Best Religious Sites in Hanoi

St. Joseph's Cathedral, which anchors one of Hanoi's most touristy streets, offers a glimpse into a bygone era. Speckles of light still dance through stained glass work, leaving a kaleidoscope of color on the towers, which stretch toward the sky. Its doors first swung open in 1886, during the earliest days of colonial rule, and the cathedral still holds mass twice daily. During other hours, visitors can enter through a door on the side of the cathedral.

Built in the 15th century under the Lê Dynasty, the Quán Sứ Temple was originally built as a place of worship for Buddhist foreign ambassadors. Today, it stands as a religious Buddhist pagoda and also houses the headquarters of Vietnam's Buddhism Association. While the front palace houses the idol of the venerable Buddha, the rear entrance is dedicated to Master Minh Khong of the Lý Dynasty. The temple stands majestic in traditional yellow colors and also has an orange tree in its complex.

Dubbed as one of Vietnam's most important temples, this unique pagoda stands in the midst of a tranquil lotus pond. Unfortunately, the original One Pillar Pagoda was destroyed in 1954, and a reconstructed version stands in its place. Originally constructed under the orders of Emperor Ly Thai Tong to commemorate the long-awaited birth of an heir, the pagoda was rebuilt by the Vietnamese government in 1955. When it was initially built, the Emperor believed that the luck had been foretold in a dream about the Goddess of Mercy handing him a male child on a lotus flower. So, for the entire pagoda to be built on a single stone pillar makes sense, as it exemplifies a blossoming lotus emerging from a sea of sorrow. Deeply entrenched in the Buddhist belief of purity, this pagoda is skilfully fashioned from wood, standing gloriously under traditional, pointed roofs. In the heart of the pagoda is an ornate sanctum enshrining Boddhisatva Avalokitesvara, and fringing the pagoda is a tapestry of verdant trees, a placid pond and rambling green lawns.