One Pillar Temple
It is located in the southwest part of Ba Dinh Square. It is between the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. It is a small temple about the size of a small room over a pool. The area has a history since 1049. Admission is free. The pool is square with railings around it. The temple is made from square wood as long as 3 meters. There are corridors in four sides. It is said that Emperor Li Shiming dreamt a scene in which the Goddess of Mercy stood in a lotus-shaped platform in a pool with a baby in hand. Several days later, Emperor Li got a son so he ordered to build a temple imitating what he had dreamt. The pillar stands for the peduncle with 1.25 meters in diameter and 4 meters in height; 4 wooden supports around the pillar stand for a flower; the outline of the temple and the slightly upward curved eaves symbolize the petals. A stele is hanging in the upper front of the temple with characters "lotus stage". After several repairs, the temple has been smaller than it used to be but its style has been maintained.
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