In the middle of the Old Quarter at 76 Hang Buom Street (Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi), Bach Ma Temple retains its majestic and quiet appearance as a historical witness of Thang Long - Hanoi for more than a thousand years.
In the year of Binh Ngo, the story of the sacred white horse is again remembered as a special spiritual symbol of the capital land. Bach Ma Temple worships the god "Long Do - Than Quang Loi Bach Ma Dai Vuong". The temple is the eastern guard of the capital in Thang Long Tu Tran.
According to legend, when King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long, the construction of the citadel encountered many obstacles, and the citadel walls continuously collapsed. The king set up an eruption altar, and the god Long Do appeared in the image of a white horse, running around the land, leaving footprints clearly indicating the solid land. The king ordered the citadel to be built according to the horse's footprints, from then on the citadel stood firm.
Since then, the god Long Do has been honored as Bach Ma Dai Vuong, becoming the god guarding the East of the capital. Bach Ma Temple is not only a place of worship, but also a spiritual symbol associated with the birth and stability of the capital Thang Long. In the minds of the people, Bach Ma not only "maintains the citadel", but also keeps the capital peaceful and prosperous.
The image of the white horse is not only a legend but has also become a symbol of sacredness, leading and protecting the capital for centuries.
Bach Ma Temple is a large architectural work in the Hanoi Old Quarter area. The temple belongs to the historical and cultural - architectural and artistic relic type. The temple is large-scale, the overall layout includes architectural works on one main axis including: Nghi Mon, Phuong Dinh, Tien Te, Trung Te and Hau Cung. These architectural items, although having undergone many restorations, still retain the typical artistic style of the 19th century.
The altar of Duc Long Dai Vuong at Bach Ma Temple is the most sacred space in the temple, where the god Long Do is worshiped - the god considered the tutelary god guarding the East of the ancient Thang Long capital.
The altar is solemnly decorated with a throne, ancestral tablets and exquisitely lacquered and gold-plated offerings, showing the people's respect for the tutelary god of the capital. This is not only a place where important rituals take place but also a place for people and tourists to burn incense to pray for peace and luck when visiting the temple.
In the forbidden palace, there is a shrine to worship the god Long Do, the brocade curtain covers almost completely, and holes and palanquins are displayed on both sides. The ancient palanquin is extremely elaborately crafted with lacquer and gold-plating techniques, in which the dragon is the main motif symbolizing the authority of the god Long Do. The bat cong palanquin is carried by eight people to carry the tablet of the god Long Do during important festivals.
The Bach Ma Temple Festival includes the annual festival and the grand festival held every five years. The grand festival includes the Spring Buffalo Offering Festival - an important ritual related to the Bach Ma Temple festival. The festival opens with the cáo thỉnh ritual performed by the head of the temple and the male worshiping team. The annual festival is held on February 12th and 13th of the lunar calendar every year.
In 1994, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) issued a Decision to rank Bach Ma Temple as a national historical, cultural, architectural and artistic relic. In 2022, the ceremony to receive the ranking certificate of Thang Long Tu Tran Bach Ma National Special Relic took place.
