Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the center of ‘Lake of the Return of Sword’ or Lake Huan Kiem Legend has it that the emperor received a magic sword, which helped him defeat the Ming Dynasty, China, and in doing so saw the return of the god ladybug to the lake.
Today the “Turtle Tower” is located near the lake to commemorate this legend. In addition, large, endangered, tabby turtles swim in the lake and seeing them is extremely auspicious. The name of the temple translates to ‘Jade Hill Temple’ and is largely dedicated to the war hero General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated an armed force with 300,000 soldiers sent by Emperor Kublai Khan of Mongolia in the 13th century to invade. Vietnam
Also inside the stupa are a large bust of bronze and other deities, there is an altar dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, some ancient artifacts, including ceramics and preserved specimens of giant turtles found in the lake. Weight 250 kg
Unique architecture next to Hoan Kiem Lake To enter the temple, tourists will cross the Huc Bridge and walk past Tam Quan, which means that the three-gate in the outside of the first gate, two Chinese characters are painted in red which means happiness (Phuc) on the side. Right and prosperity (Loc) on the left.
Behind the first door is the stone Pen Tower and is located in Dogton Hill. The Penn Tower has five floors with a height of 28 meters. The highest point of the tower has the shape of a quill pointing towards the sky. The tower’s body is engraved with three letters “Ta Thanh Thien” which means “Writing in a Clear Blue Sky”, the Penn Tower aims to highlight a temple dedicated to literature and poetry.
The second door is surrounded by Taoist symbols. Especially in the right hand is a symbol of the dragon in the hand. On the left is a tiger. These symbols are characterized for the stability of large constructions according to Feng Shui theory.
The last door had high walls, roofs and rolling doors. On the roof there is a large stone representing the ink pot. Hence, this door is named Dai Nghien (writing pad or ink pad) that has the shape of half a peach. Nguyen Van Xiu put this stone on the roof so that the shadow of the Pen Tower would fall on the ink stone on May 5 each year.
In general, the architecture of Ngoc Son Temple is gracefully ancient in harmony with nature. It is also a place where many historical and cultural symbols were filled with the spiritual and thought of scholars of the time. Besides Hoan Kiem Lake and Turtle Tower Ngoc Son Temple is also a cultural and historical site of Hanoi. This attraction is an ideal place for those looking to explore the past Hanoi.
Location:
Ngoc Son Temple is located on an island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake in the northern Vietnamese city of Hanoi. (Ngoc Son Temple = Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam)
