Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Hanoi, Vietnam
Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi
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Photo: Bex Walton from London, England, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Daily; sources give 8:00–16:00, or 7:30–18:00 with a break around 11:30–13:30
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Admission
- Free — no tickets or ticket desk; incense and donations optional
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Lunar 1st and 15th
- Opens earlier, from 6:00; very busy with worshippers
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Closing days
- None — open every day of the year, and all night on Tet eve
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered; shorts and tank tops may be turned away
- Address
- 46 Thanh Niên, Tây Hồ — a short causeway off Thanh Nien road
- Payment
- Cash in VND for incense or donations; Grab takes foreign cards
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Key facts
6th centuryfounded under Lý Nam Đế as Khai Quốc, ‘Founding the Nation’
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English and Russian WikipediaBáo Pháp luật1615moved from the eroding Red River bank to Kim Ngư (Golden Fish) islet in West Lake
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English and Russian WikipediaVinWonders11 tierson the 15 m red stupa, built in 1998
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Russian WikipediaBáo Pháp luậtVinWonders1959Indian President Rajendra Prasad gave a cutting of the Bodh Gaya bodhi tree
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English and Russian WikipediaBáo Pháp luật14 stelaekept at the pagoda; one from 1815 records the 1813–1815 restoration
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Báo Pháp luậtVinWondersMia.vn6 nicheson every tier of the stupa, each with a white stone Amitabha Buddha
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Báo Pháp luậtVinWondersRussian WikipediaTrấn Quốc‘Guardian of the Nation’ — the name given in the 17th century under Emperor Lê Hy Tông
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Russian WikipediaVinWonders3 shrinesto the Mother Goddesses of heaven, mountains and forests, and water in the courtyard
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English Wikipediavietnamtourism.comTran Quoc Pagoda opening hours
There is no official timetable online, and guides disagree. The most common version is daily 8:00–16:00, opening at 6:00 on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month. Others list 7:30–18:00, and one adds a lunchtime closure from about 11:30 to 13:30, when the gate is shut.
The window that fits every version is 8:00–11:00 or 14:00–16:00, so plan inside that. There is no weekly closing day: the pagoda’s representatives told the newspaper Báo Pháp luật that it opens every day of the year, and it stays open all night on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
Early weekday mornings are the quietest. The lunar 1st and 15th and the Tet holiday bring crowds of worshippers — fine to watch respectfully, but not the day for calm photos.
Is there an entrance fee?
No. Tran Quoc Pagoda is free to enter — there is no ticket desk. Incense, offerings and donations are optional. One Vietnamese travel site mentions a 5,000 VND charge, but no other source backs it up.
Bring a little Vietnamese dong in small notes if you want to light incense or leave a donation; there is nowhere to pay by card. Grab, which most visitors use to get here, takes foreign cards in the app.
How to get to Tran Quoc Pagoda
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is about 22 min away on foot.
More tips
- Grab or taxi from Hoan Kiem Lake — about 3 km, 10–15 minutes outside rush hour. Search for ‘Chùa Trấn Quốc’ or 46 Thanh Niên. Grab takes cash or a foreign card.
- By bus — according to VinWonders and Mia.vn, routes 33 and 50 stop by the pagoda; route 50 starts at Long Biên, on the northern edge of the Old Quarter. This is unofficial — check the stop in the BusMap app.
- On foot from Hoan Kiem Lake — around 45 minutes northwest through the Old Quarter and past Truc Bach Lake. It’s a much easier walk from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: about 1.5 km, 20 minutes north.
- The entrance is off Thanh Nien road, which runs along the strip of land between West Lake and Truc Bach Lake; a short causeway leads onto the islet.
- There’s no metro from the lake to the pagoda — Grab or the bus is simpler.
A short history of Hanoi’s oldest pagoda
The temple was founded in the 6th century under Lý Nam Đế — English Wikipedia gives 544–548, Vietnamese sources 541 — as Khai Quốc, ‘Founding the Nation’, on the bank of the Red River.
When the riverbank began to erode in 1615, the pagoda was moved to Kim Ngư, the ‘Golden Fish’ islet in West Lake. In the 17th century Emperor Lê Hy Tông renamed it Trấn Quốc, ‘Guardian of the Nation’. A major restoration ran from 1813 to 1815 and is recorded on one of the pagoda’s 14 stelae.
The striking red stupa is much newer: it went up in 1998. Today the pagoda is both a landmark and a place where Hanoians come to pray, above all at Tet and on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month.
What to see at Tran Quoc Pagoda
- The stupa — a 15 m, 11-tier red tower from 1998. Each tier has six arched niches with white stone statues of Amitabha Buddha, and a nine-tier stone lotus crowns the top. You view it from outside; visitors don’t go in.
- The bodhi tree — grown from a cutting of the tree at Bodh Gaya in India, where the Buddha is said to have reached enlightenment. Indian President Rajendra Prasad brought it in 1959.
- The main halls — the front hall, incense hall and upper hall with the altars and Buddha statues. Worshippers bring flowers and fruit and light incense in odd numbers.
- The Mother Goddess shrines in the courtyard — honouring the goddesses of heaven, of mountains and forests, and of water from Vietnam’s folk religion.
