Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda (chùa Huyền Không Sơn Thượng) is a Zen Buddhist temple located deep in the hills of Chầm hamlet, about 10km west of Hue City. Surrounded by pine forests, lotus ponds, and misty mountains, the pagoda is known not for grandeur, but for its embrace of silence, simplicity, and spiritual depth.

The temple was founded in the early 1980s by Venerable Sư Ông Giới Đức (also known as poet Minh Đức Triều Tâm Ảnh) and a group of like-minded practitioners. Their vision was not to create a lavish structure, but a spiritual retreat — a place where people could return to nature, practice Zen (Thiền), and seek inner peace.

Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda was born from that minimalist vision:

• No gilded towers, no high walls, no bustling rituals.

• Instead, small wooden halls, thatched roofs, bonsai gardens, and poetic inscriptions on stone.

• Everything is built in harmony with the landscape, guided by Buddhist and aesthetic principles.

Over time, the pagoda gained quiet fame. Artists, writers, monks, students, and travelers began to visit — drawn not by tourism, but by the rare stillness the place offers.
It is now considered not only a spiritual landmark, but also a cultural sanctuary, where Vietnamese Zen thought, poetry, and aesthetics blend seamlessly.

Despite its increasing popularity, the temple remains intentionally humble, preserving the silence and seclusion that define its soul.