Ba Ngo Pagoda is currently located in Truong Xuan village, to the north of Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu city. Ba Ngo Pagoda is an ancient pagoda belonging to the special National Monument - Hoa Lu Ancient Capital's historical and architectural relic. The pagoda was built during the Dinh Dynasty, on the right bank of the Hoang Long River and adjacent to the outskirts of the ancient Hoa Lu citadel. The pagoda is still popularly known as Ba Ngo Pagoda or simply "Ngo Pagoda". Its formal name in Chinese characters is "Ba Sa Tu."
The pagoda is situated on a large, high land, completely separate from the residential area, on the right bank of the Hoang Long River. According to feng shui theory, Ba Ngo Pagoda is on the back of a dragon. In front of the pagoda lies a pond, symbolizing the dragon's head, while behind it, the Ham Rong mountain range and Nghen Mountain represent the dragon’s body.
The temple was built following a Dinh-shaped architectural style. The main hall (Tien Duong) consists of three horizontal sections, with the middle section used for rituals. The left side houses the altar of Duc Ong, and the right side contains the altar of the Holy Sages. In the Upper Temple, the top row features Tam The statue; the second row houses statues of the Amitabha Triad; the third row includes a statue of Shakyamuni on a lotus; the fourth row displays a Cuu Long (Nine Dragons) altar; in front of the Cuu Long altar, there are statues of Nam Tao and Bac Dau deities.
To the left of the temple is the ancestral hall, and to the right is the shrine to the Three Goddesses (Tam Toa Thanh Mau).
In front of the temple yard stands a square pillar-shaped stone stele, erected during the third decade of the Tu Duc reign.
According to the stories of the elders in the area, Ba Ngo Pagoda is associated with the event when Dinh Bo Linh was chased by his uncle, carried by a golden dragon across the river (Hoang Long River), when he reached this side, Dinh Bo Linh fell asleep (on the location of the pagoda), dreamed of Ba Ngo (Ba Ngo here means an unknown female guest) telling him that he would become king in the future. When he became king, Dinh Bo Linh ordered the construction of a pagoda there and called it Ba Ngo Pagoda.
Ba Ngo Pagoda is the place where Dinh Lien Buddhist pillars are found. From 1963 to now, on the Hoang Long river bank, Co Nanh hill to Ba Ngo Pagoda, more than 20 Dinh Lien Buddhist pillars have been found.
Ba Ngo Pagoda was also a name given by the King of Ly Dynasty to a location in Thang Long (now Hanoi). Historical records indicate that when Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long, he named several places in the new capital after locations in Hoa Lu. These included Bao Thien Tower, Nhat Tru Pagoda (One Pillar Pagoda), Dong Bridge, Den Bridge, and Ba Ngo Pagoda. These place names provide valuable insights into the historical connection between Hoa Lu ancient capital and Thang Long (Hanoi).