Báo Quốc Pagoda

Báo Quốc Pagoda (Vietnamese: Chùa Báo Quốc) is a Buddhist temple in the historic city of Huế in central Vietnam. It was one of the three national pagodas of the city during the time of the Nguyễn Dynasty.

The temple is located on Báo Quốc Street, in the ward of Phường Đúc in Huế. It lies on the southern side of the Perfume River and is approximately one kilometre west of the city centre. The temple is located on a small hill called Hàm Long and a spring from the top of the hill flows down into the grounds of the temple.

Báo Quốc pagoda was built in 1670 by Zen master Thích Giác Phong, a Buddhist monk from China, and it was initially named Hàm Long Sơn Thiên Thọ Tự during the reign of Nguyễn Phúc Tần, one of the Nguyễn lords who ruled central Vietnam during the period. In 1747, Nguyễn Phúc Khoát, gave the temple a plaque with the name Sắc Tứ Báo Quốc Tự.

During the era of the Nguyễn Dynasty, which was founded in 1802 by Emperor Gia Long, the pagoda was frequently renovated and expanded. In 1808, Empress Hiếu Khương, wife of Gia Long, patronized various construction projects, that included the construction of a triple gate, the casting of a large bell and a gong. The named of the pagoda was changed to Chùa Thiên Thọ. The abbot who oversaw these changes was Zen master Thích Phổ Tịnh. In 1824, Emperor Minh Mạng, the son of Gia Long, visited the temple and changed its name to its present title. He held the imperial celebration for his 40th birthday at the temple in 1830.

Over the years, the temple began to decay, and in 1858, a series of renovation efforts began under Emperor Tự Đức, Minh Mạng's grandson, which were directly funded by the royal family. These continued until the end of the century.

In the 1930s, Báo Quốc was the scene of a revival in Buddhist education in Vietnam. In 1935, a school for teaching Buddhism was opened, and in 1940, a monastery for training monks was created, which is still operating to this day. In 1957, the latest phase of construction and renovation occurred under the auspices of the provincial Buddhist association, and overseen by the abbot of the temple and the director of Buddhist studies in the region, Thích Trí Thủ.

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