About this Place Of Interest

The One Pillar Pagoda is a historic Buddhist temple, which is regarded as one of the two most iconic temples in Vietnam. It was built by Emperor Lý Thái Tông, who ruled from 1028 to 1054. According to court records, the emperor was childless and yearned deeply for an heir. One night, he dreamt that he met the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who handed him a baby son while seated on a lotus flower. Lý Thái Tông then married a peasant girl that he had met and she bore him a son. In gratitude, the emperor constructed the temple by erecting a pillar in the middle of a lotus pond, similar to the one he saw in his dream[1].

About this Learning Experience

In this Learning Experience, discover the importance of balance. Not between yin and yang, or good and evil, but the balance of forces to ensure the stability of structures. Here, you will explore the concepts of center of mass, stability and moments, and how to apply them to construction and other fields. This Learning Experience is suitable for learners Secondary 3 and above.

Syllabus Content

• Forces
• - Center of mass
• - Moment of a force

Resources Needed

A few pieces of paper, a toothpick or a pin, a piece of string, and a weight such as a pen, coin or card. Most importantly, a piece of origami bird.