One-Pillar Pagoda listed as Asia's most unique building

Outstanding: The One-Pillar Pagoda, a landmark of Viet Nam's 1,000-year old capital of Thang Long-Ha Noi, has been recognised as Asia's most unique piece of architecture by the Asia Book of Records. — VNS Photo Doan Tung

HA NOI (VNS)–The One-Pillar Pagoda, a landmark of Viet Nam's 1,000-year old capital Thang Long-Ha Noi, has been recognised as Asia's most unique piece of architecture by the Asia Book of Records.

Announced on October 10 in Faridabad, India, the pagoda was one of five records that Viet Nam put forward for the Asia Book of Records fields of culture – religion category. Others included "The largest bronze-made pagoda" (Bronze Pagoda on Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh Province); "Pagoda with the largest archive of woodblocks for printing Buddhist prayer books (Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Bac Giang Province); "The largest gold-inlaid bronze Goddess of Mercy statue" and "The largest gold-inlaid bronze Tam The (Buddha in the past, present and future) statue" (Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh Province).

Built under the reign of Ly Thai Tong (1029-54), the One-Pillar Pagoda was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962. It is one of the most famous architecture in Viet Nam, located near President Ho Chi Minh's Museum and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and attracts thousands of local and international visitors every year.

As its name suggests, the entire pagoda is set on a single stone pillar, evoking imagery of a lotus flower rising up from the water surface. Each side of the square-shaped pagoda is 3m long and its curved roofs crowned with the shape of two dragons flanking a moon.

More recently, it was acclaimed as Viet Nam's most architecturally unique pagoda by the 2006 Viet Nam Book of Records.

The Asia Book of Records's General Director Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury will visit Viet Nam on October 27 to bestow the certificate to the Viet Nam Book of Records. — VNS