Mau Temple Ha Giang – Cam Son Linh Tu is located on the rocky plateau, is one of the sacred destinations attracting tourists and locals. Standing out with its solemn space and stunning natural beauty, Mau Temple is an ideal stop to explore the culture, history and admire the scenery of this rocky plateau. Let’s join Meditours to learn more about Mau Temple Ha Giang through the article below.
A few words about Mau Temple Ha Giang
Mau Ha Giang Temple, also known as Cam Son Linh Tu, is located in the center of Ha Giang city, facing the Lo River and leaning against Cam Mountain. The temple is located in Group 6, Nguyen Trai Ward and has become a famous sacred destination in the Northeast region.
History of the formation of Mau Ha Giang Temple
The temple was built in 1889 to worship the Holy Mother Thien Tien (Mau Thuong Ngan Cong Chua Lieu Hanh) and Saint Tran Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan. Legend has it that the temple was built on the site where Luu Vinh Phuc’s Yellow Flag army sacrificed their lives after defeat, and from then on, the people built the temple to commemorate the souls of the soldiers. With more than 100 years of existence, Mau Temple has become an important place for spiritual and cultural activities of local people, and has been ranked as a provincial historical and cultural relic since 2007.
Architecture of Ha Giang Mother Temple
The gate of Ha Giang Mother Temple, also known as “nghi mon”, is an ancient architectural style, built of bricks, covered with gold, including two layers of yin-yang tiled roofs and curved dragon-shaped roof edges creating a majestic look. On top of the gate, there is an image of two dragons facing the moon and the embossed words “Cam Son Tu” evoking the sacred image of the ancient temple. The main gate consists of three arched doors and two rectangular pillars, creating a sense of solidity. In particular, at the side pillars of the gate, there are embossed images of phoenixes and lotus flowers, symbolizing elegance and respect.
Going inside, the 3m wide Than Dao path, paved with square bricks, leads visitors to the main courtyard area, with a shrine to the Son Than, a crescent lake and Son Trang cave. The main temple area is divided into many parts, of which the most prominent is the Front House, the main place of worship. The Front House is built with three compartments and two wings, in the shape of a mallet handle, covered with fish-tail tiles, and the ends of the roofs are embossed with stylized dragons. The roof of the Front House also follows the two-story, eight-roofed overlapping architecture, symbolizing protection from all four directions.
In addition to the main area, the Left and Right Houses on both sides are where offerings are prepared and where people in charge of the temple rest. Each house consists of three compartments, built simply but still retaining its ancient features with fish-tail tile roofs and sophisticated carvings. At the Mother Temple, valuable art objects such as the bronze bell cast in 1907, horizontal lacquered boards, worship statues, and parallel sentences are still carefully preserved. The architecture in the temple has been restored many times, keeping its original appearance, helping the Mother Temple of Ha Giang become an important cultural heritage of the borderland.
When should I visit Mau Temple in Ha Giang?
Ha Giang Mau Temple, one of the famous spiritual destinations in the northern mountainous region, especially attracts tourists on the 13th of the third lunar month and the 27th of July every year, when the Mother – Lady Lieu Hanh’s death anniversary and Father – Saint Tran’s death anniversary take place. These are two major holidays in the Mother worship belief, imbued with the cultural and spiritual values of the local people. On these days, Ha Giang Mau Temple becomes a sacred space, where thousands of tourists from all over the place come to join in offering incense, praying for peace and luck for their families and themselves. The worship rituals are solemnly held, creating a sacred atmosphere, while showing deep respect for the nation’s deities.
In addition to the worship rituals, one of the special features that cannot be missed during this holiday is the performance of Hau Dong, a traditional ritual imbued with the cultural identity of the Mother worship belief. The spirit medium performances not only demonstrate the sacredness, but also play an important role in helping visitors better understand the spiritual values and beliefs of the local people. Through this, visitors can feel the harmony between folk beliefs and the spiritual life of the Ha Giang people, creating a lively and warm space, while contributing to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the nation.
Directions to Mau Temple Ha Giang
To get to Mau Temple in Ha Giang from Hanoi, visitors have many options for transportation such as passenger vans, private cars, or motorbikes, depending on their preferences and needs. If you choose a passenger van, you can go to My Dinh, Gia Lam or Yen Nghia bus stations, where there are many quality bus companies such as Ha Giang Express, Quang Nghi or Bang Phan. Passenger vans usually depart late at night, you will arrive in Ha Giang early in the morning, convenient for your sightseeing schedule, the average ticket price is from 200,000 to 300,000 VND, travel time is about 6-8 hours.
