Don Thu Pagoda

Don Thu Pagoda (Thang Quang Tu), Kim Thu Commune, Thanh Oai District (now Don Thu Hamlet, Thanh Oai Commune, Hanoi City).
Don Thu Pagoda, whose Sino-Vietnamese name is “Thang Quang Tu”, is located at the end of Don Thu Village, adjacent to the Ta Day dike. Based on the pagoda's architecture and the artifacts still preserved, such as a bell with the Chinh Hoa 22nd-year reign date and a system of stone stelae, the pagoda was built during the Le dynasty.
The pagoda has undergone several restorations: the first during the Nguyen dynasty; the second in the Tan Ty year, 1941; and the largest restoration, of the Tam Bao hall, in 2021–2022. Don Thu Pagoda is a religious and belief site dedicated to Buddha and also a center for community cultural activities of the village. It was ranked as a City-level historical and cultural relic under Decision No. 1778 dated April 3, 2014, of the Hanoi City People's Committee.
Currently, the pagoda still preserves about 30 statues, including Buddha and Mother Goddess statues in the artistic style of the 19th and 20th centuries. In particular, the pagoda also has a pillar stele inscribed in Chinese characters “Thang Quang Tu Hau Phat Bi”; the Hau Phat Bi Ky inscription dated the first year of the Canh Thinh era (1793); the Hau Phat Bi Ky inscription dated the second year of the Canh Thinh era (1794)…
At Don Thu Pagoda, there are historical Buddhist figures: on the right is the statue of the Holy Sangha, and on the left is the statue of Duc Ong. In the Tam Bao hall, there are Buddha statues: the Three Ages Ever-Present Wonderful Dharma Body, also called the Three Ages Heavenly Buddhas. To the left of Amitabha is the statue of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. Below Amitabha Buddha is also Maitreya Buddha. In addition to the main worship of Buddha, the pagoda also jointly worships people who made great contributions to the relic (hau worship). Besides hau worship, the pagoda also worships the Patriarch and the Mother Goddess—a form of folk belief of ancient Vietnamese people that has been passed down and survives to this day.
Regarding cultural and belief activities related to the relic.
In addition to the annual Ancestor Anniversary, Don Thu Pagoda also holds the main Buddhist festivals according to the lunar calendar: the first day of Tet Nguyen Dan: the celebration of Maitreya Buddha; the full moon of the first lunar month: the Thuong Nguyen festival…; the 15th day of the 7th lunar month: the Vu Lan filial piety festival; and other important festivals.
Don Thu Pagoda is a place for spiritual and cultural activities for the local people and pilgrims from all over.