(VOVworld) – Vietnamese people traditionally visit pagodas in the first days of the year to pray for a lucky new year. Ghenh temple is a popular choice for Hanoians at the beginning of the year. Let’s take a tour of the temple.

Ghenh temple is located in a deep alley at the bottom of the slope next to Chuong Duong Bridge, in Long Bien district, Hanoi. Formerly, there was a waterfall in front of the temple, and that is why people called it “Ghenh temple”. The temple is linked with the life of Princess Le Ngoc Han, who was once regarded as “the fairy princess” for her talent. Ngoc Han was married to Quang Trung Nguyen Hue, who defeated 200,000 invaders in 1789. The love story between Ngoc Han and Nguyen Hue only lasted 6 years because Nguyen Hue suddenly died. Ngoc Han died a few years later. Her children also died young. Le Ngoc Han’s grave was broken into and her remains thrown in the Red River near Ai Mo village, Long Bien district. The people of Ai Mo Village built a temple to offer the princess their condolences. In time, the small temple was swept away by floods. In 1858, Dang Thi Ban, an elder of Ai Mo village, rebuilt the temple with her own money. Over the past 200 years, Ghenh temple has been tended carefully by Ban’s descendants. Temple janitor Dang Dinh Khue told VOV: “I’m the fifth generation of the Dang family to look after the temple. Formerly, there was a ferry boat and banyan tree near the landing. In the past the temple was close to the river. Then it was swept away by a flood and people rebuilt it here.”  

Today, Ghenh temple is sacred to Hanoians. Every afternoon on the 6^th day of the New Year, many nuns and Buddhists come here to attend a ceremony to pray for peace. Many Hanoians come here not just to ask a blessing, but also to find tranquility. Nguyen Thi Hong of Kham Thien Street, Hanoi, goes to the temple every year: “We usually visit pagodas in the first days of the year, following the national tradition. I come here to find peace and pray for luck.” 

It’s not just elders who visit the temple in the first days of the year. Young people come, too. Many young people come to pray for health, security, love, and happiness. Diem Hang, of Dong Da district, told us: “I think this is a good tradition. Every time I come here to pray, I always think I should improve my behavior and lifestyle. Everyone comes here to pray for different things, but they’re all sincere.”

Many business people attend the peace ceremony at Ghenh temple to give their soul a pause after a year of hard work. Vu Anh Quan, owner of a Hanoi jewelry company, says he has attended the ceremony three times. For him, going to pagodas at the beginning of the year is an important tradition: “All Vietnamese families go to pagodas at the end of the year and the beginning of the year to pray for blessings for a new year. I come here to pray I will have luck when I do everything I’m planning.”

From the door of the temple, visitors can gaze at the Red River and the Chuong Duong Bridge, refreshed by the tranquility to be found in the beautiful scenery and fresh air.