Ngoc Son Temple

You can also discover the wonders of Vietnamese national beliefs that are hard to find elsewhere. Let’s learn more about this historical and cultural site with Origin Vietnam.

1. Where Is Ngoc Son Temple?

Ngoc Son Temple is located on Ngoc Island in the heart of Hoan Kiem Lake. The temple is located in the Northeast of Hoan Kiem Lake, on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hang Trong Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City, Vietnam. This temple is located in a prime location – the center of Hanoi city and only about 28 km southeast of Noi Bai International Airport.

2. How Is Ngoc Son Temple Unique?

Ngoc Son Temple is an ancient temple built in the 19th century, which has undergone many repairs and name changes. During the major restoration in 1865, people build many meaningful structures. They included Tran Ba ​​Temple, The Huc Bridge, Pen Tower and Inkstone Platform.

In addition, this temple, together with Turtle Tower and other structures, creates a complex of relics in harmony with nature, becoming a famous cultural and historical symbol of the capital.

With the fluctuations of history, Ngoc Son Temple was relating with many stages of development and innovation of the nation. And It was ranked as a special national monument in 2013.

Today, Ngoc Son Temple is not only a spiritual place but also a prominent name on the Hanoi tourism map. It attracts visitors by its ancient, quiet beauty imbued with the long-standing culture of the capital.

3. When Is The Best Time To Visit Ngoc Son Temple?

Ngoc Son Temple is a famous spiritual tourist destination in Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi. Therefore, the climate here is similar to the climate of Hanoi, with cool air almost all year round. Therefore, you can travel to Ngoc Son Temple at any time of the year to visit and worship.

According to the experience of previous tourists traveling to Hanoi. The ideal time to travel to Ngoc Son Temple is in the fall and spring, from September to April of the following year. Especially at the beginning of the year, tourists flock here to pray for a new year of good luck, health and success. 

Moreover, during this time, the air is cool and pleasant, the weather is mildly sunny and there is little rain. It creates favorable conditions for traveling, visiting and exploring the temple and participating in outdoor activities such as festivals, worship, etc.

4. How To Get To Ngoc Son Temple?

With a beautiful location right at Hoan Kiem Lake, visiting Ngoc Son Temple is not difficult at all. You can travel by motorbike, private car, taxi or bus.

4.1 By bus

Because Ngoc Son Temple is located in the central area of ​​Hanoi, traveling is very easy. If you want to save money, you can take the following bus routes:

• 08 route: from Long Bien station.
• 14 route: from Co Nhue.
• 31 route: from Bach Khoa University.
• 36 route: from Long Bien transfer point.

4.2. By motorbike, private car

Motorbikes and private cars are also the means of transport chosen by many tourists. There are 3 routes to Ngoc Son Temple for motorbikes and cars as follows:

• First route: Giang Vo → Nguyen Thai Hoc → Hai Ba Trung → Dinh Tien Hoang.
• Second route: Dai Co Viet → Hue Street → Dinh Tien Hoang.
• Third route: Kham Thien → Tran Hung Dao → Hang Bai → Dinh Tien Hoang.

** Note: Hanoi walking streets will take place on the weekend so vehicles will not be allowed in this area. Therefore, if you plan to visit Ngoc Son Temple during this time, you need to arrange it appropriately.

5. Who Is Worshiped At Ngoc Son Temple?

Ngoc Son Temple is the place to worship Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan and the god Van Xuong De Quan, a god revered as the god in charge of the fame and fortune of scholars.

In addition, the temple also has a Buddha worshiping palace, Tam Toa Thanh Mau, Cong Dong altar, … Showing the concept of the three religions of the same origin of the Vietnamese people at that time: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism. This harmony is clearly shown in the architecture, decoration and system of parallel sentences and horizontal lacquered boards at Ngoc Son Temple.

6. Opening Hours And Entrance Tickets To Ngoc Son Temple

6.1 Opening hours:

Ngoc Son Temple is open all week to welcome visitors. The specific opening hours of Ngoc Son Temple are as follows, visitors can arrange their own time and suitable schedule:

• From Monday to Friday, the temple is open from 7:00 – 18:00.
• Saturday and Sunday are open from 7:00 – 21:00.

6.2 Entrance fee:

When visiting Dac Nguyet Lau, visitors will have to buy an entrance ticket. If you only go to The Huc Bridge, you do not need to buy a ticket. The ticket price is applied depending on each different subject, including:

• Children under 1.2 m tall: free.
• Adults and children over 1.2 m tall: 50,000 VND/person/turn.

7. History Of Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 19th century, originally called Ngoc Son Pagoda and then renamed Ngoc Son Temple. Because the temple only worships two gods: Van Xuong De Quan – the star of literature and examinations, and Tran Hung Dao – the hero who defeated the Yuan army in the 13th century.

