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Bach Ma Temple (originally 1010, rebuilt 18th century onward)

The Bach Ma temple at 76 Hang Buam Street honors a white horse which was thought to be an incarnation of a local river god. In the spring of the year 1010, the founder of the Ly dynasty, Ly Thai To (also known as Ly Cong Uan) issued the "Edict of the Transfer of the Capital", which declared the transfer of the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La (today's Hanoi). After Ly settled in Hanoi, his laborers worked for a year and a half to construct a mighty citadel, but each time they erected the walls the marshy soil would give way. One day, while the king was praying, an apparation of a white horse appeared before the king and marked off an area using its hoof prints. The king understood that the horse was indicating a safe area to construct the citadel, and indeed, the fortress erected at the site remained standing. In gratitude, the king established Bach Ma temple in 1010 to honor the White Horse who assisted the fledgling city.

The temple has been damaged by flooding and other natural disasters over the course of the past thousand years. The present buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Location

The approximate location of the temple is 21.035553' N, 105.851209' E (WGS 84 map datum).