Private Tour: Phu Tho Hung Kings Temple Historical Relic Site
Begin your journey at the Hung Kings Temple historical relic site, located in Co Tich hamlet, Hy Cuong commune, Viet Tri city, in the northern midland province of Phu Tho. This site is a place to worship the Hung Kings, the legendary founders of the nation.
Explore the 850-hectare complex, which consists of four temples, one pagoda, a tomb, and a museum featuring the formation and development of Van Lang. The upper, middle, and lower temples commemorate the 18 Hung Kings, while the fourth temple worships two daughters of the 18th Hung King: princesses Tien Dung and Ngoc Hoa.
Admire the 8.5-meter entrance arch with eight tiled roofs engraved with dragons and lion cubs. In the front are embossments of two soldiers wearing armour, one carrying a spear and one carrying an axe.
Up the mountain from the entrance arch, visit the Ha (lower) Temple, where there are three thrones and tablets to worship all 18 Hung Kings. The temple is associated with the legendary storey about the origin of Vietnamese people.
After climbing 150 steps, arrive at the Trung (middle) Temple, which is associated with the legend of banh chung and banh day in the reign of the 6th Hung King. Legend has it that the 6th Hung King held a competition to select as his successor, who ever had the best offering for ancestral worship, instead of following the usual custom of ceding the throne to his oldest son. His youngest son, Lang Lieu, who used sticky rice to make a white round cake (day) and green square cake (chung) to symbolise the sky and the earth, won the competition and became the 7th Hung King.
At the top of the mountain, visit the Thuong (upper) Temple. The top of Nghia Linh mountain is where ancient Vietnamese people worshipped the Gods of Heaven and Rice. Legend has it that during their reigns, Hung Kings brought bronze drums there for rituals to pray for favourable weather, bumper crops, prosperity, and happiness. Their descendants built the Thuong Temple on the mountain peak to honour the Hung Kings.
Option HALF DAY Group Tour : Visit 2 Villages: Conical Hat and Incense Craft Village + Train Street (optional)
Duration: ~ 6 hours
Morning from 7:45~13:30
Afternoon from 11:45~17:30
Start with a pickup from Hanoi’s Old Quarter and head to Chuong, a village that has been well-known for the craft of conical hat-making for over 300 years. Get an observe how conical hats are made and decorate a hat by painting it then bring it home as a souvenir.
Depart for the Quang Phu Cau village, which has been producing incense for more than 100 years. Take a walk to the centre of the village and see how locals make incense on the artisanal, family scale. Meet a family who specialises in dyeing incense sticks and take in the colourful bundles of incense.
Back to the city centre. First place for drop off: Hanoi Train Street. If you don't want to get drop off here, please wait in the car.
