Tran Royal Temple

Tran Royal Temple is a relic site worshiping 14 Tran Dynasty emperors, their families, and officials who contributed to the country. This place is famous for its ancient architecture, imbued with Vietnamese tradition and sacred festivals that pray for peace and good fortune.

Overview of the Tran Royal Temple

Tuc Mac village is located 3km from the center of Nam Dinh Ward. It was the native land of the Tran Emperors and national hero Tran Hung Dao. The remains of the royal residences cover a dozen hectares.

Tran Royal Temple in Nam Dinh

Historical records indicate that around 1239, the Emperor ordered the construction of a royal palace in his native village. In the year 1262, he went to this palace in Tuc Mac, ordered that a banquet be served to the population, and gave Tuc Mac the title “Thien Truong town”. He also ordered the construction of Tran Quang Palace, where former kings who abdicated in favor of their offspring spent their last years.

Pho Minh pagoda was located west of the residences. He ordered the construction of another palace for the current kings to rest whenever they come to visit. 700 years have passed, and there is no trace of the former royal palace, but some vestiges still remain.

Discover the ancient architectural beauty of Tran Temple in Ninh Binh

The Tran Royal Temple relic site in Ninh Binh includes Thien Truong Temple, Co Trach Temple, and Trung Hoa Temple, which are of equal size and design. Through the five-door gate is a rectangular lake.

Tran Royal Temple

In the middle behind the lake is Thien Truong Temple.

Thien Truong Temple

Thien Truong Temple is located in the center of the Tran Temple tourist area, so it is also called Thuong Temple (Upper Temple). The old foundation of this building is a place of family worship, and also a place for the activities and work of the Tran Dynasty’s retired emperors. Therefore, the architecture of Thien Truong Temple is very ancient and solemn, with brick-and-ironwood floors and red-tiled roofs.

Thien Truong temple in Tran Royal Temple

Thien Truong Temple has 9 buildings and 31 compartments. The most important compartments are the front hall, the middle hall, the incense-burning room, and the left and right rows…

Tran Royal Temple

– Front hall: This is the place to worship the assistant mandarins under the Tran Dynasty, including 5 compartments, 13m long with 12 main pillars and 12 military pillars. Inside the front hall are stone pedestals carved with lotus petals, extremely meticulously and delicately.

– The middle hall is the place to worship the 14 Tran Dynasty emperors. However, there are no statues but only tablets.

altar in Thien Truong temple

– The main chamber has 3 compartments, worshipping the four ancestors of the Tran Dynasty, along with their main wives in the central room. The royal concubines of the Tran dynasty also have their own place to worship, with 2 rooms on the left and right of the main palace.

The incense-burning house is where separate altars are placed, where worship meritorious mandarins, civil and military mandarins who made contributions to the Tran Dynasty.

Co Trach Temple

Co Trach Temple is located to the east of Thien Truong Temple. Looking from the yard, it is on the right side of Thien Truong Temple. Co Trach Temple was built in 1894.

Co Trach temple in Nam Dinh

When repairing Thien Truong Temple in 1868, people dug up a broken stele to the east of the temple bearing the inscription “old house of Tran Hung Dao”. Therefore, when this temple was built in 1894 and inaugurated in 1895, it was named Co Trach Tu (old house temple). Ha Temple is also the common name.

Co Trach temple

Co Trach Temple houses the memorial tablets of Tran Hung Dao, his family, and his generals.

Trung Hoa Temple

Trung Hoa Temple was built in 2000 on the old foundation of Trung Hoa Palace, west of the Tran Royal Temple relic site. The central hall and main hall of the temple house 14 bronze statues, symbolizing the 14 emperors of the Tran Dynasty.

Trung Hoa temple

The incense-burning hall of Trung Hoa Temple places the throne and memorial tablets of civil and military mandarins.

Festivals at Tran Royal Temple, Ninh Binh

Every year, Tran Temple in Ninh Binh hosts two major festivals to express gratitude for the great merits and contributions of the Tran Dynasty emperors. The Seal Opening Ceremony is held in January, and the Tran Royal Temple Festival is held in August.

Seal Opening Ceremony

The Seal Opening Ceremony is held on two days, the 14th and 15th of the first lunar month every year. On the evening of the 14th, the rituals of carrying the Seal from Co Trach Temple to Thien Truong Temple will take place.

Seal Opening Ceremony in Tran Royal Temple

At exactly 1:00 am on the 15th, the Seal Opening Ceremony will officially take place. After the Seal is opened, everyone will enter the temple to worship and pray for good luck in the new year, success, happiness, and peace.