Leaning against Doc Mountain, facing the sea of Do Son, Ba De Temple has long become a famous spiritual destination of Hai Phong.
Not only attracting tourists with picturesque landscapes, the temple is also associated with a tragic legend about the talented and beautiful girl Dao Thi Huong.
According to folk legend, Dao Thi Huong was born into a poor family in the ancient Ngoc Do Son region. From a young age, she was famous for being beautiful, having a clear voice and radiating a fragrant aroma and a strange aura.
Once, when Lord Trinh Giang was traveling through Do Son, hearing the singing and meeting beauties, the Lord fell in love.
Later, when she became pregnant, villagers gossiped, Hang Tong knew about it and forced her parents to pay a fine. But because the family was poor and had no money to pay the fine, Hang Tong drowned her in the sea.
Before her death, she looked up to pray to the Buddha to witness her injustice. Legend has it that her body floated up 3 times in the waves, causing witnesses to be horrified and believe that she was wronged.
When she learned of the story, Lord Trinh set up an altar to exonerate her and built a temple right at the place where she died. Later, King Tu Duc visited and bestowed the title "Dong Nhac De Ba - Trinh Chua Phu Nhan".
The architecture of Ba De Temple is not too elaborate but still has a solemn and peaceful appearance. The main hall worships Ba De and her mother, both sides coordinate the worship of Tam Toa Thanh Mau and the altars of the Sea King, Land King, Mountain King and sentient beings. The temple grounds stand out with the image of boats carrying Bodhisattva statues and pairs of dragons winding towards the sea.
Although it has deteriorated over time, since 1988, the temple has been jointly repaired by local people, becoming a crowded pilgrimage site as it is today.
Hai Phong people believe that this is a sacred place to pray for peace, fortune and to resolve wrongdoings. Many people come to the temple gate with the desire to share, understand and find peace in life.
Every year, from February 24th to 26th of the lunar calendar, the Ba De Temple festival is held with many traditional rituals. This is also an occasion for a large number of tourists and people to come to offer incense, creating a unique festival atmosphere of the Do Son sea area.
Today, Ba De Temple is not only a sacred pilgrimage place but also a place to preserve the beauty of spiritual culture and folk legends associated with the coastal land of Hai Phong.
