HOANH SON TEMPLE

Hoanh Son Temple, also known as Vinh Thinh Temple, is located in Vinh Thinh Village, Ngoc Hoi Commune, Hanoi City. The temple was built on a high, dry plot of land about 100 m east of Vinh Thinh Communal House, with its main architecture facing southeast.
The temple grounds are relatively spacious, with many components such as a two-tiered gate, a square pond in front with a bridge across it, a temple courtyard, two rows of Left and Right auxiliary halls, and the main worship area consisting of the Front Ceremonial Hall and the Rear Sanctuary. The overall architecture is arranged in a closed and balanced manner, creating a solemn space of worship.
Hoanh Son Temple was ranked as a national-level architectural and artistic relic in 1991 by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).
The temple worships Princess Lieu Hanh, one of the Four Immortals of Vietnamese folk belief. In addition, the temple also has an altar to Saint Tran and altars to attendant figures such as the two maids, along with altars to Son Trang, reflecting the combination of Mother Goddess worship and other spiritual elements.
Through successive feudal dynasties, Princess Lieu Hanh was granted many royal edicts and honored as a Superior Deity. From the time of her apotheosis, the king had a temple built for her and exempted the local people from taxes so that they could worship her.
Overall, Hoanh Son Temple is a relic with outstanding architectural and artistic value. The structure carries traditional architectural style with many finely carved details strongly marked by 19th-century artistic features, especially in the Front Ceremonial Hall with motifs of dragons, phoenixes, the four sacred creatures, and scenes of daily life. In addition, the temple preserves many precious artifacts such as gilded worship statues, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel couplets, and ritual objects. Not only is it a place of worship for Holy Mother Lieu Hanh, the temple is also an important center of religious activity for local people, contributing to the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values.