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Almost everyone who has visited Cam Pha city knows about Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh. It’s one of Vietnam’s most beautifully architected temples. The temple always welcomes visitors from all over the country to come and worship.

A historical and cultural relic of the Tran Dynasty with a history spanning over 700 years, the temple has a simple structure, situated on a hill surrounded by forests, facing the sea. It is dedicated to Hung Nhuong Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tang.

1. Where is Cua Ong Temple located?

Cua Ong Temple in Cam Pha is located on Hill 9A, in Cua Ong ward, Cam Pha city, Quang Ninh province. The temple is about 40km from the center of Ha Long city. Cua Ong Temple is one of the three most famous temples in Quang Ninh province. It is a place where mountains, forests, and the sea meet, blessed with a prime location.

It is dedicated to Duc Ong De Tam Cua Suot – Hung Nhuong Vuong Tran Quoc Tang (the third son of Tran Hung Dao), who made significant contributions to guarding the Northeast region of the country. Additionally, the temple also worships various Tran Dynasty generals and their families: Tran Quoc Tuan, Tran Anh Tong, Tran Khanh Du, Pham Ngu Lao, Yet Kieu, and more.

2. History of Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh and the structure of the relic site

2.1. History of Cua Ong Temple

According to historical records, Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh was built and has existed for over 700 years, undergoing numerous restorations. Initially, the temple was a small thatched hut. Around 1907-1916, the temple was renovated. By 1916, the relic site had additional structures: the Upper Temple, the Middle Temple, the Lower Temple, and a pagoda.

In subsequent years, the temple continued to be repaired and upgraded. In 2014, the overall planning of the Cua Ong Temple relic site in Cam Pha, Quang Ninh, was approved with an area of up to 18.125 hectares. In 2017, the Middle Temple was built and completed.

2.2. Structure of the Cua Ong Temple relic site in Quang Ninh

Initially, the temple was dedicated to Duc Ong Tran Quoc Tang. After the construction of additional temples and pagodas, more famous people were also worshiped. Specifically:

• Lower Temple: Includes the Mother Temple and the Trung Thien Long Mau Temple;
• Middle Temple: Worships Kham Sai Dong Dao Tiet Che Hoang Can and Mountain and Water Gods;
• Upper Temple: Includes the Upper Temple, Quan Chanh Temple, Quan Chau Temple, pagoda, and the tomb of Tran Quoc Tang;
• Cap Tien Temple: Worships a young lady – the daughter of Tran Quoc Tang (also known as “Co be Cua Suot”), Quan Chanh, deities, Buddha, Ngọc Hoàng, Nam Tào, Bắc Đẩu, and Tien Thien Thanh Mau.

3. When is the best time to visit the Cua Ong Temple historical relic site?

Cua Ong Temple in Cam Pha is always open to welcome local people and domestic and international tourists. Even on New Year’s Eve, the temple is open for people to worship and pray.

The ideal time to visit is at the beginning of the new year when the weather is cool and pleasant, with little rain. Additionally, the beginning of the year is also when the temple organizes many festivals such as: the main Cuu Ong Temple festival, the Soul-calling ceremony, the ceremony to ask to stay at the temple gate and carry the royal tablet of Tran Quoc Tang back to the palace, and more.

4. What makes Cua Ong Temple in Cam Pha interesting?

4.1. Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh – A 700-year-old sacred temple

Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh is the most trusted and frequently visited temple by local people. It is dedicated to Hung Nhuong Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tang, who made great contributions to repelling the Yuan-Mong invaders in the 13th century. Over the centuries, sacred and heroic legends about the temple have been passed down through generations.

4.2. The Cua Ong Temple historical relic site is the most beautiful temple in Quang Ninh

In terms of architecture Cua Ong Temple is also known as the most beautiful temple in Quang Ninh in terms of architecture. It has a unique and mysterious architecture, converging all the feng shui creatures: Thanh Long on the left, Bach Ho on the right, Tien Chu in front, and Hau Huyen Vu in the back.

The materials used to build the temple include cast stone, Bat Trang bricks, molded clay tiles, and mortar mixed with honey. The main decorative architecture follows the stories of the four spirits: Long, Ly, Quy, and Phung.

The interior architecture uses durable woods such as dinh, lim, trac, and gu. The house frame is carved with reliefs, couplets, and painted with gold leaf.

4.3. Cua Ong Temple is a cultural and spiritual destination known by many people

After hundreds of years of history, Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh still retains its original cultural and historical values, contributing to preserving and promoting the national cultural identity, connecting the community, and developing spiritual culture. This place has become an indispensable part of the spiritual life and cultural activities of local people. At the same time, it is also an attractive tourist destination for many domestic and international tourists.

4.4. A place where many large and attractive festivals take place annually

Since the 14th century, the Cua Ong Temple festival in Quang Ninh has always been organized on a large scale. Visiting here in the first three months of the year, tourists will have the opportunity to participate in many attractive festivals such as:

• The main Cua Ong Temple festival: Organized from the 2nd day of the first lunar month to the end of the third lunar month;
• The Soul-calling ceremony, the ceremony to ask to stay at the temple gate and carry the royal tablet of Tran Quoc Tang back to the palace: Includes a sacrificial ritual and a procession carrying the royal tablet of Tran Quoc Tang;
• The festival to carry the royal tablet of Duc Ong back to the palace: Lasts until the end of the third lunar month. Tourists have the opportunity to participate in many folk games such as blindfolded drumming, hitting a stick, tug-of-war, playing tou tom diem, cooking rice, betel chewing, etc.

To fully enjoy the spiritual tourism experience at Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh, tourists should choose a convenient accommodation location. At the same time, the place also needs to ensure full amenities with good service so that tourists can rest and recover after a long day of sightseeing and exploring. And a destination that can fully meet the demanding requirements of tourists is Wyndham Garden Legend Ha Long hotel.

5. What should be prepared when going to worship at Cua Ong Temple?

Since the Cua Ong Temple relic site includes both a temple and a pagoda, when going to offer incense, to visit all the altars, visitors should prepare both vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings, as well as live offerings. Offerings can be chosen from the following types: vegetarian offerings (incense, flowers, cakes, fruits, paper money – all bought in odd numbers); non-vegetarian offerings used at the Public Altar (chicken, pork, sausage, etc. cooked and carefully arranged); live offerings (salt, rice, raw eggs, and paper money).

Visitors who come to worship mainly focus on sincerity because the number of visitors here is very large, so it is necessary to limit burning paper money. The preparation of offerings does not need to be too elaborate because the main offering is sincerity, avoiding waste.

Note: Putting loose change when offering incense can have a negative impact on aesthetics. Therefore, visitors can put the offering money in the donation box.

6. Notes to remember when visiting Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh

Cua Ong Temple is one of Vietnam’s most famous spiritual and cultural destinations. If you choose to visit this place, you need to pay attention to the following:

• Visitors should wear neat and modest clothing, suitable for the sacred and solemn atmosphere of the temple;
• Visitors should walk gently and avoid talking too loudly as this will affect other people and the solemn and quiet atmosphere at the temple;
• Visitors must not arbitrarily touch objects in the temple to avoid damaging the relics.

With its unique architectural and spiritual cultural beauty, Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh is a peaceful place that every tourist desires to visit. The unforgettable experiences here will surely be one of the most beautiful memories in tourists’ lives. Come here and feel it for yourself!

When choosing to visit this famous tourist destination, you should choose an accommodation and resort destination with full amenities and good service quality such as Wyndham Garden Legend Ha Long hotel. Don’t forget to book a room at Wyndham Garden Legend Ha Long at the best price here for a perfect holiday.