Vu Thach Vong Tu Temple

Vu Thach Vong Tu Temple is located on Bach Mai Street, Bach Mai Ward, Hanoi. The temple lies in the residential area of Bach Mai Ward, with Huong Tuyet Pagoda to its right and rear, and civil buildings on the other two sides. The temple was initially built in the 19th-century Nguyen era on a small, enclosed architectural scale including: the temple gate, temple courtyard, main temple, guest reception house, and the Co Pavilion and Cau Pavilion on either side of the courtyard. The main temple has a “tam” character layout including: the Front Ceremonial Hall, Central Ceremonial Hall, and Rear Sanctuary. The Front Hall consists of 3 bays, built with gable-end walls and traditional roofing. The roof ridge is decorated with a carp facing the nectar motif; the curved embossed border forms kim heads and rests on scroll-pattern motifs, with two biểu pillars topped with nghe statues on either side, and the panel frames left blank without decoration. The Central Ceremonial Hall consists of 3 bays, and the rear veranda is ceilinged to create space for arranging the altar. The Rear Sanctuary consists of 2 longitudinal bays. The Co and Cau pavilions were built as shrines, two stories with eight roofs, in traditional style.

Currently, Vu Thach Temple still preserves a fairly complete system of round statues, most dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are many rare artifacts and beautiful statues such as: the Dong Son Trang statue, Ngoc Hoang statue, Nam Tao statue, Bac Dau statue, etc. Vu Thach Temple is a place of Mother Goddess worship, a form of indigenous cultural belief that meets the local people's spiritual and cultural needs. Every year, on the occasions of the Thuong Nguyen, Vao He, Ra He, and Tat Nien festivals (15th day of the 1st lunar month; 1st day of the 4th; 1st day of the 7th; 15th day of the 12th lunar month), local people come here to offer incense and worship the saints.