Thang Long Tu Tran – Hanoi’s sacred temples

With thousands of years of history, Hanoi treasures its collection of temples and pagodas and its accompanying traditional customs and festivals, including the worship of genii at four sacred temples surrounding Thang Long citadel.
In the ancient Thang Long exists four sacred temples worshiping the Gods who guard the four main posts of the citadel in the north, south, east and west.
The four Temples of Protective Gods are Bach Ma (White Horse) in the East, Voi Phuc (Kneeling Elephant) in the West, Kim Lien in the South, and Quan Thanh (Holy Mandarin) in the North, forming Thang Long Tu Tran (the four guards).
Thang Long Tu Tran festival is annually held in spring, beginning from the ninth day of the second month until the sixteenth day of the third month of the lunar calendar.
The festival, including the Gods’ offerings and parading ceremonies, is an occasion for the people to express their respect and gratitude to heroes who made great contributions to national construction and defence.
Thang Long Tu Tran is listed in the capital city’s destinations for tourists.
The Hanoi People’s Committee has invested in restoring the four sacred temples in order to preserve Thang Long Tu Tran’s special values and towards the Thang Long-Hanoi millennium anniversary. The restoration is scheduled for completion by the end of next month.