The only eunuch temple in Vietnam

According to Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, this place used to be a forest. In 1843, Zen master Nhat Dinh built An Duong hermitage to practice and take care of his old mother. His mother was seriously ill. Every day, in addition to taking care of her medicine, he also went through the forest to the market more than 5 km away to buy meat and fish to nourish his mother. Admiring his filial piety, King Tu Duc granted a signboard "Tu Hieu Tu".

Sketch by Architect Dang Phuoc Tue

Sketch by Architect Tran Xuan Hong

Around 1848, eunuch Chau Phuoc Nang called on other eunuchs in the royal court to donate to renovate and expand the hermitage into a spacious pagoda to serve as a place of refuge and retirement for eunuchs without family or relatives, and as a place of worship and incense when they passed away.

Afternoon - sketch by architect Hoang Huu Dat

Sketch by Architect Nguyen Van Thien Quan

Sketch by designer Le Quang Khanh.

Painting by Architect Bui Hoang Bao

Sketch by Architect Hoang Huu Dat

Bell Tower - sketch by architect Hoang Dung

Painting by Architect Phung The Huy

After many times of construction and renovation, Tu Hieu Pagoda now has a three-door gate (two floors, above which is a statue of the Dharma Protector). Next is a crescent-shaped lake with lotus flowers, from here leading to the main hall built in the traditional style of a three-room, two-wing house (the middle room worships Buddha). The rear house (Quang Hieu Duong) is the place to worship the left general Le Van Duyet, gods, eunuchs...

Painting by Architect Phung The Huy

Ancient tomb area in the temple - sketch by architect Linh Hoang

Octagonal stone stele house - sketch by architect Linh Hoang

Sketch by Architect Linh Hoang

To the right of the pagoda is the cemetery (about 1,000 m2, with protective walls) of 25 eunuchs of the Nguyen Dynasty, with a stele recording the merits of the eunuchs. On the 15th day of the 11th lunar month every year, the pagoda organizes a public memorial day for the deceased.

Tu Hieu Pagoda is also where Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh studied and in 2018 returned to live out his last days here.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/goc-ky-hoa-ngoi-chua-thai-giam-doc-nhat-viet-nam-185241228200337715.htm