1. Hung Kings’ Temple Historical Relic
The historical relic of Hung Kings’ Temple is located in Co Tich Hamlet, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Thu Province. It is the worship place of Hung Kings, the Ancestors of Vietnamese people who established the country. This land has many rivers, lakes, hills and mountains, and there are also the fields fertilized by the alluvium of three rivers. This place is both favourable to sedentary life and convenient for defending or retreating when tribal conflicts occur.
The Entrance to the Center of Hung Kings’ Temple Festival
Currently, the traces of residents of the Hung Kings’ Era still remain in dozens of archaeological sites. Those archaeological sites are the proofs to an era of brass metallurgy and wet rice cultivation of an agricultural civilization that existed for millennia.
Hung Kings’ Temple is the center and the focus about the era of Hung Kings. The temples of Hung Kings are located in Nghia Linh Mountain (or Ca Mountain by local people, as well as the other names of Hung Mountain and Hy Cuong Mountain), with an altitude of 175 m above sea level. In the past, this area was a tropical jungle. Today Hung Mountain still retains the appearance of a natural jungle with different generations of trees, including 150 species of herbs belonging to 35 families.
From far away, Hung Mountain looks like the head of a big dragon looking toward the South, and the body of the dragon is curved along Troc Mountain, Van Mountain and Pheo Mountain. Behind Hung Mountain there are big hills adjacent to each other in a range of 10 km just like a herd of elephants bounding for the Ancestral Land, and in front of the mountain is Bach Hac confluence of the three largest rivers of the North of Vietnam: Red River, Lo
River and Da River. This is an immense area of water in which there are undulating short hills which are like a bale of turtle moving toward Nghia Linh. From the top of Nghia Linh Mountain, we can have an overview of a vast area with a poetic beauty of the nature. Legend has it that, after traveling across many places, Hung King chose this land to build the Capital city.
The historical relic of Hung Kings’ Temple includes 4 temples, 1 pagoda, 1 tomb and a number of other architectural constructions built in harmony with the magnificent natural landscape of the gathering place of the national sacred energy.
* The Ha Temple (Lower Temple)
The temple was constructed in the 17 th and 18 th Centuries in the architectural shape of character “=” (“two”) consisting of a front ceremonial hall (Tien bai) and a back sanctum (Hau cung). Ha Temple has a simple architecture style with trusses, lower chord and pillar connections and shoe-tip shape tile roofing.
Legend has it that, this was the place where Mother Au Co gave birth to a wrap of one hundred eggs which then hatched into a hundred sons, the ancestors of Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese popular word “dong bao” (literally: children from the same egg wrap) also originated from this legend. When the children grew up, 50 of them followed the father, Lac Long Quan, to go to the coastal area for embanking the sea to expand the territory. Meanwhile, Mother Au Co brought 49 sons, getting to the mountains to grow mulberry, raise
silkworms, make fabrics and establish life. The eldest son stayed to be King, setting a beginning for an 18-generation reign of Hung Kings.
Ha Temple in Early Morning
* Thien Quang Pagoda
This pagoda was formally called "Vien Son Co Tu" (The Ancient Pagoda of Vien Son), changed into "Thien Quang Thien Tu" (Thien Quang Pagoda). The pagoda was built in Tran Dynasty, rebuilt in the 15 th Century and subjected to a major repair in Nguyen Dynasty. Currently, the architecture design of the pagoda is in the shape of character “工” (“effort”) consisting of three buildings: a Front hall (Tien duong (5 compartments), the Hall of the Triple Gem (Tam bao) (3 compartments) and the Upper ceremonial hall (Thuong dien), and covered by a surrounding corridor. The pagoda is roofed with shoe-tip shape tiles with curved end and the edge of the roof is decorated with a figure of two dragons heading toward the moon (“luong long chau nguyet”).
At the entrance of the pagoda, there is a nearly-800-year-old sago palm. On 19 September 1945, at this place, President Ho Chi Minh sat under this sago palm to work before coming back to take over Hanoi the Capital.
Thien Quang Pagoda in a Sunny Day
* The Trung Temple (Middle Temple)
This temple is called “Hung Vuong To Mieu” (The Temple of Hung Kings the Ancestors). The temple was constructed in Ly-Tran Dynasty. It was destroyed by the Ming Invaders in the 15 th Century, then was rebuilt afterward. The current architecture design of the temple is in the shape of character “-” (“one”) with a simple 3-compartment style of trusses, lower chords with pillars hidden in the wall and no actual pillar. The roof of the pagoda is covered with
shoe-tip shape tiles.
