The One Pillar Pagoda is often mentioned to be one of Hanoi's most beautiful pagodas. Every tourist guidebook mentions it as a must-see. It's more or less the number one sight in Hanoi. You HAVE to see it!

Well, do you? It' basically only a pagoda standing on one pillar. While this surely is an interesting way to build a pagoda, Chua Mot Cot (in Vietnamese) is nothing but that. Standing on one pillar in a little dirty pond, supposedly looking like a lotus blossom, and being overrun by hordes of tourists and Vietnamese alike, I'd recommend skipping it. If you want to go there, combine it with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Museum or Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, both of which are just around the corner.

Chua Mot Cot is okay, but there are several other pagodas that are more interesting. Furthermore, the original pagoda was destroyed by the French in 1954, so the one you see is only a copy of the original from 1049.