Introduction
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital preserves many relics of the Dinh and Le dynasties because it is the capital these two kings chose. Both kings lived and died on this land. The most prominent relics belonging to the Dinh and Le dynasties are the Dinh and Le Temples.
Both Hoa Lu Temples of the Dinh & Le Dynasties were built in the 17th century and have great historical significance in Vietnamese history. These two kings also have a unique trait not found in any dynasty throughout thousands of years of Vietnam’s history. That is, they married the same woman, Queen Duong Van Nga. So, what is it about these two temples that makes them recognized as the top 100 famous monuments in Vietnam? Let Ninh Binh Private Car explain.
Summary of King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh
King Dinh Tien Hoang
Dinh Tien Hoang (March 22, 924 – October 979), real name Dinh Bo Linh, was the founder of the Dinh dynasty, Dai Co Viet country in Vietnamese history. He was instrumental in defeating the rebellion of 12 warlords, unifying the country, and becoming the first emperor of Vietnam after the Northern domination.
King Le Dai Hanh
Le Dai Hanh (August 10, 941 – April 18, 1005), real name Le Hoan, founded the Early Le dynasty of Dai Co Viet and ruled for 24 years. He is one of 14 typical heroes of the Vietnamese people. The king used to be a Mandarin under King Dinh Tien Hoang, but when the king died and faced a dangerous situation, Queen Duong Van Nga gave up power so Le Hoan could take the throne.
Visit the Dinh and Le Temples
King Dinh Temple
Geographic Location
Dinh Tien Hoang Temple is an important relic in the special protection zone of the Hoa Lu ancient capital heritage complex. The temple is in Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu City, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. The temple is in the center of the Eastern citadel of the ancient capital, Hoa Lu. This is the only place in Vietnam that simultaneously worships King Dinh Tien Hoang, his parents, and his sons, and it has tablets that worship the generals of the Dinh dynasty. Dinh and Le Temples are ranked “Top 100 famous 100-year-old buildings in Vietnam”.
Architecture Of Kinh Dinh Temples
King Dinh Temple, also known as Thuong Temple, was built on the foundation of the ancient palace in the Eastern Citadel of the Imperial City. The temple is designed in the style of “Noi cong ngoai quoc” and has three main areas: the worship hall, burning incense, and the main palace. Noi cong ngoai quoc means building the inside based on the word “Công” (工), the outside shaped like the word “Quốc” (国).
The worshiping area is a large yard where people burn incense before entering the temple. Inside the yard is a delicately carved dragon bed on a green monolithic stone slab. Next is the burning incense area, a place to worship four Mandarins who contributed to the Dinh court: Dinh Dien, Nguyen Bac, Trieu Tu, and Le Co.
Going deeper inside will be the central area of the palace, including five worship rooms. In front of the palace’s main gate is the Ngo Mon gate covered with moss, with the front and back engraved with eight words: “Bac Mon Toa Thuoc” and “Tien Trieu Phuong Khuyet.” The middle space of the main palace is where the majestic bronze statue of King Dinh Tien Hoang is placed. The room on the left is the place to worship Prince Dinh Lien – the king’s eldest son. The right side worships Crown Prince Dinh Hang Lang and Prince Dinh Toan – the king’s second son.
Dinh Tien Hoang Temples is an architectural work in wood carving by Vietnamese folk artists in the 17th century. King Dinh Temple is also a unique work of art with many rare and preserved antiques, such as palace bricks engraved with the wards Dai Viet Quoc Quan Thanh Chuyen and Buddhist scripture columns engraved with Sanskrit.
King Le Temples
The Le Temple belongs to one of Dinh and Le Temples at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and is a famous place that was once recognized as one of the 100 most famous works over 100 years old in Vietnam. At the same time, it is also a destination that tourists cannot miss when visiting Ninh Binh.
Geographic Location
King Le Dai Hanh Temple is a historical and cultural relic belonging to the unique national relic site of Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Ninh Binh province. The temple worships King Le Dai Hanh, Queen Duong Van Nga, and General Le Long Dinh. It also has tablets worshiping Princess Le Thi Phat Ngan and General Pham Cu Luong.
The scale of Le Temples compared to Dinh Temples in King Dinh and King Le Temples is not as large but still has a magical feature. The temple is located 300 meters from the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang, in the eastern citadel of the ancient capital Hoa Lu, now Yen Thanh ancient village, Truong Yen commune, Ninh Binh.
Both these destinations are really near some other tourist attractions such as Bai Dinh Pagoda, Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve, and Khe Coc Island.
Architecture Of Le Temples
Through Nghi Mon Ngoai along the main road, on the left is a large rockery shaped like a dancing phoenix, its beak facing the temple, its two wings as if flying. On the right-hand side is Tien Bai’s house, in front of which is a rockery “Ho Phuc,” consisting of a large trunk tree with nine mountains, with a lifespan of over 300 years. To the left of Tien Bai’s house is a rockery shaped like “Voi Quy” engraved with two Chinese characters, “Bat di.”
Following the main road to the right, there is also a large lake. The Nghi Mon Noi also has three rooms; following the main architectural path are two flower gardens, followed by two rows of gazebo houses. In the middle of the flower garden, on the right, there are two rockeries, “Phoenix Hamlet,” and on the left is the rockery “Dragon Horse.” A stone dragon bed is in the dragon yard near the middle of Bai Duong.
The temple has three buildings: the outer building is the Bai Duong, and the middle is the Incense Burner to worship Pham Cu Luong, who had meritorious services to King Le Dai Hanh. The central middle of the palace worships Le Hoan, who is facing forward; on the right is Le Long Dinh, facing north; on the left is Queen Duong Van Nga, facing south towards King Dinh temple.
How To Get To Dinh and Le Temples
The Dinh and Le Temples are about 12 km from Ninh Binh city center, so tourists have many transportation options. They can rent a motorbike, take a taxi, or travel by bus to get there. The two temples are only 300m apart, so you can visit King Dinh Temple and walk to King Le Temple.
If you travel alone, you can follow the following route: first, follow National Highway 1A to Hai Thuong Lan Ong. Then turn right onto DT 491 and continue to turn left to enter Trang An. From Trang An, you go through Ma Yen Mountain to reach Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. If you want to rent a motorbike or bicycle, you can check our articles at Ninh Binh Bike Rental, and Bicycle Rental Ninh Binh.
Dinh and Le Temples Ticket Price
The general ticket price to enter Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and enter Dinh Le Temples is relatively low, starting from only 20,000 VND per person and free for children under 1 meter. The equivalent is less than 1 dollar, so visitors can quickly pay for their trip.
Festival at Dinh and Le Temples
Ninh Binh province organizes the Hoa Lu festival every year on the 10th day of the third lunar month. The two temples solemnly perform traditional rituals, such as opening the temple door, conducting a water procession, performing woodwork, and offering offerings.
Local people and tourists flock to the Hoa Lu ancient capital relic site to attend this exciting traditional festival. At the same time, they offer incense at the temple of the two kings, praying for peace in the country, good weather, good crops, and prosperity and happiness for all people.
Conclusion
These two kings had many connections with each other, such as using Hoa Lu as their capital and taking the same wife. Dinh Le Temples now belong to the same relic, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. These two kings were wise soldiers and highly respected by the people during their reigns. Both contributed to building the increasingly developed country of Vietnam. If you have the opportunity, you can visit the temples of these two kings to observe historical relics at Dinh and Le Temples.