Bach Ma Temple

Bach Ma Temple is located at 76 Hang Buom Street, in the center of Hanoi's Old Quarter. Bach Ma Temple worships the deity “Long Do Than Quang Loi Bach Ma Dai Vuong”. Long Do is the tutelary god of the Thang Long capital. The ancient book Viet dien u linh records: during the period of Chinese domination, Cao Bien built La Thanh (9th century) and had a contest of magic with the god; he lost and had to build a temple to worship him. Legend also says that in 1010, at the beginning of the era of independence and autonomy, Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long and planned to build a citadel, but it collapsed many times after being built. The king sent people to pray at Long Do Temple and saw a white horse come out of the temple. The king followed the horse's footprints and drew a plan to build the citadel, and the new citadel stood firm. The god was conferred by King Ly Thai To as the tutelary god of the Thang Long capital.

Bach Ma Temple is a large architectural work in Hanoi's Old Quarter. It is a complete and isolated relic, built facing southeast close to the Hang Buom Street sidewalk, on a plot 37.33m deep and 15.96m wide. The temple is large in scale; the overall layout includes architectural works on a main axis: Nghi Mon, Phuong Dinh, Tien Te, Trung Te, and Hau Cung. Although these architectural items have undergone many restorations, especially renovations for the 990th and 995th anniversaries of Thang Long - Hanoi, they still bear the typical artistic style of the 19th century with many decorative carvings and traditional architectural structures.

The system of stone steles remaining at the relic shows that the temple was expanded during the Chinh Hoa era under the Le dynasty (1680-1705). At the end of the 19th century, it was raised on the old foundation and further expanded. In 1781, Lord Trinh approved that the three giáp Mat Thai, Bac Thuong, Bac Ha of Ha Khau ward around Bach Ma Temple become “tao le” people (preparing offerings for worship, exempt from other corvée and miscellaneous duties). In 1829, it was repaired and made more magnificent. In 1839, a Van Chi was added to the left of the temple, and a Phuong Dinh (square pavilion) was built as a place for worship on seasonal occasions. The temple grounds were narrowed. On the occasion of the 990th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi (2000), the relic underwent major restoration while preserving the old architectural state.

The temple faces south and currently includes Tam Quan, Phuong Dinh, Dai Bai, Thieu Huong, Cung Cam, and Nha Hoi Dong at the rear. Phuong Dinh was newly built in 1839 under the Nguyen dynasty, so it strongly bears the architectural style of that time. The nghê creatures on the crossbeams and lotus-shaped lanterns on the tops of the four corner brackets are similar to the Phuong Dinh architecture in Hoi An. From Phuong Dinh to Dai Bai there is a vaulted roof shaped like a “crab shell”. The “crab shell” connects the buildings, creating a spacious space.

Dai Bai has a wooden frame with four rows of columns; its trusses are structured in the “chong ruong, gia chieng” style, and the roof is divided according to the “thuong tam, ha tu” type. On the wooden panels, corner beams, and stacked trusses, there are many carved panels. Decorative themes are clouds and flames, flowers and leaves. Connecting Dai Bai with Thieu Huong is a semicircular “crab shell” vault decorated with flowers and leaves.

Inside Cung Cam there is a high wooden platform, boarded on three sides, as the seat of the Bach Ma god. The statue of Bach Ma (Long Do) sits in a cabinet and is always kept covered. Both the statue and the cabinet are products of the Nguyen dynasty.

The temple still preserves 15 steles. Their contents mention the legend of the temple and the god, rituals of worship, and restorations. The temple has worship objects such as a set of ceremonial weapons including ancient weapons such as halberds, sabers, spears, hooks, etc., lacquered in red and gilded, exquisitely carved.

In the temple, besides bronze incense burners, bronze vases, and human statues, there are also Buddha statues. This detail reflects the folk concept of “tam giao dong ton” (the three religions are worshipped together). The temple also has a pair of tall-legged, long-necked cranes and a pair of standing attendants in a solemn posture.

The village temple festival is held annually in the second lunar month; formerly a buffalo-beating ceremony was held to welcome spring. The custom “Vot tho nguu”, that is, the whip striking the earthen buffalo; this is the ancient “da xuan nguu” custom of rice-growing agricultural people. According to Viet su luoc, in 1048, King Ly Thai Tong issued a decree establishing the “da xuan nguu” regulation. Regarding this custom, An Nam chi luoc also records: “At the Lap Xuan festival, the king sent the clan head to use a whip to strike the earthen buffalo. After that, the mandarins all put flowers on their hats and entered the palace to attend a banquet.” This custom was still prevalent in the Le era. Among the relics of the “Tu Tran”, Bach Ma Temple guards the east and was built earlier than all the others. Existing in the heart of the Old Quarter with many colors and elements of architectural art and a system of legends full of history and philosophy about the deity worshipped, Bach Ma Temple forever preserves its value as a sacred landmark of the thousand-year civilized capital of Thang Long.