This place was named Ngoc Tuong when King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long, then changed its name to Ngoc Son in the Tran Dynasty. This place worships heroic martyrs who sacrificed heroically in the resistance war against the Yuan – Mongol army.

Not long after, this temple collapsed. During the reign of King Vinh Huu of the Le Dynasty (1735 – 1739), Lord Trinh Giang built Khanh Thuy Palace. At the end of the Le Dynasty, this palace was partly destroyed by Le Chieu Thong.

However, the people of Ta Khanh Village together built Khanh Thuy Temple on that historical land. To this day, this place still exists in Hang Hanh Alley, Hang Trong Ward, Hoan Kiem District. Khanh Thuy Temple is also connected to the ancient Ngoc Son relic on the old land, through the information shown on a stone stele that is still preserved.

After many changes and ups and downs of history, Ngoc Son Temple was restored in 1865 by Confucian scholar Nguyen Van Sieu. This temple was repaired with more land and stone embankments built around it, Tran Ba ​​communal house was built and a bridge from the East bank called The Huc Bridge was built.

8. Exploring The Unique Architecture Of Ngoc Son Temple

After many repairs, name changes and restorations, Ngoc Son Temple still retains its characteristic ancient architecture. When entering from the outer gate, you will be greeted by a wall decorated with dragon and tiger panels, along with two parallel sentences expressing the spirit of studying and taking exams.

After crossing The Huc Bridge, you will arrive at Dac Nguyet Lau – a building built with two domes, decorated with cloud reliefs at the four corners. Two relief paintings, including the Long Ma Ha Do horizontal scroll on the right and the Than Quy Lac Thu horizontal scroll on the left, are hung on Dac Nguyet Lau.

The architecture of Ngoc Son Temple is designed in the shape of the letter Tam, with three main areas including the worship hall, the middle hall and the back hall:

• The worship hall is where visitors first worship, decorated with a large altar and two pairs of birds.
• The central hall is dedicated to the gods of learning, including Van Xuong, Quan Vu and La To.
• The rear hall is dedicated to the national hero Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Yuan-Mongol army three times.

To the south of the temple is a pavilion called Tran Ba ​​- the wave-blocking pavilion. It is built in a square architecture with eight roofs, supported by eight pillars. The four outer pillars are made of stone and the four inner pillars are made of wood.

9. Some Other Special Structures Around Ngoc Son Temple

9.1 Pen Tower

The Pen Tower is located at the temple gate, built of stone with a height of 9m, placed on a mound of stone symbolizing Doc Ton mountain. On the tower, the words “Ta Thanh Thien” are engraved, meaning “Writing on the Blue Sky”. This tower has been around for more than 150 years up to now.

9.2 Inkwell

At the foot of the Pen Tower, there is an Inkwell made of green stone and placed on three toads. On the surface of the Inkwell is engraved a poem by Confucian scholar Nguyen Van Sieu. If you are lucky, you will visit the temple at noon and admire the shadow of the Pen Tower precisely in the middle of the Inkwell, creating a unique and unforgettable image.

9.3 The Huc Bridge

The Huc Bridge is a bridge made of wood, with a curved shape like a shrimp. The name “The Huc” means the place to welcome the first rays of sunlight in the early morning. This is a typical symbol of the Sun God and is also the path leading to Ngoc Son Temple.

10. Visiting Inside Ngoc Son Temple

The special feature that attracts the attention of visitors to Ngoc Son Temple is the display of two replicas of the “turtle” placed in glass cages. On the left is a replica of the turtle that died in 1967, and on the right is a replica of the last turtle found in 2016.

To create the replica of the last turtle, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology cooperated with experts from the Berlin Museum to use the German plastination method for two years.

Using a modern lighting system and specimen preservation technology, the image of the replica turtle is displayed very clearly. If you have the opportunity to visit Ngoc Son Temple, you should not miss this area.

11. Enjoying Hanoi Specialties When Visiting Ngoc Son Temple

11.1 Bun Cha (Hanoi vermicelli with grilled pork) 

When talking about delicious Hanoi dishes, people often mention bun cha as a favorite dish of many people. The dish is simple, made with familiar ingredients but has a special delicious flavor. A portion of bun cha includes vermicelli, grilled pork and pork balls, grilled meat, fish sauce and vegetables.

The important step in making a delicious bun cha dish is the marinating stage. The meat and pork are grilled on a fragrant charcoal stove until the edges are burnt, served with an attractive sweet and sour fish sauce.

Suggestions for some delicious Bun Cha restaurants in Hoan Kiem district: 

• Hang Qua restaurant: 74 Hang Quat, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. 
• Hang Than restaurant: 34 Hang Than, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. 
• Cua Dong restaurant: No. 41 Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. 
• Bat Su restaurant: 23 Bat Su, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. 

