Sitting pretty on the banks of the Perfume River a short distance outside of Hue, Thien Mu Pagoda, at seven storeys, has become the symbol of the city.

Built in 1844, this octagonal tower is considered one of Vietnam’s most beautiful religious sites and its name, fittingly, translates as ‘Heavenly Lady’. At 21 metres tall, each of its storeys is dedicated to a manushi-buddha – a Buddha in human form.

The pagoda is part of a larger monastery complex which along with halls and pavilions, includes a memorial to Thich Quang Duc, a monk who self-immolated himself in the 1960s. The pagoda is most picturesquely admired, rising out from among the trees, from the river.

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