HON CHEN TEMPLE HUE (HUE NAM TEMPLE)

Hon Chen Temple Introduction

Hon Chen Temple Hue lies on Ngoc Tran mountain, Ngoc Ho village, Huong Ho Ward, Huong Tra town, Thua Thien-Hue province. It is not only a remarkable historical and religious heritage but also a scenic, cultural attraction that attracts large quantities of visitors every year.

How to get to Hon Chen Temple Hue?

The Hon Chen Temple is about 8km Southwest of Hue City. From the heart of Hue city, you can reach Hon Chen in many ways. You can take a dragon boat on the Perfume River.

If you are traveling by road, you can follow this instruction: from Hue city center, you go straight on the direction of Bui Thi Xuan Street and then turn left to Huyen Tran Princess road. Then, you get to the Wharf, take a boat to go to the temple.

Moreover, from Thien Mu Pagoda, you can take the Van Thanh road, go straight ahead, then turn left to Long Ho road, then Continue straight onto Kim Long/Ngoc Ho road so you can get to Hon Chen temple.

If not, you can book Hue Private Car via Culture Pham Travel, we will make sure you have a great trip to Hon Chen Temple!

A mysterious story related to the name of Hon Chen temple.

Among the relics of the Complex of Hue Monuments, perhaps Hon Chen Temple is associated with the most anecdotes. According to the legend, Hon Chen is with the meaning “returned bowl of Jade”. It came to pass that in one time Minh Mang emperor visited this temple. But unfortunately, he dropped the bowl of pearl down to the Perfume river, thought there was no way to get it back. Suddenly a giant turtle emerged in returning the bowl to the emperor. So that’s why the Minh Mang emperor named for it as Hon Chen.

By the time of Dong Khanh emperor, the Temple renamed the Hue Nam Temple with the significance of bringing Grace to the country and associated with many other anecdotes.

What religions worshiped at the temple?

Well, before, Hon Chen temple was the worshiping place of Champa Kingdom. They worshiped the goddess PoNagar  (Vietnamese call Thiên Y A Na)- the Earth mother.

Later on, Lieu Hanh Princess also worshiped at the Temple. In addition, it is also a place where they worship Buddhas and other gods. Thanks to its own features, the temple is now not only a beautiful tourist scenic but also a unique cultural site.

The Architecture at the Temple

The Hon Chen Temple is a relic cluster of more than 10 architectural structures, located on the Ngoc Tran mountain by the Perfume River. The main architecture of the temple is Minh Kinh Dai shrine located in the center; On the right is the Mandarin’s residence, Trinh Cat and the Holy Pagoda; On the left is the Ngu Hanh Palace, Tiger’s altar, the holy guardian’s altar. Nearby the riverside is also the Thuy Phu shrine.

Minh Kinh Dai is the most important shrine and also the place where the Earth mother festival takes place in March and July every year following the lunar calendar. Minh Kinh Dai divided into 3 altar levels. The first level is the altar to worship Thien Y A Na goddess, Van Huong princess as well as Dong Khanh emperor. The 2nd level is the altar to worship the powerful gods as well as setting up the offerings. The last level is the space for people who come to worship and pray, make wishes.

The Hon Chen temple Hue has an important location in the spiritual life of the people of Hue, and it is also the only temple in Hue that combines the royal etiquette and folk beliefs; Between festivals and co-gloss; Between psychic culture and superstition. This is also where the fine arts decoration reached its peak in the late 19th century. The temple is also a mixture of many religious beliefs that bring diverse shades of religion.

Beside this beautiful temple, you also can visit some must-see attractions in Hue such as Thien An Hills, Lap An Lagoon, Lang Co beach, Ngu Binh Mountain, etc.