Legend has it that, this was the place where Hung Kings and the “Lac Hau” (courtiers) and “Lac Tuong” (Generals) often gathered for sightseeing and discussing national affairs. Here, the 6 th Hung King passed the throne to Prince Lang Lieu, the filial son who created Chung cake and Giay cake.
Trung Temple - Where Hung Kings Discussed National Affairs
* The Thuong Temple (Upper Temple)
The temple is called “Kinh thien linh dien” (The celestial shrine in Nghia Linh Mountain). Legend has it that Hung Kings often went up to the top of Nghia Linh Mountain to carry out the agricultural ritual of worshipping the Earth, the Heaven and the God of Rice to wish for rich crops and prosperity.
As of 15 th Century the temple was built in a significant scale. In Nguyen Dynasty, the royal court granted money and authorized courtiers to supervise the major repair of the temple.
Currently, the architecture design of the temple is in the shape of character “王” with four buildings: The house of bells and drums, The Great ceremonial hall (Dai Bai), The Front ceremonial hall (Tien Te), and the Back sanctum (Hau cung).
On 18 September 1962, when visiting Hung Kings’ Temple, President Ho Chi Minh took a mid-day nap at the Southeast sub-entrance of the Thuong Temple. Before leaving, he emphasized the need of planting more trees and rebuilding Hung Kings’ Temple to be a historical park for the future generations.
Thuong Temple
* The Tomb of Hung King
As per the legends, it is the tomb of the 6 th Hung King. Before passing away, he requested to be buried in Ca Mountain so that he can look after the country for the next generations. In the pass, it was just an earthen grave and was rebuilt into a tomb in the 27 th Tu Duc year (1870). The tomb then experienced a major repair in the 2 nd year of Khai Dinh (1922) to have the
current appearance.
The Tomb of Hung King
* The Stone Column of Oath
Legend has it that, when Hung King passed the throne to Thuc Phan An Duong Vuong, An Duong Vuong made an oath to protect the nation handed by Hung King and to offer incense to all Hung Kings forever.
The Stone Column of Oath
* Gieng Temple
Legend has it that, this is the well which Tien Dung and Ngoc Hoa, daughters of the 18 th Hung King often used as a mirror when following their father on his circuit across this area. These two princess taught people here to grow rice and to manipulate water and the local people established a temple toworship them.
The temple was built in the 18 th Century around the well itself. Therefore, nowadays, the well is still standing in the back sanctum of the temple with clean and cool water which never runs off.
Currently, the temple is in an architecture design of the shape of of character “工” (“effort”) consisting of a front ceremonial hall (Tien bai), a corridor and a back sanctum (Hau cung). The back sanctum was constructed as an extended compartment in the shape of a maul. The temple is roofed with shoe-tip shape tiles the edge of the roof is decorated with a figure of two dragons heading toward the moon (“luong long chau nguyet”).
On 19 September 1954 when visiting Hung Kings’ Temple, President Ho Chi Minh, while talking to the officers of the “Vanguard Division” (Dai Doan Quan Tien Phong), gave a teaching that:
"Các Vua Hùng đã có công dựng nước
Bác cháu ta phải cùng nhau giữ lấy nước"
(“We must protect the country that Hung Kings established.”)
Visitors Offering Incense at Gieng Temple
2. Lac Long Quan Temple Relic
The temple of the National Ancestor Lac Long Quan was built at the foot of Sim Mountain in 2006 within the architecture complex of Hung Kings’ Temple Historical Relic. It is located over 100 m from the main gate of Hung Kings’ Temple as the crow flies.
From the top of Sim Mountain, it is possible to have an overview of a vast area with rolling mountains. Facing the mountain is an immense and plain field stretching toward a large lake. To the left of Sim Mountain is Hoc Nay Mountain and to the right, it is Non Mountain with Mother Au Co Temple from far away. This is the gathering place of sacred and magnificent landscapes of the nature.
Lac Long Quan Temple turns to the Southwest with the architecture design in the shape of character “丁” (“robust”), consisting of: the temple gate, the Middle hall (Phuong Dinh), the Left Hall (Ta Vu), the Right Hall (Huu Vu), the main pillars and the main temple. The temple has a traditional architecture with lacquered and gilded ironwood, red brick walls and shoe-tip shape tile roofing.
