Location: on Ngoc Son island of Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi city
Characteristics: despite a new architecture work, Ngoc Son Temple is a typical example about architectural space.
Ngoc Son Island used to be known as Tuong Nhi (mean Elephant’s ear). The King Ly Thai To moved capital to Thang Long and named the island Ngoc Tuong and then it was renamed Ngoc Son in Tran dynasty. This place built a temple to worship the soldiers who sacrificed in the resistance war against Mongol. This temple was collapsed. Until Vinh Huu reign of Le dynasty (1735 – 1739), Lord Trinh Giang built Thuy Khanh palace and two soil mountains at the Eastern bank opposite to Ngoc Son and named Dao mountain and Ngoc Boi. At the end of Le dynasty, Thuy Khanh palace was destroyed by Le Chieu Thong. A philanthropist, namely Tin Trai set up a pagoda called Ngoc Son on the foundation of old Thuy Khanh palace. In the 3rd year of Thieu Tri reign (1843), a charity removed steeple and rebuilt the main rooms of palace, the suites, worshiped Van Xuong De quan and renamed the temple into Ngoc Son.
According to “Ha Thanh linh tich co luc” book, Ngoc Son island had a temple worshiping Quan Cong (Chinese general) in Le dynasty, a man famous for loyalty in Tam Quoc (China). The temple was then used as a place to examine the soldiers by king Le and Lord Trinh. The people in Ha Thanh laid the statue of Saint Tran beside Quan Cong to worship. However, “Kham dinh Viet su thong giam cuong muc” supposed it as Le Lai statue.
The next is roller door called Nghien stage tower with a stone nghien muc. The name The Huc means retaining beautiful light from the sun. The Huc bridge is the pathway leading to Ngoc Son temple. The main temple comprises 2 adjacent temples. The first temple worships Tran Hung Dao and Van Xuong in the north. Van Xuong statue was placed on a stone pedestal of 1 m high with stone stairs at both sides. In the south is Tran Ba communal house with eight 2-storey roofs and 8 pillars. 4 exterior pillars were made of stone, 4 interior ones were wooden. Besides Van Xuong De Quan, La Dong Tan, Quan Van Truong, the temple also worships Buddha.
The combination between Ngoc Son temple and Hoan Kiem lake created a unified overall architecture of Heaven-Man, creating ancient beauty, harmony, balance between temple and lake. The temple and the lake became witness recalling memories in the past on national history, awakening pride, patriotism as well as awareness of Vietnamese people about everlasting survival of the nation.