(TITC) - Located on the foot of Dau Rong (Dragon Head) Mountain in Area 3, Cao Phong Town, Cao Phong District, Hoa Binh Province, about 10km south of Hoa Binh City, Bong Lai Temple worships Co Doi Thuong Ngan – a disciple of Mother Goddess of Forest and spirits of Four Realms according to the beliefs of Vietnamese people.
The temple was built in 1890 and restored in 2013 on an area of over 5,000m².
Through the temple’s three-door gate, there is a large yard with two rows of dai vu houses at the two sides. The front shrine of the temple consists of 3 compartments decorated with many reliefs, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, etc. The temple’s back shrine is the place to worship Three Mother Goddesses (Heaven, Forest and Water) and Co Doi Thuong Ngan.
Now, Bong Lai Temple also preserves some valuable antiquities such as ancient bells dated in the reign of King Thanh Thai (1889-1907) and two genie ordinance records of kings.
Not only standing out with the beautiful architecture, Bong Lai Temple also attracts visitors by peaceful space and immense green color of the North-Western mountains. Behind the temple, there are the altar of Shakyamuni Buddha and the interesting cave system, typically Hoa Son Thach Cave, Khong Day Cave, Phong Son Cave, Long Son Cave, etc. All make the scenery like as the fairyland.
Bong Lai Temple has 4 main festivals in the year, including spring festival (the 14th day of the first lunar month), Co Doi’s feast festival (the 2nd day of the second lunar month), summer festival (the 14th day of the fourth lunar month) and end-year festival (the 14th day of the twelfth lunar month).
Bong Lai Temple and the landscape ensemble in Dau Rong Mountain have been recognized as National Landscape Site since 2012.
Thu Giang