The temples of King Dinh and King Le in Ninh Binh are located in an area commonly referred to as the Ancient Capital of Hoa Lu, belonging to Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province. Visitors to this area have the opportunity to delve deep into the historical values ​​of Vietnam's feudal dynasties in the 10th century. Witnessing the ups and downs of history, this is the only place in Vietnam to worship King Dinh, his parents, his sons, and the merits of the generals.

Situated on a 5-hectare area within the special conservation zone of the national cultural heritage site of the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital complex, located in Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province. Over more than 1000 years of history, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is a place that preserves the historical relics of the three dynasties of Dinh – Early Le – Ly. Among them, the temples of King Dinh and King Le are cultural and historical monuments of great significance to future generations.

The Temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang in Yen Thuong village, Truong Yen commune, is situated on a spacious grounds covering nearly 5 hectares, with Mount Ma Yen as the background, facing East. The tomb of King Dinh Tien Hoang is located on the top of Ma Yen Son – the reason why the tomb of King Dinh is located amidst Ma Yen mountain, where the shape resembles a saddle like a saddle, serving the mission of suppressing invaders and safeguarding the country.

According to legend, the temples of King Dinh and King Le were also built on the site of the ancient palace. When the Ly dynasty left the capital from Hoa Lu to the land of Thang Long (present-day Hanoi), the people built two temples to commemorate the two national heroes, Dinh Bo Linh and Le Hoan. Initially, the temple faced North overlooking Mount Ho and Mount Che. Over the years, the two old temples are no longer there. In the early 17th century, after leaving the Mac dynasty for the Le dynasty (1600), Bui Thoi Trung, the lord of the district, rebuilt the two temples as before, but turned to the East, and in 1606 inscribed the stele. In 1898, Mr. Ba Kenh, also known as Duong Duc Vinh, along with the people of Truong Yen Thuong, renovated the temple of King Dinh, making stone doorsteps and raising the temple on a stone platform as it is today.

Details about the Temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang
The Temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang is the place of worship for King Dinh Tien Hoang and his sons. It is located at the main position of the Hoa Lu Imperial Capital, built in the style of inner Cong characters (Chinese characters) and outer Quoc characters (national characters). The path in the temple follows the shape of a square. The architectural constructions symmetrically correspond along the main axis.

This is a remarkable architectural work, a historical and artistic relic of the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, ranked as a special national relic in 2012.

According to tradition, after pacifying the country and suppressing the 12 warlords, King Dinh Tien Hoang chose this place as the capital - his homeland was associated with his childhood of 'training under the coconut palms', along with the mountainous terrain and surrounded by water, which was very suitable for resisting external enemies, as at that time the northern invaders were threatening our country. However, in 979, King Dinh Tien Hoang and his son Dinh Lien were killed by Do Thich. According to the royal ritual, he was posthumously conferred the title, built the temple to worship him right at his hometown. Therefore, the temple has been established since ancient times. Today, the remaining part of the temple bears the architectural style of the Nguyen dynasty.

Many documents about King Dinh Tien Hoang have praised his intelligence, strength, and great contribution to the cause of unifying the country, opening up the legitimate regime of our country after thousands of years of slavery. In his homeland today, there are still many legends related to the childhood of King Dinh Tien Hoang or the generals Nguyen Bac, Dinh Dien, etc.

The outer gate leading to the temple - Ngọ Mon has three tiled roofs. On the arch of the gate are two lions playing in the clouds, above them are the words "Phuong Khuyet Dynasty" (front dynasty gate), outside there are the words "Bac Mon toa thuoc" (meaning: North gate closed). With more than a thousand years of experience in fighting against the northern feudalism, our ancestors have been cautious and reminded their descendants about that. Inside, in the middle of the courtyard, there is a stone altar, on both sides are two stone buffalo statues, with very high artistic value. The simple carving shapes with rustic blocks evoke reverence for King Dinh.

Next is the internal Nghi gate (inner gate), this gate is the earliest form of three-legged architecture in our country. Inside, to the right of the temple is the house where King Dinh's parents are worshiped, to the left is the Vong house where offerings are made. The area in the middle is the foreign flower garden (in the shape of a country). On both sides are rockery designed in the form of a 'salvage dragon' and a 'human-shaped bowing to the general'.

The two stone lions are very robustly sculpted, with high heads, open mouths, twisted noses, curly hair, tightened bellies, clear protruding meat pieces on the hips, demonstrating strength.

The main temple has three buildings: Bai Duong, Thien Huong, and Thuong Dien.

