Visiting and worshiping Thung La Temple, visitors feel like they are lost in a fairyland because of the charming landscape of the mountains, the long roads leading to the cave, and the lush green grass on the dike slopes. This place is truly a great tourist destination returning to the nation’s roots – where our ancestors fought stubbornly against foreign invaders and expanded the territory.
Thung La Temple is located in a quite deep valley, surrounded by five large mountains. Thung La Temple is a relic associated with the legend of King Dinh Tien Hoang. To get to Thung La National Mother Temple, visitors go through a gate with a gentle slope with nearly 100 up and down steps. In front of the temple there is a well, the mouth of the well is made of green stone carved with many images such as: dragons, turtles, birds, chrysanthemums… Thung La Temple has the architecture of “First and second, later Dinh” – Chinese characters. The three-room front porch opens to three doors, without a porch, on top is covered with two dragons flanking the moon, and behind is connected to the harem. Through the brick yard is the 5-compartment Pre-Sacrifice House, the roof is covered with tiles, and inside there is an altar to worship Tran Trieu.
Inside the harem, the front worships the Council of Mandarins, followed by the statue of the National Mother Anh Linh placed in a lacquered and gilded coffin, with a gentle and kind face, close yet mysterious and sacred. At the top is the altar worshiping the Three Holy Mother Goddesses (that is, First Thuong Thien, Second Thuong Ngan and Third Thoai Phu), these are characters in the Mother Goddess belief of ancient Vietnamese people. The right hand side of the Harem worships the Mandarins, the left hand worships Lord Thuong Ngan. Outside, adjacent to the mountain, there is Son Trang Palace (also known as Son Trang Cave).
Legend has it that, in the past, there was a Queen who was very good at fortune-telling leaves. She often read leaves for King Dinh Tien Hoang before leaving the army or doing something else. She was instrumental in helping King Dinh quell the rebellion. This place also has many good medicinal plants, so when King Dinh’s insurgent army was injured, they were taken from Thung Lau to Thung La for treatment through a small village. It is also said that Thung La is a sacred forest area, so people often come here to burn incense before going to the forest.
The natural and cultural environment here is jointly protected by the government and people, so Thung La temple is a very peaceful place surrounded by many trees. With the “first, second” architecture and stone reliefs with elaborate patterns, this place adds harmony, purity and antiquity.