Quan Thanh Temple is located at the crossroads of Thanh Nien Street with Quan Thanh Street; opposite West Lake; which is always cool all year round. Built-in the Ly dynasty, Quan Thanh Temple is also known as Tran Vu Quan; because it is a place to worship Huyen Thien Tran Vu – a god who guarded the north of the ancient Thang Long capital.
With thousands of years of history, Hanoi treasures its collection of temples and pagodas and its accompanying traditional customs and festivals; including the worship of genii at four sacred temples surrounding Thang Long citadel.
In the ancient Thang Long exists four sacred temples; worshiping the Gods who guard the four main posts of the citadel in the north, south, east, and west.
The four Temples of Protective Gods are Bach Ma (White Horse) in the East, Voi Phuc (Kneeling Elephant) in the West, Kim Lien in the South, and Quan Thanh (Holy Mandarin) in the North; forming Thang Long Tu Tran (the four guards).
The architecture
Quan Thanh Temple was built according to Chinese architecture; consisting of three doors, courtyards, and three layers of the front, back, and middle houses.
The outer gate has four pillars with a statue of a lynx on the top; four phoenixes stand against each other; and on either side are two floating screens, shaped like a tiger down the mountain.
Behind the outside gate is the three-door structure with a structure like a communal house; consisting of three doors and two floors. Upstairs is a bronze bell weighing 1 ton, 1.5m high, cast in the reign of King Le Hy Tong; and the bell appeared many times in Vietnamese poetry and poetry.
How to get to Quan Thanh Temple
Quan Thanh Temple is located at the corner of Thanh Nien Street and Quan Thanh Street overlooking West Lake. Along with Tran Quoc Pagoda, Van Nien Pagoda, Phu Tay Ho, and many temples around the West Lake area, Quan Thanh Temple has contributed significantly to creating a harmonious architectural overview; and contains precious cultural and spiritual values.
To move to Quan Thanh Temple, you can take the initiative to go by personal means such as motorbikes, taxis, and buses.
Quan Thanh Street is located in the central area, so it is easy to find. From Ba Dinh Square, you follow the direction of Doc Lap and Hoang Van Thu and then turn right onto Hung Vuong Street. Go straight on Hung Vuong Street for more than 400m to reach the address of Quan Thanh Temple.
If you go by bus, you can choose routes 14, 33, and 50. These bus lines have stops near the temple, you only need to walk a short distance to reach the destination.
Of course, Quan Thanh Temple is an indispensable destination in the journey of the Hanoi City Tour double-decker bus.
Quan Thanh Temple opening hours
Quan Thanh Temple is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
On the 1st and the full moon day, the temple is open from 6 am to 8 pm.
In particular, on New Year’s Eve, the temple is open all night to serve the needs of the people to pray for peace.
What to do in Quan Thanh Temple?
On the full moon day of the month, or the 1st of the lunar calendar, or at the beginning of the new year, people often go to Quan Thanh Temple to pray for peace, good luck, and good fortune.
Every year on the 3rd day of the third lunar month, this place will hold a festival, with many different rituals and religious activities.
