Tu Hieu Pagoda

Tu Hieu sits in a pine wood outside Hue and was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century; it acquired an unusual population when eunuchs of the Nguyen court, who had no descendants to tend their graves, endowed the pagoda in exchange for burial and remembrance, and their tombs stand in a walled plot in the grounds. Thich Nhat Hanh entered as a novice here in 1942 at sixteen, was exiled from Vietnam for decades for his peace work, and returned to Tu Hieu in 2018, dying there in January 2022. His memorial and the halls he knew are part of a working monastery.

What you actually see

• A monastery in a pine wood - founded in the mid nineteenth century.
• The eunuchs' graves - endowed in exchange for remembrance.
• Where Thich Nhat Hanh was ordained - in 1942, aged sixteen.
• Where he returned and died - in 2018 and 2022.

When to go

Year round; early morning for the monastic routine. Half a day.

Honest expectations

This is a working monastery and quiet is expected, particularly around the memorial. It is not set up for visitors and interpretation is minimal. It is a short drive from Hue on the road to the tombs.

Nearby

Tu Duc's tomb is close; Hue is north-east.