Overlooking Dong Ba Canal, this pagoda was built under Emperor Thieu Tri’s rule (1841–47) and is celebrated for its four low towers, one on either side of the gate and two flanking the sanctuary. The pavilions on either side of the main sanctuary entrance contain the 18 La Han (arhat), whose rank is just below that of bodhisattva, and the eight Kim Cang, protectors of Buddha. In the back row of the main dais is Thich Ca Buddha, flanked by two assistants.
Dieu De was a stronghold of Buddhist and student opposition to the South Vietnamese government and the American War, and many arrests were made here when police stormed the building in 1966. The rear halls of the pagoda were undergoing some heavy restoration at the time of writing.
