Introduction

Situated on the left bank of the Ky Cung River, Ky Cung Temple has been protecting the peace and wealth of the region for more than 100 years. With its deep meaning and important role in the Vietnamese spiritual belief system, Ky Cung Temple attracts hordes of tourists and devotees offering incense and praying for good things to come to life. Let's check out this temple with Asia King Travel!

Ky Cung Temple

Ky Cung Temple (Source: Lang Son Tourism)

Location

Ky Cung Temple is located on Tran Dang Ninh Road, Vinh Trai Ward, Lang Son City, Vietnam. It is the main sacred place worshipping Quan Lon Tuan Tranh, one of the 5 important historical figures in the Tran dynasty. In 1993, Ky Cung Temple was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Heritage.

How to get there

If you depart from Hanoi, it will take around 2.5 to 4.5 hours to travel to Lang Son City, depending on different kinds of transportation.

Coach: You can easily catch a coach to get to Lang Son. The price may vary from VND 100,000, and the trip takes more than 4 hours. Just note that you can take a look at different coach websites to pick out the most suitable and convenient brands.

You can catch a coach to Lang Son

You can catch a coach to Lang Son (Source: VIP Business Class Car)

Car: If you want to drive yourself, follow the Expressway 09 to the Kha Le Intersection. Then continue on Expressway 01 to Lang Son City. It only takes around 2.5 hours for the total journey.
Motorbike: For those into motorcycle trips, this experience is totally worth it. Follow the National Highway 01 and you will reach your destination after more than 3 hours. Even when you’re not familiar with Vietnamese traffic, just follow the Google Map and use your instinct sometimes!

Best time to visit

We recommend visiting this place in summer and fall. Although Lang Son's climate is quite favorable, it may be harsh and reach below 0 degrees Celsius in winter. Therefore, summer and fall are generally ideal for traveling. The weather is mild, which allows tourists to freely explore the surroundings without worrying about unexpected problems.

Folk related

As recorded in documentaries, the original modest earthen temple was built to worship Giao Long, the god of rivers, who takes care of the region and blesses the favorable weather. In the Tran Dynasty, a special thing happened that the temple changed to worship the Governor Tuan Tranh.

The figure of Ong Lon Tuan Tranh

The figure of Ong Lon Tuan Tranh (Source: Tinhte.vn)

According to local people, Tuan Tranh was in charge of controlling and protecting Lang Son Province. However, when he was defeated in a battle against foreign invaders, flatterers falsely accused him of adultery, and he drowned himself in Ky Cung River to prove his reputation. Touched by that tragedy, the god transformed his soul into two deities named Ong Coc and Ong Dai, who resided at the temple to control the water works.

History

According to the information carved onto the stele, the original earthen temple was renovated in 1928, 1931, and 1967, respectively. After that, due to natural disasters and fierce wars, the old building collapsed, and the locals rebuilt a new temple based on the old foundation. The current Ky Cung Temple is a blend of traditional and modern architecture, being supplied many renewed gilded wooden worshipping items.

Every year, thousands of people attend the Ky Cung Temple Festival to honor the immortal Ong Lon Tuan Tranh

Every year, thousands of people attend the Ky Cung Temple Festival to honor the immortal Ong Lon Tuan Tranh (Source: Ethnic and Growth Newspaper)

Read more: Bac Son Tour 2 days: Lang Son's District Discovery

Architecture

Ky Cung Temple’s architecture is modest but imbued with the traditional spiritual beliefs of Vietnamese people. Having undergone many repairs and renovations, its appearance is now more modern yet still retains the most traditional features.

The temple faces the South. At first glance, you will notice the splendid three-entrance gate. The work has elaborate relief carvings of Eastern dragons, phoenixes, 5-color clouds, and more. More notably, on 2 sides of the middle entrance are 2 huge elephant statues carved in the position of kneeling down, implying they’re guarding and showing respect to the sacred place.

The three-entrance gate has elaborate relief carvings

The three-entrance gate has elaborate relief carvings (Source: Integration)

Stepping inside is the spacious tiled yard with a large pedestal for visitors to offer incense. The temple still preserves a number of horizontal lacquered boards dating from the Le and Nguyen dynasties, along with ancient statues of high artistic value and other items.

Festival

The Ky Cung Temple Festival, or Ky Cung - Ta Phu Temple Festival for full, is the National Intangible Cultural Heritage, which preserves many unique cultural features and traditional customs.

This festival happens from 22 to 27 every lunar January. It contains 2 parts: the ceremonies and the entertainment activities. At sharp 12 pm on 22 lunar January, the procession of the immortal - Quan Lon Tuan Tranh is solemnly celebrated. His belongings will be transferred from Ky Cung Temple to the Ta Phu Temple, and will be worshiped there for 5 days before returning to their home.

Ky Cung - Ta Phu Temple Festival

Ky Cung - Ta Phu Temple Festival (Source: VietnamPlus)

If you visit Ky Cung Temple on this occasion, besides the solemn ritual, you can observe and take part in interesting activities and traditional games, such as Chinese chess, martial arts, tug of war, culinary festival, and so on.

Conclusion

Ky Cung Temple is one of the most worth-visit spiritual places in Lang Son, especially on the festival occasion, when you can gain a deeper insight into the cultural and spiritual life of Vietnamese people. Are you ready to explore more with Asia King Travel? Contact us now to plan your unforgettable journey!