The Jade Mountain Temple is located on an island in the north of Hoan Kiem Lake off the shores of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The pretty temple can be reached via the charming crimson The Huc Bridge.
The Jade Mountain Temple or Ngoc Son Temple is located on the northern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake in Vietnam's capital Hanoi. Surrounded by water and shaded by trees, it is one of the most visited temples in Hanoi.
The ornate Jade Mountain Temple was built in the 14th century in honour of La To, god of the healers, and Van Xuong, patron god of the literati, and expanded in the 19th century. Furthermore, the Jade Mountain Temple commemorates some Confucian and Taoist scholars from the 13th century as well as the national hero Tran Hung Dao, who put 300,000 hostile Mongols to flight in the 13th century.
The Huc Bridge
From Hanoi, you can reach Ngoc Son Island via the fairytale-like The Huc Bridge across the lake. The picturesquely curved crimson arch bridge is also aptly called the "Red Bridge of the Rising Sun" and is probably one of Hanoi's most photographed sights.
Both ends of The Huc Bridge are flanked by stone arches with Chinese characters, and the wooden bridge itself is lined with colourful flags. A short stop in the middle of the bridge allows for a dreamlike view over Hoan Kiem Lake.
Visit to the Jade Mountain Temple
The temple complex on Jade Mountain consists of the main building with the two altars for the gods and Tran Hung Dao, some shops and additional pavilions. In front of the main temple is a bronze charcoal bowl with burning incense sticks that give an exotic fragrance to those entering.
In an adjoining room, you can admire the prepared body of a giant turtle, supposedly weighing 250kg and 400 years old, that was found in Hoan Kiem Lake.
The Huc Bridge, Jade Mountain Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake create a harmonious interplay of God and man-made. The red bridge between the lush green trees, the lake and the temple exude a certain harmony between man and nature. A perfect place to unwind from noisy Hanoi.
