Tu Hieu Pagoda

Tu Hieu Pagoda is a historic Buddhist pagoda located in a pine forest in Thuy Xuan Ward, Hue City, Hue Municipality, central Vietnam. Founded in 1843 as Thao Am An by Zen Master Nhat Dinh and renamed Tu Hieu by Emperor Tu Duc in 1848, it is renowned as the root temple where Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh began his monastic life. The complex features traditional Hue architecture, eunuch tombs, and tranquil gardens.

Visitors can expect a tranquil monastery set among pine trees and hills about 5 km southwest of Hue center. The complex includes a triple-gate entrance, main worship hall with Buddha statues, ancestral halls, monks' quarters, a lotus pond and courtyard, and a forested cemetery area with tombs of imperial eunuchs. The atmosphere is quiet and contemplative with active monastic life, incense, chanting, and opportunities for walking, photography of architecture and gardens, and observing Buddhist practices.

Originally a small hermitage called Thao Am An founded in 1843 by Zen Master Nhat Dinh. In 1848 Emperor Tu Duc renamed it Tu Hieu Pagoda to honor Nhat Dinh's filial devotion to his mother. It later became known as the eunuchs' pagoda because court eunuchs of the Nguyen Dynasty funded its expansion and were buried there. It remains an important center of the Thao Dong Zen lineage in Hue.

An active Buddhist monastery and important Zen Buddhism center in Hue. It is widely known as the root temple where Thich Nhat Hanh was ordained as a novice monk in 1942. The pagoda preserves traditional Hue Buddhist architecture, ancestral worship practices, and monastic daily rituals, serving as a place of pilgrimage, meditation and cultural education for visitors.