The Bai Duong hall worships the communal balcony with the characteristic architecture of the Dinh temple being surrounded, the dim light has created a sacred space, making its altars and statues appear to have a mysterious power. Different from other architectures, usually attaching doors to columns outside, in the Dinh temple, the temple door is recessed into the column line, forming overlapping panels with large decorations. In the Bai Duong area, there are two 'swan necks' quite beautiful, both supporting the roof and covering the heads of the lintel. This is actually a clever corner, a very difficult technique in traditional architecture that has become a proverb.

In the middle of the Bai Duong area is a large signboard with three words "Chinh Thong Thuy" (Opening the mainstream). On the columns on both sides are two couplets "Co Viet quoc duong tong khai bao, Hoa Lu do thi han Trang An" (translated as: Dai Co Viet country is comparable to the Reign of the Tang dynasty, the capital of Hoa Lu like the capital of Trang An of the Han dynasty).

The Temple of King Dinh is a precious architectural masterpiece in the 17th century. Although it has undergone many renovations, the temple still retains the carvings of the late Ly period. The most represented theme is the dragons, intertwined with each other: mother dragons, dragon children, dragon groups... in the intricate relief carvings, some dragons are calm, some are curved tails, turning their heads back as if joking.

Details about the Temple of King Le
Located not far from the Temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang, about 300m away, is the Temple of King Le - the place of worship of King Le Dai Hanh. Located in Truong Yen Ha village, Truong Yen commune, it is also called the Lower Temple. The temple was built on the foundation of the ancient palace of Hoa Lu facing East, with Mount Den as the backdrop, and behind it is Mount Dia.

Although not as magnificent as the Temple of King Dinh because it has been less renovated, the Temple of King Le preserves many more carvings from the late Le period than the Temple of King Dinh. The overlapping panels in the Bai Duong hall are where the artistic performances of wood carvings converge.

In the middle of the Bai Duong area is a brightly colored signboard with four words "Truong Xuan Ling Tich" (Truong Xuan Temple's signature). On the signboard on the left side are three words "xuat thanh minh" (appear as saints), on the right is the signboard "Duong thanh vu" (expressing the divine). There are two couplets as follows "Thanh vu dong bon ben trong luc chiem cuong tong thịnh, thịnh liệng còn vạn thuở trong vùng núi mã sông Long" which means: The divine intervention in all four directions during the prosperous period, sacred and eternal in the region of the horse river and dragon mountains.

The Temple of King Dinh and the Temple of King Le are symbols of the 17th-century wood carving art reaching a refined and sophisticated level. The two temples are forever symbols of the respect and gratitude of the entire nation and the people of Ninh Binh in particular to the two kings who made great contributions to the opening of the independent national era in the 10th century.

The festival of the Temple of King Dinh and King Le (Truong Yen festival) is held annually at the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital in Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province, where the two temples of King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh and related historical figures of the Dinh and Early Le dynasties are located. The festival takes place from the 8th to the 10th of the lunar month every year, attracting many local and regional tourists to visit and enjoy the spring.

The Truong Yen festival has recreated the entire life and career of King Dinh Tien Hoang, from childhood to the founding of the dynasty. The festival embodies the tradition of "remembering the source" and reverence for the ancestors who had the merit of suppressing the 12 warlords and unifying the country into one, establishing the first central monarchy in Vietnam. In addition, the festival contains much important historical information, contributing to clarifying a period in Vietnamese history, affirming the national spirit through each historical period.

Means of transportation to the Temple of King Dinh - King Le
If you depart from Ho Chi Minh City, flying is the best option. You will fly to Noi Bai Airport and from Noi Bai, travel to Ninh Binh by booking a limousine or renting a private car. The travel time for 100 km is 2 hours.

If you are already in Hanoi, you have three options:

Train: ticket prices range from 90-200,000 VND depending on the class of train and type of seat. There are morning trips at 6:30 and evening trips at 19:20. You will arrive at Ninh Binh Station and then take a taxi/motorbike/motorbike taxi to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
Bus: ticket prices range only 80k. Travel time is about 2.5 hours including rest time. Leaving from Giap Bat Bus Station, there are many buses running directly to Ninh Binh, it is very easy and convenient to go to Ninh Binh.
Motorbike: If you take the bus, you will go on the new National Highway 1A route. However, if you go by motorbike, you will go on the old road, through Thuong Tin, and then stop by Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province. Just follow Google Maps and you will reach Ninh Binh, luxurious and splendid. Go another 7km and you will reach the Temple of King Dinh - King Le.
Limousine: Nowadays, there are many new bus companies running the Ninh Binh route with the highest quality, picking up and dropping off passengers at home with prices ranging from 250-350,000 VND/1 ticket. So don't hesitate to book yourself a seat to easily travel to Ninh Binh.

Source: https://sinhtour.vn/den-vua-dinh-va-den-vua-le-ninh-binh/
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