Thien Mu Pagoda
A seven-storey octagonal tower above the river, and the car of a monk who burned himself alive.
Duration
40 min – 1 hr
Best time
Early morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Thien Mu was founded in 1601 on a hill above the Perfume river, and its seven-storey octagonal tower, built in 1844, has become the symbol of Hue: each storey is dedicated to a manifestation of the Buddha.
Behind the pagoda a blue Austin sits under a shelter. It is the car that drove the monk Thich Quang Duc to Saigon in June 1963, where he burned himself to death in protest at the persecution of Buddhists. The photograph went round the world; the car stayed here, at the monastery he came from.
Getting there
Four kilometres west of the citadel, on the north bank. By boat from the Toa Kham landing, or by scooter along the riverside road.
Rules on site
This is a working monastery with monks living in it: the cells and mealtimes are not to be photographed, and silence is asked for beyond the entrance courtyard.