- The stele house — 14 stone stelae, including the one from 1815 that records the restoration.
- The view from the causeway — stupa, palms and lake in one frame. The classic photo is taken from Thanh Nien road, not from inside the courtyard.
Is Tran Quoc Pagoda worth visiting?
Yes, if you’re already near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum or West Lake: it’s free, pretty and peaceful, and the stupa over the water is one of Hanoi’s best-known images. Allow 30–40 minutes for the pagoda, or an hour with a stroll along the lake.
Be realistic about the scale. It’s a compact courtyard, not a sprawling monastery, so a special trip from the Old Quarter just for this is hard to justify. Pair it with the mausoleum area or the citadel and it earns its place in the day. Kids cope well: short visit, water all around and a flat path along the causeway.
Tran Quoc Pagoda or the Temple of Literature
| Tran Quoc Pagodayou are here | 6th-century Buddhist monastery with monks | Free | Unofficially about 8:00–16:00 | 30–40 minutes | Stupa over the lake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple of Literature | Confucian temple from 1070 and first university | 70,000 VND, under-16s free | Daily 8:00–17:00 | About an hour | Five courtyards and turtle stelae |
Temple of Literature figures are from its official site. Short on time? The Temple of Literature has more history; Tran Quoc has the view. Both fit easily into one day.
Before you go
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Temples and shrines in Hanoi
Hanoi’s places of worship scored by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.
| St Joseph's Cathedral | 49 | 20 min | Free | 43 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoan Kiem Lake | 46 | 1 h | Free | 2.7 km |
| Temple of Literature | 43 | 1 h | 70,000 VND, under-16s free | 37 min walk |
| Tran Quoc Pagodayou are here | 42 | 30 min | Free | — |
Ba Dinh morning: mausoleum, pagoda, citadel and temple
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum first thing, a walk north to Tran Quoc Pagoda before lunch, then the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and the Temple of Literature. Add it to your route and YesGo sets the times and walks.
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum1 h · Free
- 22 min walk from the previous stopTran Quoc Pagodayou are here30 min · Free
- 30 min walk from the previous stopImperial Citadel of Thang Long1 h 30 min · 100,000 VND
- 11 min walk from the previous stopTemple of Literature1 h · 70,000 VND, under-16s free
4 places · about 5 h 3 min with walks · 63 min on foot in total
Nearby and on your route
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
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Hanoi Train Street
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Temple of Literature
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How to do it right
- Come at 8:00 on a weekday: the courtyard is quiet and morning light suits the red stupa.
- Don’t aim for midday — some guides say the gate shuts from about 11:30 to 13:30.
- Skip the lunar 1st and 15th and Tet if you want space; those days belong to worshippers.
- For the postcard shot of the stupa over the water, stand on Thanh Nien road rather than inside.
- Afterwards, walk the causeway towards Truc Bach Lake or along West Lake — the calmest stroll in this part of Hanoi.
- Light incense in odd numbers and keep any offerings vegetarian.
Questions
What are Tran Quoc Pagoda’s opening hours?
There’s no official timetable. Most sources say daily 8:00–16:00, from 6:00 on the lunar 1st and 15th; others give 7:30–18:00 with a midday break. Visit 8:00–11:00 or 14:00–16:00 to be safe.
Is there an entrance fee at Tran Quoc Pagoda?
No, entry is free and there’s no ticket desk. Donations and incense are optional — bring small VND notes.
What should I wear to Tran Quoc Pagoda?
Cover shoulders and knees and take your hat off in the halls. Shorts and tank tops can be turned away at the gate.
How do I get to Tran Quoc Pagoda from the Old Quarter?
Grab or taxi from Hoan Kiem Lake takes 10–15 minutes for about 3 km. Unofficially, buses 33 and 50 stop nearby. From the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum it’s a 20-minute walk.
How long do you need at Tran Quoc Pagoda?
30–40 minutes for the pagoda, about an hour with a walk along West Lake.
Can you go inside the stupa?
No. The stupa’s niches hold Amitabha Buddha statues and you view it from outside.
Is Tran Quoc Pagoda good at sunset?
The lake is, but the pagoda most likely closes at 16:00. See the temple in daylight, then watch the sunset from Thanh Nien road.
Why is it called Tran Quoc?
Trấn Quốc means ‘Guardian of the Nation’. Emperor Lê Hy Tông gave the name in the 17th century; the original name was Khai Quốc.
Is Tran Quoc Pagoda worth visiting?
Yes, as part of a Ba Dinh or West Lake day: it’s free and photogenic. It’s small, so don’t cross town for it alone.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia: Trấn Quốc Pagoda; Russian Wikipedia: Пагода Чанкуок; Wikidata Q864770
- Báo Pháp luật: history, stupa, bodhi tree, 14 stelae, pagoda representatives on opening every day
- VinWonders: history, stupa, address, opening hours, buses
- Mia.vn: address, hours, buses 33 and 50, stelae
- vietnamtourism.com: split hours, dress code, what to see, photo etiquette
- localvietnam.com: opening hours, entry, sunset
- Official site of the Temple of Literature: prices and hours for comparison
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