist monk Thich Tri Dung following the design by architect Nguyen Gia Duc. Together with other pagodas in HCMC, it has become an important part of the cultural and spiritual life of local Buddhists.