Thang Long–Tu Tran: Ageless sentinels of Hanoi’s thousand-year legacy

Thang Long’s four guardian temples (Thăng Long–Tứ Trấn), enduring as timeless sentinels of Ha Noi’s thousand-year history, were established early on, linked to the founding of the Thang Long capital under the Ly dynasty in 1010.

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They are dedicated to four deities who safeguarded the cardinal directions of the Thang Long citadel, protecting the ancient imperial capital—now Ha Noi—so that it would remain peaceful day and night.
The designation of Thang Long Tu Tran as a special national relic in 2022 recognizes their exceptional historical, cultural, architectural, and artistic significance.

Bach Ma Temple

Situated in the east, Bach Ma (White Horse) Temple was originally built in 866 at what is now 76 Hang Buom Street. The temple is dedicated to Long Do, the deity who safeguarded the livelihood and well-being of the capital’s residents and protected the city itself. It was later rebuilt during the Ly dynasty after 1010, making it the oldest temple among the Thang Long Tu Tran.

Across the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties—spanning 52 kings who ruled the ancient Thang Long capital— Bach Ma Temple bore witness to the city’s many changes. Today, the temple still reflects Nguyen dynasty architectural style and preserves valuable artifacts, including steles that recount legends about its construction, rituals devoted to the Long Do deity, and records of the temple’s restorations over more than a thousand years.

Voi Phuc temple

Voi Phuc Temple, located in Thu Le Village to the west of the ancient Thang Long capital, takes its name—meaning “Prostrating Elephants”—from the two kneeling elephant statues standing at its entrance.

Built in 1065 by King Ly Thanh Tong to honor his son, Prince Linh Lang—who made significant contributions to resisting the Song dynasty’s invasion and bravely sacrificed himself—the temple later gained even greater reverence during the Tran dynasty, when the prince was believed to have aided royal troops in repelling two Mongol invasions.

The temple preserves magnificent gilded horizontal lacquered boards and couplets written in Han (classical Chinese) characters, praising the deity’s virtue and sacred power. It was officially recognized as a national historical and cultural relic in 1962.

Kim Lien temple

Kim Lien Temple was first constructed during the Ly dynasty in Kim Hoa Village (now Kim Lien Ward). It is dedicated to Cao Son Dai Vuong, a guardian deity believed to protect the people from disasters and foreign invasions, ensuring peace and prosperity.

According to legend, Cao Son was a son of Lac Long Quan and Au Co – ancestors of the Vietnamese people—and one of the fifty children who followed their mother to the mountains. He later chose to settle and cultivate the land in the village, and after his passing, the villagers built the temple to honor him.

Historical records preserved in the temple show that King Ly Thai To ordered its reconstruction shortly after establishing the Thang Long capital in 1010, designating it as the protective shrine of the South.

Despite the passage of time and historical upheavals, Kim Lien Temple has largely been preserved in its original form. It houses valuable relics, including 33 royal decrees from the Le and Nguyen dynasties and a stone stele titled Cao Son Dai Vuong Than Tu Bi Minh (Inscription of the Deeds of the Cao Son Deity), carved in 1510. These treasures not only provide essential historical documentation but also offer insights into calligraphy, linguistics, and traditional Vietnamese artistic expression.

The temple was designated a national historical and cultural relic in 1990.

Quan Thanh temple

Located in the North, Quan Thanh Temple was built in the early years of King Ly Thai To’s reign on the northeastern shore of West Lake (present-day Quan Thanh Ward). In 1823, King Minh Mang renamed it Tran Vu Quan (Tran Vu Shrine), and in 1842, King Thieu Tri bestowed its current name, Quan Thanh Temple.

The temple is dedicated to Huyen Thien Tran Vu, the northern guardian deity believed to ward off demons and evil spirits. At its center stands a majestic bronze statue of the deity—3.96 meters high, with an eight-meter circumference, and weighing four tons.

This remarkable sculpture showcases the extraordinary bronze-casting craftsmanship of Vietnamese artisans of the past. The temple also preserves numerous relics and antiquities from different historical periods, including stone steles and royal decrees, with the oldest dating back to 1770.

Quan Thanh Temple was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic in 1962. In 2016, the bronze statue received further distinction as a national treasure, underscoring the temple’s profound historical and artistic significance.

Source: Vietnam Government Portal

Photos: Collected.