What is Bach Ma Temple and why is it called the Eastern Guardian?
Bach Ma Temple is an ancient temple at 76 Hang Buom Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. It worships the deity Long Do, the guardian spirit of the Thang Long capital, guarding the East within the Thang Long Tu Tran (Four Guardian Temples of Thang Long) system. Among the four temples guarding the four directions of the capital, Bach Ma Temple is considered the oldest and the one dedicated to the most important deity.
According to Nhan Dan newspaper and the Vietnam News Agency, Thang Long Tu Tran comprises four temples worshipping four deities in four directions to protect the Thang Long capital:
| Guardian direction | Temple name | Deity worshipped | Present location |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Bach Ma Temple | Deity Long Do | Hoan Kiem District |
| West | Voi Phuc Temple | Deity Linh Lang Dai Vuong | Ba Dinh District |
| South | Kim Lien Temple | Deity Cao Son Dai Vuong | Dong Da District |
| North | Quan Thanh Temple | Deity Huyen Thien Tran Vu | Ba Dinh District |
This division shows that the worship of guardian deities of the directions is a cultural layer predating the founding of the Thang Long capital, but when Ly Thai To moved the capital here, that system was reorganized to serve a new center of power. Bach Ma Temple sits in the East, the direction of growth and also the direction of the main traffic axis in the old quarter, near the Red River and the old boat wharves.
Who is the deity Long Do and why was he honored as tutelary god of the capital?
The deity Long Do is the original spirit of the land of Thang Long, worshipped before the capital was established. The name "Long Do" is tied to the image of the navel of the land, where the vital energy of heaven and earth converges. Legend holds that when King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long, the citadel kept collapsing as it was built, so the king came to the temple to pray to Long Do. From within the temple, a white horse walked out. The king followed the horse's hoofprints to build the citadel and succeeded, so he honored the deity as tutelary god of the Thang Long capital.
This event explains why the temple bears the name Bach Ma, meaning white horse. The white horse in the legend is not merely a fantastical detail but a symbol of guidance, of the link between the divine and the work of nation-building. King Ly Thai To's active visit to pray to Long Do shows that the new court sought to connect with indigenous belief to consolidate its legitimacy.
Later dynasties followed suit, conferring on the deity the title Quang Loi Bach Ma toi linh thuong dang than. This title shows the special status of Long Do within the capital's pantheon. More than a village deity, Long Do was regarded as tutelary god of the entire capital, a distinctly higher level of belief.
Why did a local deity become the tutelary god of the whole capital?
This is the central question of Thang Long belief. When a new dynasty chose a land as its capital, it did not only build palaces and ramparts but also had to establish relations with indigenous spiritual forces. Long Do was the deity who had reigned over this land before, so acknowledging and honoring him was a way to legitimize the court's power over a new land.
On the other hand, the difficulty in building the citadel was explained by divine intervention. When King Ly Thai To prayed and was helped by the deity, the relationship between royal power and divine power was established. Long Do went from a deity of one land to patron deity of the entire capital, and Bach Ma Temple became the state's official place of worship.
What notable architecture and artifacts does Bach Ma Temple have?
Bach Ma Temple today bears the distinctive features of Nguyen dynasty architecture on a fairly large scale, facing South. The structures are harmoniously arranged along a vertical axis, including the nghi mon (ceremonial gate), phuong dinh (square pavilion), dai bai (main hall), cung cam (forbidden sanctuary), thieu huong (incense burner), and the hoi dong house at the rear.
Over more than 1,000 years, the temple has been restored many times but still retains its solemn landscape and rare ancient traces. It currently preserves many precious artifacts of great historical value:
- Stele inscriptions recording the legends, myths of the temple's construction and rituals of worship, and renovations over more than 1,000 years
- Imperial edicts of various dynasties
- Altars, vases, and pedestals
- Bronze bells and palanquins
These artifacts are not only of artistic value but also precious materials for studying the history of belief and court ritual through the periods. According to the Vietnam News Agency, through the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties with 52 kings who established the capital at Thang Long, Bach Ma Temple is the place that most fully witnessed the formation and development of ancient Thang Long and today's Hanoi Capital.
When is the Bach Ma Temple festival held and what is special about it?
The Bach Ma Temple festival is held on the 12th and 13th of the second lunar month each year. It is a blend of folk belief culture and court ritual, creating a distinctive character. This combination reflects the temple's special status: both a place of worship for the old quarter community and a venue for official rituals of the feudal state.
The rituals in the festival typically include palanquin processions, incense offerings, and folk cultural activities. The festival's continuation to this day shows the vitality of Long Do worship in contemporary life, even though its political function has changed over time.
Why was Thang Long Tu Tran recognized as a Special National Relic?
On January 18, 2022, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 93/QD-TTg ranking five relics nationwide as Special National Relics, including the Historical and Architectural-Artistic Relic of Thang Long Tu Tran. This cluster comprises Bach Ma Temple, Voi Phuc Temple, Quan Thanh Temple, and Kim Lien Temple.
This recognition affirms the typical historical and belief values of the relic complex in Hanoi Capital. According to the Vietnam News Agency, Thang Long Tu Tran is tied to the birth of the Thang Long Capital in the Ly era, worshipping four deities guarding the four vital directions, protecting day and night so that ancient Thang Long Citadel and today's Hanoi Capital remain peaceful.
On the evening of June 18, 2022, at Bach Ma Temple, the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee held a ceremony to receive the Special National Relic recognition certificate. Representatives of Hoan Kiem District leadership pledged to continue promoting conservation solutions and enhancing the value of Bach Ma Temple.
What role does Bach Ma Temple play in Hanoi's cultural life today?
Today, Bach Ma Temple is not only a spiritual destination but also an important part of the Capital's cultural heritage system. Mr. Pham Tuan Long, Chairman of the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee, said Bach Ma Temple receives attention from city and district authorities for conservation and promotion of the relic's values to serve research on history and culture and to become a distinctive tourist destination for domestic and foreign visitors.
Hoan Kiem District is also focusing resources on site clearance for dozens of relics, relocating hundreds of households with over 2,000 people, and conserving relic structures in the area. At the same time, the district mobilizes social resources to promote intangible heritages, restore craft streets, and organize traditional festivals in the old quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake.
These efforts show that Bach Ma Temple is not frozen in the past but continues to participate in contemporary life, both as a space of belief and as a resource for tourism and cultural-economic development.
Points where accounts of Bach Ma Temple and the deity Long Do differ
Available sources agree on the temple's location, its role as Eastern Guardian in Thang Long Tu Tran, and the legend of the white horse helping King Ly Thai To build the citadel. However, some details, such as the exact time the temple was built, the full legend of Long Do across different than tich (hagiographic records), and the extent of dynastic intervention in the worship rituals, still have variant versions among researchers. Academic conferences on Bach Ma Temple heritage have been held to discuss its history, architecture, worship statues, patron deity, Han-Nom heritage, festival and worship beliefs, as well as the conservation and promotion of heritage values.
This article follows the most common account in mainstream press sources and relic introduction documents, in which Bach Ma Temple worships the deity Long Do, guardian spirit of the Thang Long capital, guarding the East and regarded as the tutelary god of Hanoi. Readers wishing to explore the variant hagiographies further may consult specialized materials on Thang Long Tu Tran.