11.2 Hanoi Pho (Hanoi beef noodle) 

When mentioning the delicious dishes of the capital, it is impossible not to mention Pho. No one knows when Hanoi pho was created, but we only know that this delicious dish was relating with many generations of people born and raised in Hanoi.

A delicious bowl of Hanoi pho must have enough soft pho noodles, clear and sweet broth, crispy fatty pork, served with onions, lemon, chili, herbs, etc. On cool autumn days in Hanoi, there is nothing better than enjoying a delicious bowl of pho with hot broth, soft and delicious pho noodles.

Suggestions for some delicious Pho restaurants in Hoan Kiem district: 

• Ly Quoc Su restaurant: No. 61 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. 
• Bat Dan restaurant: No. 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
• Ly Beo restaurant: No. 4 Hang Non, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. 
• Hang Trong restaurant: No. 8 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. 

11.3 Hanoi sticky rice 

Hanoi has many delicious sticky rice restaurants. If you ask what to do in Hoan Kiem district, what to eat, the locals will tell you about the typical sticky rice restaurants in Hanoi. Sticky rice dishes in Hanoi are skillfully cooked, showing the meticulousness and sophistication of Hanoians.

Here, there are many sticky rice dishes with unique flavors such as sticky rice with jackfruit, sticky rice with Xeo, sticky rice with birds, sticky rice with corn, etc. Although they are all cooked from sticky rice, each sticky rice dish has its own way of preparing the filling, creating a different and delicious dish.

Suggestions for some delicious sticky rice restaurants in Hoan Kiem District:

• Mrs Yen sticky rice shop: 35B Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
• Xoi Xiu: 29 Nguyen Sieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
• Cat Lam sticky rice shop: 24B Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
• Mrs Thu’s family tradition sticky rice shop: 57 Tho Nhuom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

12. Accommodation When Traveling To Ngoc Son Temple

When traveling to Ngoc Son Temple, you can refer to some of the following accommodations:

• Melia Hanoi Hotel. Address: No. 44 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City.
• Solaria Hanoi Hotel. Address: No. 22 Bao Khanh Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City.
• Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi. Address: No. 21 Hang Khay Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City.
• De L’Opera Hanoi Hotel – MGallery. Address: 29 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi City.
• Acoustic Hotel & Spa. Address: No. 39 Tho Nhuom, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City.
• Hanoi Paradise Center Hotel & Spa. Address: No. 22/5 Hang Voi, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City.
• La Sinfonía del Rey Hotel & Spa. Address: No. 33-35 Hang Dau, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City.
• Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Address: No. 15 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City.

13. Some Other Famous Tourist Attractions Near Ngoc Son Temple

Besides Ngoc Son Temple, Hanoi tourism also attracts visitors with many other famous landmarks. Some destinations are located near Ngoc Son Temple that are convenient for traveling for your reference:

• Ba Kieu Temple: 46m from the temple.
• National History Museum: 1.3km away.
• Hoa Lo Prison: 1.7km away.
• Thang Long Imperial Citadel: 2.2km away.
• Thang Long Water Puppet Theater: 100m away.
• Hanoi Old Quarter: 550m away.
• Government Guest House: 150m away.
• Hoa Lo Prison: 1.7km away.
• Hanoi Opera House: 1.1km away.

14. Some Important Notes When Traveling To Ngoc Son Temple

To make your trip to Ngoc Son Temple a complete joy, you need to refer to the necessary notes below:

• You can visit the temple any day, however, on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, the temple will be relatively bustling and crowded. If you are afraid of crowded places, you should avoid going at this time.
• Autumn and Spring are the times with the most ideal climate to visit Ngoc Son Temple and check in at The Huc Bridge.
• When entering the main temple area, you need to pay attention to the two side doors. Avoid going through the middle door and having to step over the threshold.
• Make sure to keep order, speak softly, and dress respectfully.
• Limit taking pictures inside the worship area.
• Keep the general landscape clean, do not litter.
• You should keep your personal belongings and valuables safe. Avoid being stolen by thieves, especially when there are many people.

With the perfect combination of architecture and spirituality, Ngoc Son Temple is a must-see destination for those who love to learn about Vietnamese cultural history. When traveling to Ngoc Son Temple, you will feel the peaceful, quiet breath in the middle of the bustling, bustling urban area and admire the ancient architectural masterpiece of the Capital.

With updated and useful information about the experience of traveling to Ngoc Son Temple. That Origin Vietnam – a professional tour operator, has just shared in the above article. Hopefully, it will help you on your upcoming trip to Vietnam. We also accompany you on the Hanoi tours to explore the ancient beauty of this temple with the most complete and perfect experiences.