Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

3031 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
High medieval · Buddhist · Vietnam

Keo Temple

Vu Thu, Thai Binh · 20.3606°, 106.2972°

Gautama Buddha and the monk Nguyen Minh KhongLy
Sacred since
1061 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
begun 1061; dedicated in the 1130s
Ly

History & significance

A large Ly-dynasty pagoda in Vu Thu district begun in 1061, which Emperor Ly Than Tong dedicated in the 1130s to the monk Nguyen Minh Khong alongside the Buddha. It remains one of the best-preserved historic temple complexes of the Red River delta.

Sthala katha — the traditional account

What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.

The emperor is said to have founded the temple in gratitude after Nguyen Minh Khong miraculously cured him of leprosy.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Ly