Ngoc Son Temple - Spiritual Cultural Symbol in the Heart of Hanoi

The Ngoc Son Temple complex has existed through many ups and downs of the land of Thang Long. The special thing about this temple is not only its uniqueness in architecture, but also its important position in representing the culture and spirituality of the capital Hanoi.

Overview of the history of Ngoc Son Temple

Hanoi - The capital of a thousand years of civilization, where there are countless landscapes, beautiful destinations. But among them, there is a place that you cannot miss, a place that bears the mark of architecture and spiritual culture, that is Ngoc Son Temple. Built in the 19th century. according to the stele at the temple, the construction was started in the autumn of 1841, to worship Van Xuong De Quan and Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan. In addition, the temple also has shrines of Buddha Amitabha, Guan Yu, La Dong Tan. 

Ngoc Son Temple has been renovated and renamed many times. Nowadays, the temple has more works such as: Tran Ba ​​Hall, The Huc Bridge, Pen Tower, Nghiem Pavilion, creating a harmonious and impressive architectural complex. Ngoc Son Temple is not only a symbol of the history and culture of the nation, but also a tourist attraction in Hanoi. This place attracts visitors by its ancient and serene features, highlighting the long-standing culture of the capital Hanoi.

Ngoc Son Temple is an ancient temple, located on Ngoc Island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. This is the cultural and spiritual center of Hanoi capital, so you can easily visit by many means, such as personal vehicles or buses.

The bus routes near Ngoc Son Temple include: 08, 14, 31, 36. If you want to visit Ngoc Son Temple on weekends, you need to pay attention that Hanoi city has opened walking streets and banned traffic around the temple area on the evening of the last 3 days of the week. You should choose a suitable means of transportation to avoid wasting time.

To visit the temple, you have to buy a ticket for 30,000 VND / person. Children are free of charge. Ngoc Son Temple is open daily, from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and from 7am to 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The uniqueness in the architecture of Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son Temple is an artistic architectural work that carries the ancient features of the Northern region in the center of Hanoi capital. The distinctive architecture of this temple not only shows the uniqueness and integrity of the cultural heritage of the region but also carries the profound historical and religious values. The temple is designed with a Tam-shaped architecture, two floors, eight roofs, eight columns, consisting of three main houses: Bai Duong with incense and phoenix, Trung Duong worshipping Van Xuong god, La Dong Tan and Quan Van Truong; Hau Cung worshipping Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan.

To the south of Bai Duong is Tran Ba ​​Hall, which means to resist the bad wave of culture. The hall has four stone columns outside and four wooden columns inside, creating a unique and solemn look. Around the temple are many architectural works with their own beauty and meaning. The red The Huc Bridge means “The place where the sun’s rays converge”. The bridge leads you into the temple area. Across the bridge is the Dac Nguyet Lau gate, a small and lovely two-story pavilion overlooking the lake.

Next is the Pen Tower made of stone, shaped like a feather pen and with three words “Ta Thanh Thien”, meaning “Write Up to the Blue Sky”. Under the Pen Tower is Nghiem Pavilion, a stone inkstone shaped like a split peach, placed on three carp. On Nghiem Pavilion there is a poem by Confucian scholar Nguyen Van Sieu. Inside the temple, you will see two shrines worshiping two gods: Van Xuong De Quan and Tran Hung Dao. The two shrines have architecture in the style of Northern pagodas. In the temple there are two large statues: the statue of Tran Hung Dao in the back palace on a stone pedestal more than 1 meter high, and the statue of Van Xuong holding a feather pen with a graceful and relaxed appearance.

A special feature of the temple is the space displaying two turtle models in glass cages. These two models are two individuals of Hoan Kiem Lake turtles that died in 1967 and 2016.

Ngoc Son Temple: The importance for culture and religion

Vietnam is a nation with a rich and diverse cultural tradition, formed from the absorption, harmony and creation of different cultural streams from outside, such as Eastern, Western, Chinese or Indian cultures.

One of the most obvious manifestations of that cultural syncretism is the combination of three religions: Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism (also known as: Tam Giao Dong Nguyen) in the history and current situation of the nation. Ngoc Son Temple is a vivid evidence for the combination of Tam Giao Dong Nguyen. This place not only shows the harmony of the three religions in worshipping the gods, but also in architecture, construction, couplets, decoration and cultural activities.

Nowadays, Ngoc Son Temple is also an ideal place for students to pray for luck before taking exams. Every year, there are many tourists from inside and outside the country visiting and admiring this ancient temple, which is a typical symbol of Hanoi capital.

Important notes when exploring Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son Temple is a sacred place, so when visiting, you need to pay attention to the following things to have a civilized and meaningful trip:

• Choose polite clothes, suitable for the solemn atmosphere of the temple. Avoid wearing clothes that are too short, too revealing or too tight, as these outfits can make others uncomfortable and disrespectful to the sacred place.
• Walk gently, politely, do not laugh or talk loudly or affect others. When entering the worship points, you need to keep order and respect, do not push or shove.
• When entering inside to light incense, pray, you need to follow the rules of the temple, such as taking off your shoes, not wearing hats, umbrellas or bringing pets. You should also light a moderate amount of incense, not too much to avoid air pollution.
• Keep general hygiene, do not litter or damage the architectural works. You should also respect and preserve the cultural assets of the temple, do not touch or write on the stone steles, monuments or sacred objects.
• Learn carefully about the routes to Ngoc Son Temple, as there are many one-way streets or banned on weekends. You should also choose a suitable means of transportation, such as buses or bicycles to save time and money.

Interesting destinations near Ngoc Son Temple area

Ngoc Son Temple is a sacred place, located on Ngoc Island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, which is the cultural and spiritual center of Hanoi capital. From here, you can easily move to famous places in Hanoi, such as:

Hanoi Old Quarter: Where you can explore the ancient streets, the typical tube houses, the delicious and cheap restaurants, the souvenir shops and the unique cultural activities.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: Where you can visit the mausoleum of Uncle Ho, the father of the Vietnamese nation, and visit other important historical works such as Presidential Palace, Uncle Ho’s Stilt House, Ly Thai To Flower Garden and Temple of Literature.

Hanoi Opera House: Where you can admire the architecture in French style of one of the oldest cultural and artistic works of Hanoi, and enjoy the international-class artistic performances.

Vietnam Fine Arts Museum: Where you can admire the artworks of Vietnamese artists throughout the development of Vietnamese history, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, woodworks and other folk art forms.

Ba Dinh Square: Ba Dinh Square is also the place where important festivals and cultural activities of the capital take place.

Coming to Ngoc Son Temple, you will feel the mystery, serenity and solemnity of this place. You can also learn more about other tourist destinations in Hanoi on BDATrip. Hope you have a fun weekend trip with your family!