Enjoy the Vietnamese kitchen: Hanoi Delights and Discover old temples: Hue Impressions

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Temples around West Lake in Hanoi

See the location on West Lake Google Map

Chua Phu Tay Ho: Located on a peninsula into Tay Ho Lake. It's popular among unmarried people, who pray here for good fortune during the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. Phu Tay Ho is also known for Bun Oc (escargot vermicelli soup) and Banh Tom (shrimp cakes), sold in stalls along the way.


Picture
© marhas1



Above the door. Picture © marhas 1


On the roof. Picture © marhas1


Picture © macloo


Picture © marhas 1


Picture © marhas 1


Picture © macloo


Picture © marhas 1

See also a video by designerchau on youtube.com.

Listen to Music; Chieu Phu Tay Ho


Den Quan Thanh: It is one of the “Thang Long tu tran”, the four famous sacred temples (the other three are Bach Ma (White Horse), Voi Phuc (Kneeling Elephant) and Kim Lien). It is also known als Tran Vu Temple. It was built under the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) and later reconstructed.


Th entrance with three doors and bell tower and four pillars in front, decorated with bas-reliefs. Picture © DucLoi


Picture © rosie.mowat


During Tet, picture © AlienCC


Inside the building: a giant black bronze statue of Huyen Thien Tran Vu, 3.72 metres high, weighing four tonnes. The statue from 1677 documents a refined bronze casting technique of Vietnamese people in the 17th century. Tran Vu was the God of the North. His attributes are a tortoise and a snake. Picture © Annie

See a video of Quan Thanh Temple


Chua Kim Lien: The Golden Lotos Pagoda, a Buddhist temple. From the lake the pagoda looks like a golden lotus, floating on the water’s surface. Unlike other pagodas Kim Lien has a wooden entrance gate of three arches. The gate, also known as cong tam quan, has two stories with eight roofs with ngoi mui hai (tiles with curved tops) and sword shapes on the edges. In the 13th century Dong Long Pagoda was built here. In 1771 it was renovated and the name was changed to Kim Lien. Kim Lien is composed of three pavilions, each has 2 roof layers and the appearance of being slightly curved and supple. They are called Ha (lower), Trung (middle) and Thuong (upper). Read more about the pagoda on vietnamnet.vn


Picture by © Thanh Tam


Picture © Thanh Tam


Picture © Maciej



Chua Tran Quoc: One of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam. The legend says it was built during the Nam De Dynasty (544-548) at the Cai River. When the river bank crumbled in the reign of King Le Kinh Tong (1600-18) the pagoda was rebuilt on Ca Vang island in the middle of West Lake. Later it became the name Tran Quoc ("Protecting the nation"). Inside the pagoda you discover the gilden statue of Sakyamouni Buddha's Parinirvana, a masterpiece of Vietnamese sculptural art.


Picture © Sean Munson


Picture © Rolfmueller


Picture © Sean Munson


Picture © Hanoi Mark


Picture © Hanoi Mark



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