The image of the ancient and mossy Hoa Phong Tower has been imprinted in the souls of many generations of Hanoians. But not everyone knows the history of this ancient tower.
Located on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake, opposite the Hanoi Post Office building, Hoa Phong Tower is the only remaining vestige of Bao An Pagoda, the most majestic pagoda in Hanoi in the 19th century. Bao An was one of the works bearing the mark of the Nguyen Dynasty in Thang Long (an old name for Hanoi). The pagoda has a prime location in the capital, with the front facing Hoan Kiem Lake, the back facing the banks of the Red River, and 36 rooftops.
In 1889, the French colonial authorities demolished Bao An Pagoda to build the governor’s palace and the post office building (now the Government Guest House and Hanoi Post Office). Perhaps Hoa Phong tower was lucky not to be demolished because it was located outside the pagoda grounds.
The tower is built of brick, is three stories high, has a quadrilateral shape, and has four doors on the first floor. On each threshold of the tower are written words with meanings that express Confucian values regarding the standard conduct of a human being.
The second floor of the tower has four corners built with square pillars containing four statues of “nghê” – a mythical animal in Vietnamese culture, a combination of the qilin (or lion) and dog, often used as a mascot in front of communal temples, pagodas, and shrines in Vietnam.
The corners are connected by a symbiotic border. The tower body on the second floor recedes deeply into the interior. Both sides have concave squares filled with two Sanskrit words “ॐ” (the opening sentence of the Buddhist mantra Om mani padme hum) placed symmetrically.
The remaining two squares depict eight trigrams – a symbol of Taoism and also associated with the Confucian worldview.
On the third floor, on the East-West side, the tower is named Hoa Phong, but on the North-South side, it is written “Bao Thien Thap”.
The top of the tower is decorated with gourds, a symbol of blessing in Buddhism and Taoism.
According to researchers, the Hoa Phong tower is a type of tower rarely seen in Buddhist architecture, with the first floor much larger and higher than the two upper floors.
The decorative motifs show that the tower is imbued with ideology, emphasizing Confucian study while still favoring Buddhism, which was popular during the Nguyen Dynasty.
After two centuries, the architecture of the ancient tower remains intact.
Today, Hoa Phong Tower has become an iconic building on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake. This is also a place not to be missed by tourists from far away when coming to the capital’s most scenic spots.
Source: collected by An
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