One Pillar Pagoda - Vietnam

>>>One Pillar Pagoda

Name	One pillar Pagoda
Place	Ha Noi
Country	Vietnam
Author(s)	add your name(s), optional
World Heritage	if applicable,enter the year of listing

Why is this case relevant?

This case was chosen because of its unique structure design that based on a lotus flower, which was built base on the emperor Lý Thái Tông's dream of meeting the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and the suggestion of a monk name Thiên Tuệ. The emperor constructed the temple in gratitude for this in 1049. It was recognized as Asia's most unique piece of architecture by the Asia Book of Records. It is a symbol of long lasting happiness and good luck of the capital, Thang Long(Ha Noi).

The pagoda was first a wooden temple placed on top of an erected stone pillar, that consist of 2 stone connect to each other, in the middle of a lotus lake. The temple was designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond. Inside the temple placed a statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara hence the entire image was the Bodhisattva sitting on the lotus in the middle of the lotus lake. After it was built, the monks would go around the lake and recited the Buddhist scriptures to pray for longevity of the king and the country, hence it was named Diên Hựu Pagoda. Latter on, the temple was renovated or repaired many times through out history, it was once destroyed by the France Union but then got rebuilt back to the original.
Nowadays, because of the high temperature, humidity and low maintenance care, the wood structure is currently damaged and degraded along with the buildings and fence that surround the lake. If this still continuous, damages such as roof leaking water and termite will occur

1. High maintenance requirement:

Because of the environment surrounding the pagoda, the structure can be easily damaged by the the moisture and hot temperature during the summer and rain season

2. Low visible sight

The pagoda area are inside a large park so it was surround by a large amount of tall trees and make it very difficult to notice from out side

3.Low popularity

Even though the pagoda is consider as on of the capital's heritage, it was rarely receive much attention from the city and usually being blend in with other areas next to it

Ideas of how you would initiate positive change for your heritage area

- Apply chemical treatment to the structure of the pagoda and increase regular maintenance for the pagoda during rain season

- Reduce the amount of tall tree on one side of the pagoda

- Increase advertising and more information for the tourist

- Add more signs to the surrounding area and Separate the pagoda area with other area