First was the Ambassadors' Pagoda. This is actually a real, operating Buddhist Temple and a home for the Buddhism Research Institute. The name comes from its original purpose, which was to house ambassadors from other Buddhist countries. It was refreshing to see a working temple, with offices and meeting rooms ringing the courtyard, with the shrine in the middle.
Then on we went to the Tran Quoc Pagoda ("National Defense"), said to be the oldest pagoda in Vietnam, built in the 6th century. It has a very pleasant view of the Ho Tay (West) Lake. The front portion of the site has many new structures (among them a large stone memorial and a traditional tall pagoda), and in the back, the old pagoda itself is actually only one story tall and is very understated. A group of visitors donned white headbands and placed rugs on the stone floor to hold a funeral, so we did not stay long.
Quan Thanh Temple was not on the list, but we happened to be passing so we stopped in. Just south of the Truc Bach (White Silk) Lake, this temple dates back to the 11th century. The grounds are very relaxing and are lined with flame trees. A group of art students sat painting the landscape. The lake has an interesting history as well. Its name come from the palace built on the site which later became a "reformatory for deviant royal concubines," whose punishment was to weave a very fine white silk.
Next on the list was the One-Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), which we missed last time we walked past Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. The story goes that Emperor Ly Thai Tong (reigned 1028 to 1054 AD) had a dream that he met the goddess of Mercy, Quan The Am Bo Tat, who handed him a male child. Ly Thai Tong then married a peasant girl who bore him a son (and heir to the throne). He built the pagoda to thank the goddess. The French destroyed the original in 1954, and the government promptly rebuilt it.
After lunch at Paris Deli (tasty coffee and pastries), we picked up my wife's bridemaid's dress and Ao Dai (amazingly completed in two days!! The shop is To Thanh Nga, at 54 Hang Gai, and I highly recommend them!
