Quan Thanh Temple

Quan Thanh Temple, also called Den Quan Thanh, is a Taoist temple in Hanoi. Located on the shore of Tuc Bach Lake, near the intersection of D Thanh Nein and Pho Quan Thanh, the temple is one of Four Sacred Temples of the capital, dedicated to Xuan Wu (Tran Vo), one of the principal deities in Taoism whose symbols of power were the tortoise and the snake. Quan Thanh Temple was established during the Ly dynasty (1010 – 1225) with a bronze statue and bell here date from 1677.

With a long history, Quan Thanh Temple has been renovated several times, most recently in 1893 when the principal gate and the shrine were redone, so the architecture is a mixture of the many different styles of the imperial era.

By tradition, Hanoians often come to Quan Thanh Temple on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year) or the first and fifteenth of each lunar month (new and full moon respectively) to worship and pray for health, luck and happiness.