One Pillar Pagoda of Hoa Lu

The temple is built on a stone pillar (formerly a wooden pillar), shaped like a lotus rising from the water. The most prominent is the 4.16m high stone Buddhist Sutra Pillar (Thạch Kinh), erected right in front of the temple yard. This pillar is recognized as a National Treasure.

The current Nhat Tru Pagoda has the architectural style of the Nguyen Dynasty, built in the shape of the letter "Dinh" (丁), including the Tam Quan gate, the main hall, the ancestral house, and auxiliary structures. However, archaeologists have found many valuable vestiges and artifacts (such as ironwood raft foundations, lotus-shaped tiles) proving the foundation of Buddhist architecture from the 10th century.

Nhat Tru Pagoda is not only a historical relic but also a living testament to the prosperous Hoa Lu capital and the great role of Buddhism in the royal court during the early period of national independence.

Many researchers believe that when King Ly Thai Tong moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long and built the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi , he brought with him the spirit and ideas from the Buddhist architecture of the Dinh - Tien Le period in Hoa Lu, where there is the One Pillar Pagoda and other stone pillars.