Thien Mu Pagoda Hue, Vietnam

Thien Mu Pagoda Introduction

Thien Mu pagoda has been the symbol of Hue city for a long time. This is the must-visit attraction not only because of the special architecture, perfect Fengshui, sacred pagoda but also the mysterious love curse.

What to see at Thien Mu Pagoda Hue?

Thien Mu Pagoda is also known as Linh Mu pagoda- the pagoda of the Celestial Lady. It was built on Ha Khe hill on the Northern bank of the Perfume River. Thien Mu pagoda Hue Vietnam is one of the most beautiful and oldest pagodas in Hue- officially built-in 1601 by Nguyen Hoang King. 

Phuoc Duyen Tower- the symbol of Thien Mu Pagoda Hue.

From far away, you can see this wonderful tower, the symbol of Thien Mu. It was the birthday gift from the Thieu Tri emperor offered to his grandmother in 1844.  It is 21 m tall, there are 7 stories, there is a ladder from bottom to the top and on each floor, they worship a statue of Buddha. 

The Giant Turtle on your right-hand side

On your right-hand side, there is a giant turtle, made of marble in 1675. As you know, Turtle is one of the 4 sacred animals in Vietnam. They are the Dragon, Phoenix, Turtle, and Unicorn. Turtle is the symbol of education and longevity so that why some students before taking an exam, always come to Thien Mu pagoda Hue to touch the turtle’s head to get good luck on their tests.

The Great Bell on your left-hand side 

On the left, there is a great bell cast by bronze in 1710. As you know, a long time ago, every day at 3:30 am, the monks woke up and rang the great bell. We think the sound of the great bell will bring a good spirit to people in this area.

The Three-Door Gate with guardians.

To get into the Dai Hung shrine, you have to enter the three-door gate. A long time ago, it was very strict, the central gate only for the V.I.P. the right gate for women, and the left gate for men. The special of this gate is with a total of 12 guardians, in each gate, there are 2 solemn, majestic guardians protecting this holy pagoda.

The Dai Hung Shrine

This is the oldest monument in this sacred pagoda from 1601. Inside this shrine, they worship 3 big Buddha statues represent 3 lives of people include Past, Present, and Future. They worship the Lady Buddha statue, Lady Buddha always listens to you when you are in difficulty and accidents. Moreover, you also see the Happy Buddha with a lovely and friendly smile. Some people said that, if you touch the beer belly of Happy Buddha, you will get good lucks and happiness. 

The beautiful backyard

Keep walking to the backyard, you will enjoy the beauty of a rockery- it is not only for decoration but also to be a natural A/C. It makes the weather cooler in the Summer and warmer in the Winter. It is also a part of Fengshui. 

Behind the Dai Hung shrine is a large yard with a lot of fabulous Bonsais taken care of by the monks at Thien Mu pagoda. Taking care of the bonsai trees is the best way for the monks to practice their patience. 

Plus, you will see a British car, Austin Martin, the car of the monk Thich Quang Duc, who burned himself in 1963 against the Ngo Dinh Diem government in Sai Gon and ask for the freedom of people to follow Buddhism.

Walking further to the back is the private residence of the monks, the flowers, small water lily pond as well as the stupa of the old monk Thich Don Hau.

What makes Thien Mu Pagoda Vietnam special?

The Royal architecture

A long time ago in Vietnam, we cared very much about Fengshui. As you can see the Thien Mu pagoda is on the Ha Khe hill and faces the Perfume River, Ngu Binh Mountain is the screen in front. Thien Mu Pagoda Hue has royal architecture, which means all the important monuments are on an axis and it is very symmetrical. 

The Love The Love Curse

As you know, Vietnamese couples, who love each other but not yet married, do not dare to come here together. Why is that?

As you know a long time ago, in Vietnam it was a suitable alliance (similarity of social background between bride and groom’s families) and arrange marriage (parents decided who you would get married to, you had to follow the arrangement from your parents). 

So in Kim Long village, there was a couple, they loved each other so much, but the man’s family too poor and the girl’s family was very rich, so they could not love and marry. So they came to Thien Mu pagoda, in front of the Buddha statues, they swore to each other that” This life I just love you and married you, only you in my heart”.

But the girl’s parents didn’t accept their love, and they came to the man’s house to warn him: ” You are too poor and not deserve to my precious daughter, go away and do not bother her anymore if not you and your family would be in troubles.” The couple was so sad, they came to the pagoda again to swear to each other. “If this life we could not love and married each other, we would die together. So they suicided together in the Perfume River, but unluckily, the man passed away, and local fishermen rescued the girl.  She was so sad and upset.

Day by day, time by time, her parents arranged to marry her to another rich man in the area.  Well, the soul of the man still waiting for his girlfriend in the water but he didn’t see her. He was so angry and created a love curse that “If the couples who love each other but not yet married. If they came to Thien Mu pagoda, sooner or later they would break up”. 

So so far, we do not dare to come to Thien Mu pagoda Hue together, go can go by yourself separately. That is the way the young people in Hue protect their true love. 

How to get there?

Thien Mu pagoda is just about 5 km from Hue city center so there are many different ways to get there. You can get to the pagoda by doing a boat trip to Thien Mu pagoda Hue. If not, you can ride a bike, motorbike with helmets, take a taxi or book the Hue City Tour 1 Day with us!

Thien Mu Pagoda Hue entrance fee and opening hours

Because this is a pagoda in Buddhism so there are no entrance tickets at Thien Mu Pagoda Hue. You just need to pay for the parking lot fee. The opening hours are from 7 am to 5 pm every day. Best Hue City Tour highly recommend you visit this attraction early in the morning; fewer people here so you can hunt the great photos.