Traveling by private car is a more flexible option, with the journey via National Highway 2, through Vinh Phuc and Tuyen Quang provinces, the total distance is about 320 km, however, you should pay attention to the steep mountain passes near Ha Giang to ensure safety. If you love exploring, motorbike touring is the perfect choice, the route also goes through National Highway 2, the time is about 8-10 hours, depending on the speed and the number of stops along the way.
The road from Tuyen Quang to Ha Giang is very beautiful but you should prepare protective gear carefully and make sure the vehicle is in the best condition before departure. When arriving at the center of Ha Giang city, you continue to travel about 2-3 km more to reach Mau Temple in Nguyen Trai ward, group 6, a journey that is challenging but will definitely bring many unforgettable memories.
Notes when visiting Mau Temple Ha Giang
When visiting the Ha Giang Mother Temple, visitors should pay attention to polite and appropriate clothing for the sacred space of this place. Clothing should be neat and discreet, avoid wearing clothes that are too short, too revealing or sloppy such as torn T-shirts, shorts or slippers. Polite, discreet clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants or long skirts are suitable choices, showing respect for the place of worship.
In addition, when participating in worship ceremonies, visitors also need to comply with worship regulations such as burning incense, making offerings solemnly, not making noise or littering. In particular, in the temple grounds, it is necessary to limit the use of phones or having disrespectful actions to protect the sacred space of the temple.
In addition to paying attention to clothing and behavior in the worship area, visitors also need to prepare good health when visiting the Ha Giang Mother Temple because this area is located on rugged mountainous terrain. If you plan to climb the mountain or participate in outdoor activities, make sure your health is stable and bring drinking water as well as suitable shoes for easy movement.
Before going, you should also check the weather forecast to avoid sudden changes, especially if you want to participate in incense offering festivals or festivals on the occasion of Mother’s death anniversary, Father’s death anniversary on the 13th day of the 3rd lunar month or 27th of July, plan carefully so as not to miss these special events. Finally, visitors should also be careful with wild animals in the temple area and surrounding areas, ensuring safety when visiting.
Places to visit near Mau Temple Ha Giang
Below are the tourist attractions near Mau Temple in Ha Giang, visitors can continue to explore the beauty of the plateau and indigenous culture of this land after visiting the sacred temple:
Cam Son Mountain
Cam Son Mountain is located about 10 km southwest of Ha Giang Mau Temple. To reach the top of the mountain, visitors will have to overcome rugged terrain with steep roads and rocky trails, challenging even veteran backpackers. However, when you set foot on the top of the mountain, you will be rewarded with a beautiful landscape. From the top of the mountain, you can see the whole view of Ha Giang city and the surrounding mountains, very lively and mysterious like a fairyland. The surrounding landscape is composed of overlapping mountain ranges, lush green valleys and majestic cliffs, further enhancing the beauty of the Northeastern highlands.
Km 0 Milestone
Km 0 Milestone is located about 2 km from Ha Giang Mau Temple towards the city center and is one of the prominent destinations, attracting many tourists, especially backpackers. This is the place that marks the starting point of National Highway 4C, the road leading to famous landmarks such as Dong Van, Meo Vac and the most beautiful areas of Ha Giang.
Km 0 Milestone also has a profound meaning about the history and connection of Ha Giang with other lands. Coming here, you can take souvenir photos with the milestone and feel the special atmosphere of the highlands, where the main road leading to legendary landmarks begins.
Ha Giang Museum
Ha Giang Museum is located about 5 km from Mau Temple, a gentle destination that helps visitors learn more about the culture, history and people of Ha Giang. This is a place to preserve many valuable artifacts, reflecting the lives of ethnic minorities in Ha Giang such as ethnic costumes, traditional labor tools and unique handicraft products.
The museum also displays historical artifacts, recording the formation and development of this land through the ages, in particular, there are also galleries about the lives of the H’mong, Tay, and Dao ethnic groups with vividly recreated objects, household items and traditional stories.
Mau Temple Ha Giang – Cam Son Linh Tu is a sacred destination, visitors can enjoy the solemn space and admire the majestic natural beauty. With the vast mountain scenery and pure air, this is an ideal address to find peace, while exploring the unique traditional culture of Ha Giang land.
