Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue: All You Need to Know Before You Go

Thien Mu Pagoda is a famous religious spiritual site in Hue. This ancient temple not only attracts visitors by its beautiful ancient architecture but also by the mysterious stories behind it. If you are looking to visit this sacred temple, let’s join Da Nang Tours City to find out what you need to know before traveling to Thien Mu Pagoda below:

Where is thien mu pagoda?

Thien Mu Pagoda, also known as Linh Mu Pagoda, is a sacred ancient pagoda located on Ha Khe hill on the banks of the romantic Perfume River, about 5km west of Hue city center. The pagoda was built in 1601 during the reign of Lord Nguyen Hoang – the first Lord Nguyen in the South of Viet Nam.

Thien Mu Pagoda, also known as Linh Mu Pagoda, is a sacred ancient pagoda located on Ha Khe hill on the banks of the romantic Perfume River, about 5km west of Hue city center. The pagoda was built in 1601 during the reign of Lord Nguyen Hoang – the first Lord Nguyen of the South VietNamese.

How To Go To The Thien Mu Pagoda

To discover the beauty of Thien Mu Pagoda by the romantic Perfume River, from Hue Citadel, visitors follow Dang Thai Than Street and then turn left through Yet Kieu Street. Go a little further, turn left through Le Duan Street. Meet the roundabout and turn right onto Kim Long Street. Continue walking for another 2km to reach the temple.

You can choose one of the popular means below:

✔ Motorbike: Hue tourist attractions are often quite close to each other, so traveling by motorbike will help you be more proactive about the time to visit. Motorbike rental price is about 80,000 – 150,000 VND/day depending on the type of car you want to rent..

✔ Taxi: Thien Mu Pagoda is only about 5km from the center of Hue city, so a taxi is also a good choice. Some reputable taxi companies in Hue such as Taxi Sun, Mai Linh, Taxi Vina …. Do not forget to consult the service price list before renting a taxi.

✔ Grabbike: If you do not like a taxi or do not want to drive yourself, you can choose to travel by Grabbike. This form has a very clear and economical price.

• Maybe you are interested: Hue Tour from Da Nang

Places To Visit In Thien Mu Pagoda

Dai Hung Palace

Located in the main hall of the pagoda, Dai Hung Palace is the place to worship Maitreya Buddha – the god who brings joy and happiness. The Buddha statue has a gentle face, big ears, and a big belly containing tolerance and a very kind smile. The palace is built entirely of solid cement, the side is painted in wood color to create the closest feeling.

Phuoc Duyen Tower

Phuoc Duyen Tower is the highlight of the pagoda with a very unique architecture built in 1884 by King Thieu Tri. The tower body is built of bricks, the eaves are made of bar stone.

The tower has an octagonal shape, a pointed tip, a total of 7 floors, each 2m high and painted in a special pink color. Tower building materials such as bricks, clay, bar stone, and Bat Trang ceramics were all taken from the North of Vietnam.

The tomb of the late monk Thich Don Hau

Monk Thich Don Hau is a famous abbot of the temple who has made great contributions to the development of Buddhism in Vietnam. Moreover, he was also respected by the people through countless public activities to help the people. Therefore, to show gratitude, when he passed away, people buried him under a tower at the edge of the campus.

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Palace

Located behind Dai Hung Palace, there is a very quiet and peaceful scene with green lawns, cool lake, very suitable for tourists who want to relax their minds and purify their souls. Surely this is an interesting attraction that cannot be missed when exploring Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue.

Tam Quan Gate

Tam Quan Gate is the main entrance of the temple. The gate has three paths representing the three worlds: Human – Devil – God. The project is designed with 2 floors, 8 roofs. The middle gate on the 2nd floor has a Buddhist shrine, the top of the roof is carved with many unique patterns and the two sides are guarded by a Dharma protector statue.

The Story Of The Thien Mu Pagoda

In 1601, Lord Nguyen Hoang often went to examine the terrain of the land, right when he sat on his horse along the Perfume River, he discovered a small hill shaped like a dragon turning his head.

At the same time, people often see the image of an old woman wearing a red shirt, green pants, gray hair, and saying: Here there will be a true lord who will set up a temple to guard the dragon vein.

Upon hearing the people say that, Lord Nguyen Hoang built the temple facing the Huong River and named Thien Mu (Thien was heaven, she was the old lady). The pagoda was started to be built in 1601.

The second story, according to the people in the area, in the feudal period because the thought always follows their parents, so their children are never free to choose happiness for themselves.

At the same time, there was a young lady with yellow branches and leaves fell in love with a poor orphaned boy, but due to the family, they decided to sow themselves into the boat wharf in front of Thien Mu Pagoda.

Unfortunately, the lady drifted to the shore and was saved by the people and the boy did not survive. Over a period of time, the lady also gradually forgot her lover, so the ghost of the boy fell in resentment, so he “entered” into Thien Mu Pagoda and cursed couples who came here to break up.

Although this is just a story, many couples do not choose Thien Mu Pagoda as a tourist destination.

The truth of curses around Thien Mu Pagoda

The ghost story of the boy who fell in resentment should have “entered” into Thien Mu Pagoda and cursed the couple when coming here to break up or not?

According to a reporter when he came to see the monk who was a live at the temple, “the story is rumored and there is no basis at all, it is just the word of mouth of the people living around this place, maybe they rely on the old story a few hundred years ago and then burned more, creating a mystery for many tourists to visit.”

The monk added: “Thien Mu Pagoda carrying the ‘broken curse’ is not real. The sacred pagoda is also the place where the ceremony takes place, this is a special ceremony dedicated to a ritual. The marriage ceremony is held at the pagoda.

In this ceremony, the bride and groom are also represented by the abbot to declare the reason, bless the couple, give the wedding ring and receive the blessing of the couple. Then there’s no way couples who love each other come here and come back will break up.”

If you call the temple a sacred place, you will want the couple to live a happy life, but why force them to break up, that’s not believable. These are just stories that aren’t true.” These stories are also a unique part, giving people the opportunity to talk when they come to this place.

Notes When Visiting Thien Mu Pagoda

+ Because this is a spiritual tourist destination, when visiting, visitors should pay attention to dress politely and discreetly.

+ Walk lightly, speak softly, do not make noise in the pagoda grounds, affecting the quiet and sacred space.

+ In the pagoda, there are many stalls selling souvenirs in Hue such as conical hats, ao dai, feng shui jewelry,etc. Visitors can choose and bargain reasonably. According to the experience of Da Nang Tours City, visitors should avoid buying at the stalls outside the pagoda.

• Learn more about Hue Vietnam

Hopefully the above information will help you better understand Thien Mu Pagoda to prepare for your travel journey. Don’t forget if you want to visit Hue 1 day from Da Nang, please contact Da Nang Tours City immediately to book a tour at the best price.