Recreating the old Thang Long
I stood quietly for a while in front of the ancient gate of Quan Thanh temple on the end of May. Hanoi has just shook off the hot sunshine during the day, giving way to the cool air and a bit of mystical or a bit of a hundred -year -old temple. Quan Thanh Temple is the place of worshiping Huyen Thien Tran Vu, one of the four towns of Thang Long - a sacred place for the people for many generations of people. The temple of Huyen Thien Tran Vu - the god of town holding the northern city of Thang Long citadel.
The first bell rang when I stepped into the temple yard. The humming sound, quietly echoed through the mossy tile roof, made me think that I had just crossed the door of time. Outside, the streets are still bustling. But here, in the fanciful light of lanterns, visitors are like time to find a holy place of Thang Long city in the night tour "Tran Vu bell" released on May 28 and 29.
In the middle of the quiet space, the narrator welcomed the visitors: “Since ancient times, Tran Vu bell has become a very close sound, familiar to all people living around Quan Thanh temple area. Hopefully, the peace in every human soul ”.
The tour is divided into two parts. The first part, we were in a traditional festival. Sacred rituals, colorful procession, image of women, soldiers, mandarins, martial arts ... gradually recreating a part of the Christmas ceremony of Holy Huyen Thien Tran Vu - the god honored as the person who kept the North Thanh, protecting agricultural residents.
The concentrated performance brought the lyrics, views, and footsteps of the vivid artist recounting the history and beliefs with respect.
The second part is a journey to discover the mysteries in each artifact of Quan Thanh Temple. The tour guide introduced the ancient bronze incense table cast in 1677, a pair of parallel bronze lamps, the statue of Huyen Thien Tran Vu - a national treasure, and especially the story of Truc Bach silk weaving village and Ngu Xa bronze casting.
Not only heard, visitors also touched the ancient clothes - Nhat Binh, four -body, five -body - and watching calligraphy display praising the merit of the Holy Holy. A vivid cultural space gradually opened, not only preserving monuments, but also connecting heritage with modern life.
The vitality of heritage in the modern city
The "Tran Vu bell" tour is not simply a tourism product, but a valuable effort of Ba Dinh District, the Monument Management Board and units in the tourism industry. All to turn Quan Thanh Temple into a vibrant destination, truly a "livable heritage" on the night tourism map of Hanoi.
Mr. Ninh Quang Truong, director and script of the art performance in the night tour, said the crew studied a lot of documents about sitting on the temple. The crew read thousands of pages of documents to find stories that are Tich Tich about Holy Huyen Thien Tran Vu, refining into a material to create a show. A special feature of the space is that visitors sitting and enjoying art are the shady yard of trees over 700 years old, next to the bell tower hanging the bell of Le Hy Tong (1677) ...
Meritorious Artist Lu Huyen, a street performing artist, hopes to bring tourists, especially young people, to experience new things, and understand and love traditional art more. According to her, this is the first time a Tuong relic has been included in the night tour, combined with modern dances, folk music, and a performance combining fashion elements.
The artist expressed: "What is special is that this time, we do not perform in the traditional way but tell his story through the stage language combining traditional and modern elements. This is not only a performance but also a form of storytelling - recounting merits, achievements and the reason why he was crowned Tran Bac Thang Long. What I am most proud of is that Tuong art - a traditional art form of Vietnam - is honored in a new and creative space.
Not only bringing new emotions to Vietnamese tourists, the night tour also opens up a completely different experience for international tourists. patricia Canane, a tourist from Portugal, coincidentally visited Quan Thanh Temple on the night of the new tour launch. She and her companion were surprised when they were invited to experience the night tour.
I realized that Vietnamese culture has too much to explore. Although I had some difficulty understanding the content because there was no English interpretation, I was really impressed by the performance. If the program can add a screen or English sub beginning, it will make it easier for foreign tourists like me to follow and feel.
Night tour at Quan Thanh Temple is the 5th night tourism product of Hanoi after the night tour at Hoa Lo Prison, Thang Long Imperial Citadel Decoding, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam and the Hoc Museum. The tour is expected to officially welcome guests from August 2025.
Chairman of Ba Dinh District People's Committee Ta Nam Chien said: "With the goal of developing the tourist destination of Quan Thanh Temple, with a deep love for the sacred land with a thousand-year-old tradition, Ba Dinh District has taken the background of a traditional festival to build a night tour "Tran Vu bell - touch the sacred mountain, live with legend".
In addition, tourism products of Ba Dinh district have gradually positioned their brands, typically "Hanoi Street Museum", or "Heritage Night Train" at the Ngoc Island - Truc Bach tourist destination. These products not only bring new and attractive experiences to tourists, but also contribute to promoting the unique cultural and historical values of the land of Thang Long with thousands of years of civilization.
Coming to Ba Dinh district tourism, in addition to attractive night tour activities such as "Tran Vu bell" or "Heritage night train", visitors can also visit and experience the cultural ecosystem of the area around West Lake such as the space of Ngoc Island - Truc Bach walking street, with famous rice noodles, or Thuy Trung Tien temple associated with the memory of building Thang Long citadel of King Ly Thai To.
