One of the oldest Buddhist temples in Hanoi is Ambassador's Pagoda (Chua Quan Su - Chua Kuan Su), which is also the largest of Hanoi's more than 500 religious structures.
Its history dates back to the 15th century, during the reign of the Le dynasty. At that time, neighboring countries and principalities sent their ambassadors to the emperor, and all of them were housed in the Quan Su building (the embassy) on the site of the present-day pagoda. Almost all the envoys from neighboring lands were Buddhists, so it was decided to build a temple on the embassy grounds where they could perform their rituals and pray.
The first Buddhist temple in Hanoi was built here in the 17th century. Over time, the ambassadors moved to more spacious residences belonging to their own countries, so only the religious part of Quan Su remained on the site of the residential complex.
Ambassador's Pagoda is the center of Vietnam's Buddhist community, and its leadership and representative office are located here. In addition, Buddhist traditions are observed here as fully as possible, the basics of the religion are taught, and monks and nuns also live here.
Chua Kuan Su has been rebuilt and expanded several times. The modern pagoda building was erected in 1942 and belongs to the classical architectural style of Buddhist temples. Inside are statues of the deity's future, present, and past incarnations, and outside there is a shop with ritual items.
