Ngoc Son Temple is located on Ngoc Island right in the heart of Hoan Kiem lake. The temple was built in the 19th century. In the past, this was originally a temple to worship Quan De to suppress evil. After this place was changed to a Buddhist temple, it was finally remodelled into the present-day temple.
How Ngoc Son temple is unique?
For a long time, when it comes to Ho Guom, Vietnamese people remember Rua Tower, The Huc Bridge, and Ngoc Son temple. These are not only attractive destinations associated with the culture and history of Hanoi people but also an ideal place to visit and relax.
Ngoc Son Temple, built in the nineteenth century, is one of the architectural works representing the traditional beauty of the national culture.
Unique harmonious architecture combined with religious culture through thousands of years of culture will be an interesting destination that visitors can hardly ignore when coming to the capital.
Visiting Ngoc Son temple, people easily feel the quiet, peaceful atmosphere in the bustling and noisy city. This temple is not only a spiritual place to offer incense to pray for peace and health, but also a place to relax, to feel life; to save beautiful pictures and discover the unique features of the culture of the Capital …
Must things to do in Ngoc Son Temple?
Right outside the gate of Ngoc Son Temple, you will be impressed with the image of Thap But. The tower was built on Ngoc Boi mountain, formerly Doc Ton mountain in 1865, according to the idea of the scholar Nguyen Van Sieu. On the Pen Tower engraved with 3 words “Ta Thanh Thien” – means “Write on the blue sky”
After purchasing tickets, you will have to cross The Huc Bridge to enter the temple. The bridge is red, the legs are made up of large pillars. The name of the bridge is The Huc which means “A place to receive sunlight in the early morning” or “Condensation of the spotlight”.
Going inside, you will be able to visit the two main temples here. 2 temple areas with 2 gods, Van Xuong De Quan and Tran Hung Dao. The two temples feature the architectural style of the temples in the North. In the 2 temples are 2 large statues. The statue of Duc Thanh Tran is placed in the harem with a stone pedestal higher than 1 meter high. The statue of Van Xuong holding a quill pen with a relaxed and elegant look.
Next to the temple area of the two gods, a special place that visitors come here must also admire is the area where the glass case holds the specimen of the Hoan Kiem turtle. The image of a dignified turtle with a strange large stature makes tourists curious when coming here.
In the south of the lake, there is Tran Ba Dinh, this name means to block the harmful cultural waves from entering the South at that time. The square house has eight roofs, the two-storey roof has 8 support columns, four outer columns are made of stone, and four are made of wood.
When is the best time to visit Ngoc Son Temple?
People can visit Ngoc Son Temple at any time of the year. However, according to the experience of going to the Ngoc Son temple ceremony. The best and most ideal time for visitors to visit and explore this famous tourist spot is on the first days of the New Year. The weather is a bit chilly. It is cold but the atmosphere of spring is everywhere with blooming flowers, making the landscape so romantic and poetic.
And this is also the occasion that the capital people eagerly go to the temples and pagodas to pray for a peaceful, lucky, and happy new year. Therefore, you should not ignore to join in with such bustling people!
How to get there?
Because it is located in the central area of Hanoi, moving here is relatively easy. For buses, you can choose from the following bus routes:
- 08: Departing from Long Bien wharf.
- 14: From Co Nhue.
- 31: Depart from Polytechnic University.
- 36: from the Long Bien transhipment point.
With motorbikes, you have a lot of options to move around, depending on where you are at present. You just need to remember the main streets of the city and then come. Currently, navigation applications such as Google map have become more and more popular so that you can travel more conveniently. Or if you want it to be simpler you can choose a taxi.
On weekend, Hanoi city has a policy of opening a pedestrian street in the area around Ngoc Son Temple and ban all vehicles. So if you want to visit the temple on weekends, you should pay attention to the travel.
Recommended accommodation
Some hotel nearest Ngoc Son Temple:
- Sunline Paon Hotel
- Hanoi Antique Legend Hotel
- Hanoi Marvellous Hotel & Spa
- Sunline Paon Hotel
- La Sinfonía del Rey Hotel & Spa
- Grand Cititel Hanoi Hotel
NOTES WHEN GOING TO NGOC SON TEMPLE
Ngoc Son Temple only sells tickets for visitors to visit the central area of the temple, so according to Hanoi tourism experience, if you go through The Huc Bridge without entering Dac Nguyet Lau, there is no need to buy a ticket. The temple is open to tourists on weekdays.
- From Monday – Friday: from 7:00 – 18:00.
- Saturday and Sunday: from 7 am -21h.
The temple is a shrine area, so visitors should note the following:
- Need to keep order when going into the worship area and the places of worship of the temple.
- Do not wear clothes that are too short, lack of sophistication when entering the temple.
- You should also not wear a hat, cover your umbrella when you burn incense and pray.
- Should travel gently, limit laughing to ensure the solemnity of the temple.
- When entering the temple you should remove your shoes and sandals outside according to the temple’s regulations!
- Tourists who come through can freely take pictures outside. However, should not take pictures inside the shrine area, as such is disrespectful to the saints. If you have a chance travel to Hanoi you should visit Ngoc Son Temple.
It’s good for
- Private tour, Group tour, family with kids, teen, solo and couple
- Suitable for Pilgrimage tours in Hanoi
