Outer Temple, Hat Mon Commune

OUTER TEMPLE - NATIONAL-LEVEL RELIC

The Outer Temple is located in Hat Mon Commune, Hanoi City, and is one of the two ancient temples of Hiep Thuan Village. It is about 50 m from the Inner Temple and Ba Te Pagoda, forming a valuable cluster of historical and cultural relics. The temple has an ancient, sacred atmosphere, and in front of it stands an ancient banyan tree closely associated with the cultural life of the community.

According to the surviving legend, the temple worships Princess Ngoc Phi, a figure from the era of An Duong Vuong, whose merits were recognized by royal edicts issued by feudal dynasties. The temple has a long history, as reflected in artifacts such as the Lady's palanquin, lacquered and gilded in the artistic style of the 18th–19th centuries.

Through war and time, especially during the scorched-earth resistance period, the relic site was severely affected. In 1949, local people collected the remaining components to rebuild the temple. Today, the relic site includes the Front Worship Hall, Rear Sanctuary, Left Wing, Right Wing, Ceremonial Gate, and auxiliary structures.

Every year, the traditional festival is held from the 7th to the 11th day of the third lunar month, with rituals including water procession, statue bathing, ritual text procession, ceremonies, and folk games.

With its outstanding values, the relic cluster comprising Ba Te Pagoda, the Inner Temple, and the Outer Temple was ranked as a National-Level Relic in 1990, contributing to the preservation of the locality's cultural and religious traditions.