Currently, this place is the temple of all the kings of the Tran Dynasty, the strongest and longest reigning dynasty in the history of building Vietnam today. This is also the dynasty famous for repelling three times the invasion of the infamous Mongol army that swept much of Europe and the Chinese empire in the 13th century. But it is more special because it is one of two places when the only king in the history of Vietnam gave up his throne to become a monk and chose to be a place to practice and meditate. Thanks to the majestic landscape with rugged mountains suitable for the sacred to practice Buddhism with a reclusive life. Today it is a sacred place of worship for the people and a tourist attraction for domestic and foreign tourists. Today it is called Thai Vi temple located in Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh province, Vietnam and next to the famous Tam Coc - Bich Dong landscape complex.
This is a rural area that has not been concreted too much, so tourists often choose to rent a bicycle to explore around. Small paths through rice fields and across rivers are full of tourists enjoying in small boats. The sky is not very nice today with lots of clouds but the feeling of coolness is more pleasant in these summer days. The blue stone temple leans against the mountain and is surrounded by seven different mountains.
The atmosphere here is quite quiet, there is no chanting or the smell of incense like in temples. The surroundings looked more like a landowner's manor. There is an uncle, who I don't know if he is a manager or not, is flying a strange flag and can speak English quite well with foreign tourists. The temple consists of two compartments made of stone and carved quite delicately.
In front of the door, there is still a dragon-carved steps like the steps of the royal palaces of the old kings. When I asked my uncle, it was explained that although King Tran Thai Tong retired for refuge, sometimes the mandarins still came to ask for advice on the government or against the invaders. So I also came across some wooden staffs used to lead officials to meet kings as a ritual.
Inside is not too spacious, there are tablets of 13 kings of the Tran Dynasty who once reigned. This is not the tomb of all but King Tran Thai Tong. The pillars are made of monolithic stone from the first generation, the ceiling is made of red-tile wood (it is quite new because it has been restored twice). The details of the dragon and crane symbols are meticulous and show solemn nobility. There are also some musical instruments in the old royal court and visitors can try playing it but it is not easy without guidance.
Outside and behind it are steles that record its history in small pavilions
Behind it is the tomb of the king who took refuge in the Buddha door, so it is not so special as a king still in office. A cipher house used to burn paper items to offer to the religious monarchs is located next to the rice fields. Going around a small path there is also a shrine in a shallow cave. But we are more interested in jackfruit trees. Quite hungry for a day to visit many different spots in this vast Trang An landscape complex.
We returned from two days of travel in this city when it was almost dark and about to rain. There are still quite a few places that have not yet been visited and scheduled for another occasion. Thanks for watching.
