On January 18, 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed decision No.93/QD-TTg to recognize five relic sites as national special ones, including Bach Ma Temple (Hoan Kiem District) in the East, Voi Phuc Temple in the West, Quan Thanh Temple (Ba Dinh District) in the North, and Kim Lien Temple (Dong Da District) in the South.
Delegates at the ceremony.
Known as four sacred temples of ancient Hanoi, they are considered the spirits and guardians of the capital city.
Bach Ma Temple was built at Tho Xuong District (Hang Buom Street at present) and worships Long Do, the genie who protected the Thang Long Royal Citadel.
Since its construction in 9th century, the Bach Ma Temple (White Horse temple) still keeps a lot of old valuable relics such as stone steles, palanquin, cranes and pairs of earthen statues for worship.
To honor Long Do genie, every year, the local authorities hold Bach Ma Temple festival on lunar February 12 and 13, which include offerings and cultural activities such as ceremonial songs, poem recitation and fencing.
At the ceremony, Chairman of the Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee Pham Tuan Long said Bach Ma Temple is the first of the four sacred temples of ancient Hanoi, and its recognition as a special national heritage site has again reaffirmed its historical and spiritual values.
Long said for many years, the Hoan Kiem District has allocated resources to promote the value of intangible heritages, aiming to preserve spiritual lives of the people along with economic development. Long expected the city to continue protecting and developing cultural heritages so that the city would soon become a cultural and innovative center of Southeast Asia.
