Den Ba Kieu Temple

Temple in Hanoi

Ba Kieu Temple, officially known as Thien Tien (Heavenly Fairy) Pavilion, is situated on the east side of Sword Lake, facing Ngoc Son Temple in Hanoi. It is a rare relic in Hanoi and Vietnam dedicated to the worship of the Mother Goddess.

The temple honors Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh and her two maidens, Princesses Quynh Hoa and Que Hoa. Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh is one of the Four Immortals in Vietnamese mythology, along with Tan Vien (the God of the Mountain), Saint Giong, and Saint Chu Dong Tu. Built during the Later Le Restoration and expanded in the mid-Canh Tri reign in the 17th century, Ba Kieu Temple is constructed from precious materials, including wood from the Xua jungle and rock from Nhue Mountain in the Chau Ai region of central Vietnam. Crafted by skillful artisans, the temple is an architectural masterpiece, designed in the shape of the Chinese character 工 (gong), consisting of Dai Bai (Chamber of Ceremonies), Phuong Dinh (Fang Pavilion), and Hau Cung (Back Chamber).

Despite the passage of time and various historical upheavals, Ba Kieu Temple has been restored multiple times and retains its ancient features. The temple’s special value lies in its preserved relics from the Le, Tay Son, and Nguyen dynasties. The most precious of these is a large bronze bell (94 cm in height, 45 cm in mouth diameter), cast in the 8th year of the Canh Thinh reign (1800) and donated by Tran Duy Ung, a dignitary under the Tay Son Dynasty. There are also four important historical stone steles:

Hung Cong Bi (the stele of Hung Cong), erected in the 8th year of the Canh Thinh reign (1800), recording Tran Duy Ung’s donation.
Trung Tu Huyen Chan Tu Bi Ky, recording the restoration of Huyen Chan Temple built in the 19th year of the Tu Duc reign (1866).
Thien Tien Dien Nguyen Phung Quan Nhan The Thu Huong Hoa Le Toc To Tien Tong Huong Bi, established in the year of the Tu Duc reign (1874), recording the five generations of the Le clan from forefather Trong Le to the fifth Trong Tin.
Le Toc Bi Ky (The stele of the Le clan), found in the 8th year of the Bao Dai reign (1933), recording the worship by Le Chat Ky and Le Van An.

Ba Kieu Temple also preserves 27 papers conferring titles on Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh and her two fairy maidens, Quynh Hoa and Que Hoa. These papers are precious artifacts, especially for the worship of the Mother Goddess. Among the 27 papers, six date back to the Le dynasty (1783 and 1787), three to Quang Trung under the Tay Son dynasty (1792), and three to the reign of Canh Thinh (1793). Throughout the reigns of Kings Minh Menh, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, Dong Khanh, and Duy Tan of the Nguyen dynasty, the Mother Goddess was honored with fine names and ranked among the Supreme Mother Goddesses.

With its outstanding historical and cultural values, Ba Kieu Temple, along with the relic complex of Ngoc Son Temple and the Hoan Kiem Lake area, remains a source of pride for Hanoians and all Vietnamese.

The Den Ba Kieu Temple appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Hanoi!

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