Story: Truong Quy
Photos: Ba Ngoc
Hidden within Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Bach Ma Temple stands as the oldest of Thang Long’s sacred guardian temples, where legend, faith, and daily life combine.
The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long rose amid a network of waterways, its eastern face opening onto the Cai River, known today as the Red River. Guarding this eastern flank stands one of the capital’s most important sacred sites: Bach Ma Temple. It is the earliest of the “Four Sacred Temples of Thang Long,” dedicated to the guardian deities believed to have protected the imperial capital of Dai Viet through a thousand years of formation and growth. Despite countless historical upheavals that have reshaped ramparts, redirected rivers, and transformed the cityscape, Bach Ma Temple – devoted to the deity Long Do – has preserved a pocket of solemn tranquility at the very heart of the Old Quarter.
Where legends leave imprints
Long before the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was constructed, a temple dedicated to the deity Long Do already stood along the banks of the To Lich River, east of Dai La Citadel. Dating back to the 9th century, it was established by Cao Bien, a Tang dynasty governor, to worship the local guardian deity. According to the best-known legend, when King Ly Thai To chose Thang Long as the capital, repeated attempts to build the citadel ended in collapse. Seeking divine guidance, the king prayed at the temple devoted to Long Do. From within the sanctuary, a white horse suddenly emerged and ran forth. The king ordered the citadel to be built following the horse’s hoofprints, and this time the walls stood firm. In gratitude, he renamed the shrine Bach Ma, or White Horse Temple.
This area was also home to one of the busiest marketplaces in Giang Khau Ward, situated at the estuary where the To River meets the Red River. The site is mentioned as early as the 14th century in classical Vietnamese texts recording mystical legends, including Viet Dien U Linh and Linh Nam Chich Quai. These accounts note: “At the beginning of the Ly dynasty, King Ly Thai Tong ordered the opening of market streets by the Eastern Gate, where shops and stalls crowded together, stretching all the way to the temple.” Across successive dynasties, royal edicts consistently revered the principal deity of Bach Ma Temple as the most sacred guardian spirit of the imperial capital – the Do Quoc Thanh Hoang Dai Vuong (Great Guardian Deity of the Capital), also known as Quang Loi Vuong or the deity Long Do.
Today, the temple stands at No. 76 Hang Buom Street, near its intersection with Hang Giay Street, in one of central Hanoi’s most vibrant cultural tourism areas. In the past, Hang Buom Street was home to a large Chinese community that settled here and engaged in trade and commerce, drawn by its position at the eastern gateway of the imperial capital. Until the late 19th century, this area remained part of the To Lich River estuary, with the river flowing behind Bach Ma Temple along what is now Nguyen Sieu Street. This historical context underscores the enduring strategic and cultural significance of the temple’s location, from past to present.
A sacred but simple haven
The temple follows the traditional “inner sanctum, outer enclosure” layout and is bordered by two streets. To the west, it is discreetly embraced by Hang Giay Street, while to the south, its main gate opens onto the bustling Hang Buom Street. A narrow forecourt runs along the sidewalk, offering visitors a brief moment to pause and prepare before stepping inside. The main gate, or nghi mon, takes the form of a three-bay entrance hall with two side wings, flanked by smaller auxiliary gates. Above the central doorway hangs a large calligraphic plaque inscribed with the words “Bach Ma Toi Linh Tu”, proclaiming it the most sacred of temples. Modest in appearance, the gate blends harmoniously with the familiar architectural lines of traditional houses in the Old Quarter, sparing visitors the sense of awe or distance often associated with grand temples and shrines. Bach Ma Temple, much like old Hanoi itself, carries a quiet warmth and simplicity, imbued with the spirit of a cultural space deeply rooted in communal life and the guild traditions of the ancient quarter.
However, once inside the temple courtyard, a gentle sense of solemnity settles over visitors. Connecting the nghi mon (ceremonial gate) to the dai bai (main hall) is a square pavilion with a double-tiered, eight-roof structure. Positioned between two small side courtyards, it creates an open transitional space within an otherwise enclosed complex. The pavilion bears clear hallmarks of Nguyen-dynasty architecture, infused with influences from the structural traditions of wooden Chinese Taoist temples. Its roof is supported by bracket systems extending in three directions, while the wooden elements beneath are delicately carved into downward-facing lotus-bud motifs. This architectural fusion reflects the coexistence and interwoven beliefs of the Vietnamese community and residents of Chinese origin, offering a spatial expression of the cultural and religious syncretism that defines the area.
Solemn beauty
The perforated motifs adorning the doors and decorative walls bear a distinctly Vietnamese character, most notably in the lemon blossom patterns and, in particular, the pair of wooden guardian statues that strongly reflect local craftsmanship. At the heart of the temple stand the White Horse statue in the dai bai hall and the deity Long Do, enshrined in the inner sanctuary. The wooden statue of the White Horse (Bach Ma) is mounted on a wheeled pedestal and flanked by a pair of cranes standing on turtles, accompanied by a ceremonial palanquin and a set of bat bao (ritual weapons), all arranged in a dignified and imposing composition. The statue of the deity Long Do embodies the artistic style of the late 17th century, as evidenced by a stone stele dated to the eighth year of the Chinh Hoa reign (1687), which records the restoration of the temple in the preceding year.
The statue stands 107 cm tall, resting on a 12 cm-high pedestal and enthroned upon a dragon-carved seat. The figure features a full, rounded face, broad nostrils, and a reddish skin tone that accentuates its luminous eyes and elongated outer corners, creating an extraordinary aura befitting a supremely sacred celestial being. The deity is carved wearing ceremonial court attire from the Later Le Restoration period, adorned with dragon motifs characteristic of the era, with long hair flowing freely down the back. Together, these details reflect the distinctive spiritual and artistic imprint of Vietnamese folk beliefs. Regarded as one of the earliest surviving examples of divine sculpture, the statue represents an early artistic style preserved in temples dedicated to supreme deities within Vietnam’s folk belief system.
Bach Ma Temple is not merely a gem in the cultural landscape of ancient Thang Long, but a living chronicle where legend and tangible heritage converge to give form to the city itself. Its beauty lies not in monumental scale, but in the delicate interweaving of sacred belief and the vibrant rhythm of human life. On spring days, as fine mist drifts softly through the air, beneath the watchful gaze of the deity, one feels transported back in time, sharing a quiet communion with the ancestors who built the citadel and laid the city’s foundations long ago.
