Quan Su pagoda

Located at No. 73 Quan Su street, Hoan Kiem district , Quan Su Temple is a precious treasure of Ha Noi and has been the Headquarter of the Vietnam Buddhism Association since 1858.

quan su pagoda

The name “Quan Su” comes from an ancient word of “embassy” associated with the history of the pagoda. During the Le Dynasty in the 15th century, Chiem Thanh (Champa) and Ai Lao (Laos) usually sent ambassadors to offer tributes to Dai Viet (official name of Vietnam in the Le Dynasty). Emperor Le The Tong ordered construction of a building called “Quan Su” (embassy) to welcome these ambassadors. However, because they were all Buddhists, so they suggested a temple for worship while staying in Dai Viet. As a result, Quan Su pagoda was built near the southern gate of Thang Long Capital and dedicated to Buddha.

At the end of the Le Dynasty, while many pagodas around the country were burned down, Quan Su pagoda was fortunately saved and since then has gone through a lot of renovations like a miracle. It was not until 1822 that the temple was open to the public, famous nationwide for its sacred and hallowed belief in many Vietnamese people.

quan su temple landscape

Quan Su is always full of worshipers and visitors. Many people arrive here have the same feeling that the atmosphere inside the pagoda is really tranquil and restful. The wall color is in white; together with brown color of ancient statues create a peaceful landscape inside the temple. Especially in Quan Su Temple, you can see some human-like wax statues. They are the emulations of passed-away monks in the past. The most prominent one is the wax statue of monk Thich Thanh Tu (former Vice Chairman of Vietnam Buddhism Association) has the dimension as well as other details the same of monk Thich Thanh Tu when he is alive. Many Buddhists claim that the wax statue is so lively that they feel like monk Thich Thanh Tu is praying and giving his gentle eyes on the Buddhists.

human like wax statue of quan su pagoda

The Quan Su pagoda opens daily from 7.30 to 11.30am and 1.30 to 5.30pm.