Tây Hồ pagoda compound and Kim Ngưu temple are located in Tây Hồ village, Quảng An commune, Tây Hồ district, Hanoi on a peninsula of Nghi Tam village jutting out to West lake. The pagoda is dedicated to Goddess Liễu Hạnh.

Kim Ngưu temple lies in the compounds but destroyed in the French war and now remains only a banyan tree, a small altar was placed by the villagers on the tree to worship Saint Kim Ngưu (Gold buffalo).

Legend has it that the bell sounds (made of black copper) of monk Nguyễn Minh Không (under Ly dynasty) attracted the gold buffalo locked in China (It mistook the bell sounds as its mother's calling) to rush to Vietnam. The road it ran but was turned into a river Kim Ngưu river. To the West of the city, it did not hear the bell sounds, so angry that he jumped and crushed a large area which latter became a lake, lake Kim Ngưu -West lake today.

The 3-door entrance gate was built in curves, roofs covered with tube-tiles the panels on either sides cites the legendary meeting between Phùng Khắc Khoan and Goddess Liễu Hạnh. The main hall is a large-scale architecture facing two storeyed  towers, in the centre, a panel reads "Tây Hồ hiển tích" which is beautifully decorated.

The worship is divided into 3 sections, the outermost is dedicated to tam phủ công đồng (the three realms: the Earthly, Heavenly and water realms), tứ phủ vạn linh (North- South -East -West super natural creatures) and council of mandarins, statues Hoàng Bảy, Hoàng Mười and three panels citing the merits of Goddess Liễu Hạnh. The second section worships Ngọc Hoàng (Jade Emperor), Nam Tào (constellation of Southern hemisphere) and Bắc Đẩu (North polar star) and the panels describing the landscape Tây Hồ. The last section worships 3 Goddesses, a door-fresco reads "'Tây Hồ phong nguyệt" (West lake wind and moon) and the panels in praise of Goddess Liễu Hạnh. At the back door, a great panel reads "Mẫu nghi thiên hạ" (Holy mother of the world) and smaller panels on either sides. On the highest altar of the innermost room, there's statue of Goddess

Liễu Hạnh and two others: Chầu Quỳnh, Chầu Quế. Above is a large panel "Thiên tiên trắc giáng" (heavenly fairy descending) and Mẫu nghi thiên hạ" (Holy mother of the world). Next to main hall is Sơn Trang temple, 3 storeys, 8 circular roofs, the upper floor worship God of

Mercy, outside the pagoda there are two small temple worshipping a Baby-girl and a Baby-boy. A small tower is in front and old ficus tree in the yard, below is a stone stella, set up in 1845 (in Thiệu Trị reign).

Worship objects in the pagoda are plentiful: panels, altar , royal seat, altar-table, fresco...all were beautifully and artfully carved and decorated bearing signs of the 19th century. There are also canopies, altars and 3 bronze bells, a stone incense-burner, 3 nominations to God Kim Ngưu and 50 statues, big and small.

Tây Hồ pagoda compound lies in chain of cultural relics around West lake, a scenic spot in Hanoi, classified as a historic, cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1996.

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