Ha Noi’s oldest pagoda gets facelift

      The restoration of Tran Quoc Pagoda in Tay Ho district, the capital city’s oldest, got under way on Friday.
The VND15 billion (US$876,937) restoration work will include the construction of a three-door temple gate and two towers, the expansion of the pagoda’s corridor and an upgrade of plumbing and sewer systems.
The work was slated for completion by next March, in ample time to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi in October 2010.
In addition, Tay Ho’s Tao Sach and Kim Lien pagodas, and Dong Co Temple, are also being restored to mark the occasion.
Located on the south shore of West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda is among the oldest in Viet Nam. It was built in Yen Hoa Village, near the bank of the Red River, in the 6th century under its original name of Khai Quoc (National Founder). In 1615, the pagoda was relocated to the current site. It was renamed An Quoc during the reign of King Le Dai Bao (1440) and finally Tran Quoc (National Defence) under King Le Hy Tong (1675-1705).