Visit the famous Ngoc Son temple in center of Hanoi

THE MOST POPULAR SIGHTSEEING IN HANOI TOURS

(Overview of a spiritual-cultural symbol of Hanoi)

Hanoi is the economic, cultural and political centre of Vietnam and Ngoc Son Temple is located in the heart of Hoan Kiem Lake which is considered the centre of Hanoi. Today, Ngoc Son Temple is one of the most popular attractions in Hanoi.

Ngoc Son temple and The Huc bridge on Google map

Hoan Kiem Lake is a natural lake in Hanoi, it is associated with the legend of restored the sword of Le Loi King in the 15th century. There was a small island in the middle of the lake where a temple was built to honour the heroes of the Viet. After many changes, the temple was restored in the 19th century and has the name of Ngoc Son temple. At that time, a bridge was built to connect the temple to the shore of the lake which is called The Huc bridge.

The red The Huc bridge in Hoan Kiem lake

The beauty of Ngoc Son Temple and The Huc Bridge has come into Vietnamese literature and songs as well as one of the symbolic images for Hanoi. In a trip in North Vietnam and Hanoi Tours, visiting The Huc bridge and Ngoc Son temple is a must-go place.

In normal, the tourists going from the Old Quarter and passing through Hang Dao, Hang Dao, Cau Go ... streets to go to the lake. From a distance, the temple is a small point that cover by the trees. Come to the temple, it'll be recognized by a gate with a small tower that is called the Pen Tower. There are 3 words on the tower: "Ta Thanh Thien" - write on the blue sky - in the tower which was built by a Hanoi scholar Nguyen Van Sieu

Pen tower near the 1st gate in the past

Over the years, the temple still retains ancient features as the past. In front of the temple, the gate is a familiar symbol: the tiger descends into the mountain and the dragon in the clouds that are symbolizing of the strength, success, sacred ... in the ideas of the Eastern people. Some sentences in Han Nom script on the gate are kept original, 2 mascots are sitting at the top.

A small entrance leads the people to the second gate that has a poem and a spot of ink in the top. Behind this 2nd gate is the Thu Huc bridge. In the early sunshine, the red colour of The Huc Bridge stands out against the green background of the leaves and the colour of the lake water. This is also a famous photography spot of Hanoi photographers.

Take some memories pictures in The Huc bridge

The curved bridge leads visitors to the temple's main door. The two sides are the images of ancient symbols and a pair of phoenix birds on above. Continue to visit inside the temple, the tourists will explore more about the worshipping of the Viet

Ancient symbol outside of the temple

There are some special things in the temple. These are statues of the god, a pair of birds on both sides with a body version of the turtle. Initially, the temple worshipped Van Xuong De Quan (god of literary literature), Tran Hung Dao (the Viet hero of the 13th century Nguyen army) and a statue of Quan Van Truong (Guan Gong) who was a Chinese general (he had red skin with a long beard). Why that?

Local people pray for the lucky and healthy

That was an impressive mark of history. In a period of the past, the temple was preserved by Chinese people who lived here and they brought the Guan Gong statue into it and honour as the lucky god. Later, the Viet has kept the same.

The altar area inside the temple

In half of the day (morning or afternoon), visit the famous Ngoc Son temple in center of Hanoi is such an interesting trip to explore Vietnam's history. 

The basic information to visit Ngoc Son Temple:

• Opening hours: from 07h00 to 18h00 every day
• The ticket price: 30,000VND/ticket (~US$ 1.3) for Vietnamese and foreigners (adult) - 15,000VND/ticket (~US$ 0.65) for the student (ID, students card required) - free for the children under 15

For the best information, please contact Impress Travel's Hanoi tours via email: hanoi@impresstravel.com or the hotline (Whatsapp, Zalo, Viber, Skype) at +84.912 379 189 - Mr. Alex.