In the temple, there are the bronze statues of The National Ancestor Lac Long Quan and the Lac Hau (courtiers) and Lac Tuong (generals). The temple of The National Ancestor Lac Long Quan creates a complex of landscape architecture, contributing to the preservation and regeneration of the historical image and meeting the needs of the people in worshiping the national ancestor.
Lac Long Quan Temple at the Foot of Sim Mountain
3. Mother Au Co Temple Relic
Mother Au Co Temple was built on the top of Van Mountain (official nname: Oc Son Mountain) in Co Tich Village, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province with an altitude of 170.2 m above sea level belonging to the system of “tam son cam dia” (the three mountains of the forbidden land) of Hung Mountain, Troc mountain and Van Mountain.
From the top of Van Mountain, it is possible to have an overview of a vast area with a charming beauty of the nature. In front of Van Mountain is Hung Mountain, the worship place of Hung Kings. From far away, Hung Mountain looks like the head of a big dragon, and the body of the dragon is curved along Troc Mountain and Van Mountain. There is the Red River on the left and Lo River on the right which are like two red silk strips covering the three "Ancestral Mountains” at the center. Behind Van Mountain, it is a range of adjacent short hills attached to the legend of “a hundred elephants bounding for the Ancestral Land”. The landscape here is spectacular and magnificent with the concentration of the sacred energy of the nature.
Mother Au Co Temple is an architecture complex consisting of: the main temple of Mother Au Co, the left hall (nha ta vu), the right hall (nha huu vu), the hall of epitaphs, the great pillars, the triple arched gate, etc. The temple complex is designed in a combined style of tradition and modernity. The decorative patterns are similar to those of the Dong Son Brass Drum: wooden pillars with stone bearings, raw red brick walls, temple roofs with curved edges as the wings of a Lac bird (a Vietnamese legendary bird), gate pillars with the shape of a brush writing on the sky, etc. This style of architecture make visitors feel close to the Mother and also bring a sacred vibe to the temple.
In the back sanctum (hau cung) of the temple stands a bronze statue of Mother Au Co beneath which are the statues of the Lac Hau (courtiers) and Lac Tuong (generals).
Legend has it that the three “Ancestral Mountains” is the place retaining the vestiges of the Ancestors. Mother Au Co married Father Lac Long Quan at Lang Suong Cave - Thanh Thuy, came back to Hung Mountain and gave birth to a hundred eggs which then hatched into a hundred sons. When the children grew up, 50 of them followed the father, Lac Long Quan, to go to the coastal area for embanking the sea to expand the territory. Meanwhile, Mother Au Co brought 49 sons, getting to the mountains to grow mulberry, raise silkworms, make fabrics and establish life. In folklore, Au Co is the image of the very first mother who gave birth to the whole nation.
Mother Au Co Temple is a large cultural construction complementing the religious architecture complex of the Hung Kings’ Temple Historical Relic which represent the gratitude of Vietnamese People to Au Co, the sacred mother of all Vietnam.
Mother Au Co Temple on the Top of Oc Son Mountain
4. The Hung Kings Museum
Hung Kings Museum was built in 1986 with the design of the Vietnam Association of architect according to the legend of Chung cake and Giay cake which reflects the concept of the ancient Vietnamese people about the rounded shape of the sky and the square shape of the earth.
In 1993, the museum opened to welcome visitors with more than 700 artifacts, 102 photos, 4 glazed ceramic pictures, 5 lacquer paintings, 9 bronze pictures, 5 shaped boxes, a group of bronze statues and many auxiliary artifacts. The museum presents an overview of Van Lang nation establishment cause of Hung Kings by the 7 main themes: The country and the people in the primitive era; Starting to establish the nation; the Van Lang nation establishment cause of Hung Kings; The children’s tribute to Hung Kings.
The Hung Kings Museum
Contact details for tour booking and necessary services:
- Hung Kings’ Temple Service - Tourism Center
Hung Kings’ Temple Historical Relic Area, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City,
Phu Tho Province
Tel: (84-210) 3860 026
Email: dulichdenhung@gmail.com
Website: http://denhung.phutho.gov.vn - http://denhung.org.vn