Visitors at the 100-year-old Buu Son Pagoda, known as the Hanoi-based One Pillar Pagoda, in Dong Nai province, built in the 18th century.

The pagoda in Bien Hoa city’s Hoa Binh ward was built initially with bamboo walls and wooden columns. The 100sq.m sanctum has an octagonal roof that represents the eight-fold path to free oneself from suffering, according to the tenets of Buddhism.

After two major renovations in 1937 and 1965 during which all the roof trusses were rebuilt and connected at one centre pillar, locals started to call it the One Pillar Pagoda.

It is structurally different from Hanoi’s One Pillar Pagoda where one main outdoor pillar carries the entire pagoda's weight.

The Buu Son Pagoda has one wooden pillar in the middle of the sanctum, surrounded by Buddha idols that are placed based on the northern doctrines.

After several restorations, Buu Son Pagoda is now a modern structure spread over 1,000sq.m in the middle of Bien Hoa city.

Compiled by Mai Lan