Vietnam — Đền Quán Thánh (Quan Thanh Temple), 1 Thanh Niên (cnr. Quán Thánh), Quận Ba Đình, Thành Phố Hà Nội, Hanoi, Vietnam

Another temple visit

September 2015

I do like a good temple, and the Đền Quán Thánh, 1 Thanh Niên (cnr. Quán Thánh), Quận Ba Đình, Thành Phố Hà Nội (Quan Thanh Temple) did not disappoint.

The temple was built during the reign of King Ly Thai To (1010-1028) in 1010 and is dedicated to Huyen Thien Tran Vo, a God who guarded the north; hence the temple is also sometimes called the Tran Vo Temple. The temple was part of the gate defending the Thang Long capital.

Originally, the temple contained the Tran Vo statue carved out of wood, which was replaced in 1677 with a black bronze statue 3.96 m high. The figure (see below) shows a sitting “genie with hanging down hair” — this is Tran Vo, with his left-hand performing magic and his right hand on a sword. The Tran Vo is leaning on a tortoise's back.

In the temple, there is a 1.5 m high copper bell that was cast at the same time as the statue. The temple also has several stone steles and some 180 horizontal panels showing pictures and poems praising the charming landscape or relating impressions from poets in the 18th and 19th centuries.

I enjoyed visiting the Quan Thanh Temple. It was pleasant to get away from Hanoi’s traffic and visit such a quiet, historical, and relaxing place.

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