Hanoi, the capital and the second-largest city of Vietnam, has emerged as a preferred tourist destination over the years. It is home to a number of attractions. One of the most famous tourist attractions is the Ngoc Son Temple or the Temple of the Jade Mountain. LetsGo takes you around the beautiful temple that is dedicated to a hero, Tran Hung Dao.

Ngoc Son: The Temple of the Jade Mountain

A small island at the northern end of the Hoan Keim Lake houses the Ngoc son Temple. The literal translation of Ngoc Son is Jade Mountain. According to legends, this temple dates back to the fourteenth century. However, the buildings one can see today dates back to the eighteenth century.

Memories of the times gone by

The Temple is dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, a military hero, who defeated the huge force of 300,000 sent by the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan to invade Vietnam. Other than Tran Hung Dao, there are altars dedicated to Van Xuong, a scholar, and La To, the patron saint of physicians. The temple also has an altar dedicated to the Confucian artist Nguyen Van Sieu, who offered his help for restoring the temple and the surrounding areas in 1864.

The backdrop

The structures which make up the Temple complex include Thê Húc (the red bridge), Thap But (Pen Tower), Dai Nghien (ink-slab), Dac Nguyet (the Moon Contemplation Pavilion) and ?ình Tr?n Ba (the Pavilion against Waves). Thê Húc which translates to ‘Flood of Morning Sunlight,’ is the red wooden lac bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Stone gateways with Chinese characters written over them guard either end of the Bridge.

The core

The main building of the temple houses the altars, some shops and a pavilion in front of the altar. The main hall has first of the two altars which is dedicated to the scholars as well as many other deities. The high altar which is right behind is dedicated to Tran Hung Dao. The anteroom of the pagoda is home to a 6-feet stuffed tortoise. This tortoise was recovered from the Hoan Keim Lake in 1968.

Nguyen Van Sieu had helped build Thap But and Dai Nghien. The former is a 30 feet stone structure that resembles a brush. This structure is also known as the Pen Tower. Dai Nghien, on the other hand, is a rock that has been hollowed in the shape of a peach. The structure is referred to as the ink slab as well as the Writing Pad.

Other attractions

The temple courtyard have souvenir and art shop. When one walks into the temple courtyard, they will find old men engaging in Chinese chess. The island has an air of tranquility, helping the visitors unwind from their otherwise hectic lifestyles.

The temple can be visited on all days from 8am to 5pm. Festivals and the first and fifteenth days of lunar months are ideals days to visit the temple. The Hoan Kein Lake, water puppet performances and the park surrounding it are also popular attractions among people visiting the temple.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hanoi is home to a number of lakes, earning the title of ‘City of Lakes.’ The Hoan keim Lake is one of the most picturesque lakes in the Vietnamese capital. Situated in the heart of the city, the name of the Lake literally means the ‘Lake of the restored Sword.’

Legend has it that a fifteenth century fisherman discovered a magical sword in his nets one day. The fisherman in turn presented the sword to Le Loi (Emperor Ky Thai) who used the sword to defeat the Mings. On one of his boat rides on the Hoan Keim Lake a giant golden tortoise emerged and took the sword to the depths of the Lake. To commemorate this event, the Emperor built the Tortoise Tower on the south end of the Lake. These enormous creatures still live in the lake and resurface from time to time. This species of turtles, namely, Rafetus swimhoei, is considered to be the largest freshwater turtles on earth.

The lake serves as a meeting point and a venue of festivals such as Tet and celebrating holidays such as National Day. The park along the Lake is popular among the tourists as well as the natives. In the mornings, one will be able to witness health enthusiasts exercising and indulging in a variety of sports here. In the afternoons, people visit the park to view the sunset or just to socialize.

Water Puppetry: A Must See

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is located near the northeast shores of the Lake; a short walk away from the Ngoc Son Temple. The theatre stages several performances of Water Puppetry through out the day.

Water Puppetry is an art form that originated in Vietnam over 1000 years ago. The puppets are marionettes. However, these are not manipulated using stings or wire; the puppets are mounted on poles. These poles are totally submerged in a shallow pool of water. The fascination lies in understanding how each puppet works. The performances are usually a series of skits or vignettes that are not connected. One of the more popular skits is the incident involving the emergence of the golden tortoise that took away the magical sword to the depths of the Lake. The performances last for an hour and are accompanied by a live orchestra.

A visit to the Temple is incomplete without visiting the other attractions around it. In a country that has been war-stricken for such a long time, these destinations in the Capital City, provide for optimum peace and tranquility.