Giong Temple – Sacred Place in the Bustling Capital

Statue of St. Giong in temple complex, Soc Son, Hanoi

Soc Temple relic is located in an immense mountain with four seasons green trees and golden bamboo trees. Red tiled roof temple hidden under the ancient tree with hundreds of years old evokes the solemn beauty of this place. Giong Temple in Soc Son is a destination associated with a legend of St Giong hero who flew to heaven after defeating An invaders, and this temple is rated as a national monument in 1962.

Giong Temple – Sacred Place in the Bustling Capital
Giong Temple – Sacred Place in the Bustling Capital

The temple is originated from a small. There was a story about the construction of the temple. Once, King Le Hoan (Le Dai Hanh) along with soldiers and generals were on the way to fight against Tong invaders, the king went to the temple to organize a blessing ceremony. During the battle, our army gained the victory, when King Le Dai Hanh returned, he hold the thanksgiving ceremony and built a majestic temple here. Meanwhile, the name of Phu Dong Thien Vuong appeared at that time.
Soc Son Temple is famous for 6 architectural buildings with high values of history and art. Trinh Temple, Mother Temple (where people worship the mother of Saint Giong), Dai Bi Pagoda, Thuong Temple, Trong stone and tombstones recording the history and Soc Temple Festival which form a harmonious space. All these buildings were built and rebuilt from the pre-Le, repeatedly embellished, renovated through different dynasties, which contributed to the increasingly beautiful relic. In particular, the oldest dating place is Thuong Temple worshipping Saint Giong.

Statue of St. Giong in temple complex, Soc Son, Hanoi
Statue of St. Giong in temple complex, Soc Son, Hanoi

Ha Temple also known as Trinh temple worships the god of earth and mountain who rule the Soc Mountain. Mother or Mau Temple worships the mother of Saint Giong. Mau Temple and Ha Temple have a smaller area than Thuong Temple. However, they are carved with a very delicate carving skills following Vietnam ancient architecture.
Not far from the Trinh Temple is Dai Bi Pagoda. The small temple has a unique architectural style. Inside, the temple is decorated by splendid and majestic horizontal lacquered boards and parallel sentences.
Situated at a height of 110m compared with the base of the mountain, it is Non Nuoc Pagoda. Due to the high location, the space of the temple becomes more spacious, and the air around the temple is very fresh and pure. Tourists will have a chance to enjoy the feeling of pleasure when inhaling natural flavors, peaceful and fresh atmosphere with a faint scent blended with the wind.
Leaving Non Nuoc Pagoda, visitors can continue climbing the stone steps to the top of towering Ve Linh Mountain to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding from a far distance.
Owning a charming beauty of mountains and sea, Soc Temple relic will give visitors a sense of calm and relaxed.

Giong festival
Giong festival