Ha Temple (also called Mau Temple)

Ha Temple, also called Mau Temple, lies outside the dike, east of Thuong Temple, about 500 m from Thuong Temple, with an area of about 28,956.2 m2. The temple worships the mother of Saint Giong, also called Holy Mother. Its Sino-Vietnamese name is “Khanh Quang Dien”. Previously, the Holy Mother was worshipped together with Saint Giong at Thuong Temple. In the 4th year of Chinh Hoa (1683), the Holy Mother began to be worshipped in a separate temple in Ngo Xa village (her homeland, that is, Dong Vien village). Ten years later (1693), the temple was moved near Gieng Pagoda (Tap Phuc Pagoda), at its current location.

The temple is situated on high ground, with dikes encircling it like the embrace of a sacred dragon. The temple includes a three-door ceremonial gate, two front and rear worship halls. Passing through the temple gate into the courtyard are two rows of left and right auxiliary buildings, where a 600 kg bronze bell and a 150 kg bronze gong are hung on frames made of stone columns and stone beams. Next are two rows of front worship halls, with many horizontal plaques and parallel couplets, lacquered red and gilded. From the front worship hall, entering the sanctuary, which consists of 5 compartments made of lim wood, with many columns and a solid tiled roof. The temple still preserves a number of valuable artifacts: a pair of stone statues, a set of silver altar vessels, two stone incense burners, along with 14 imperial edicts from various dynasties (from Le Hy Tong in 1683 to Duy Tan in 1909).

On the 21st day of the second lunar month every year, some members of the Ban Khanh Tiet at Thuong Temple, neatly dressed in scarves and robes, go down to Co Trach to perform ceremonies and then carry the Holy Mother back to Ha Temple for worship. Since 1986, elderly women and pagodas have organized processions of the Saint palanquin, flower palanquin, offering palanquin, bat cong palanquin... becoming the “Phung Nghe” festival, with hundreds of participants. On holidays, Tet, and even ordinary days throughout the year, Buddhists from all directions come in large numbers to offer incense and worship the Holy Mother, praying that the Mother will protect the people of Vietnam with peace, tranquility, and prosperity.

Ha Temple is a relic within the Phu Dong Temple Relic Site, which was ranked as a special national relic by the Prime Minister in 2013.