Located in the Hanoian neighborhood of Lang lies the Buddhist shrine known as the Lang Pagoda. This temple, constructed during the era of King L Thn Tông (the “Fifth King of the Li Dynasty”), who ruled from 1128 to 1138, is one of the best kept secrets in the rural areas outside of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. This historic site offers a wealth of fascinating information and artifacts.
As a place of worship for both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists, On Lang Pagoda (also known as Quan Am and Hoi Quan On Lang) is sometimes cited as the city’s largest Chinese community pagoda. There are three different temples that make up the pagoda. The pagoda’s many altars to different gods might easily overwhelm uninitiated visitors.
The incense-filled halls, elaborate altars, and serene atmosphere were enough for us, as we had no idea what many of the statues and altars represented.
Parts of the pagoda, however, did remind us of being in a vast food court, only that instead of choosing whatever food to eat, we had to decide which deity’s shrine to worship at. We may not be able to repeat our time at On Lang Pagoda in the same way.