Visit Cua Ong Temple

Cua Ong Temple is a spiritual tourist destination visited by many tourists (Photo: Collectibles)

For a long time,  Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh  has always been praised for having a favorable location, charming mountains with a view overlooking the clear blue Bai Tu Long Bay. To make a complete schedule, let’s refer to the experiences of visiting and going to Cua Ong Temple below.

1. Where is the historical site of Cua Ong temple? 

Cua Ong Cam Pha Temple is located on  hill area 9A, Cua Ong ward, Cam Pha city, Quang Ninh province . The location of 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. This is the “meeting” of mountains, old forests and the sea, endowed with a prime location by nature. 

Cua Ong Cam Pha Temple is majestic with a dignified and heroic atmosphere (Photo: collectibles)

This place worships Monsignor De Third Cua Suot – Hung Nhuong Vuong Tran Quoc Tang (third son of Tran Hung Dao). He was a man with great merit in defending the Northeast region of the country. In addition, this place also fully worships Tran Dynasty generals and family members: Tran Quoc Tuan, Tran Anh Tong, Tran Khanh Du, Pham Ngu Lao, Yet Kieu,… 

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

2.1. History of Cua Ong Temple

According to historical records, Cua Ong Temple – Quang Ninh was built and existed for more than 700 years with many major restorations. At the beginning, the temple was just a small temple, made from thatch, bamboo, etc. Around 1907 – 1916, the temple was restored in. In 1916, the relic site built more Upper Temple, Middle Temple, Lower Temple and pagoda. 

Up to now, the temple has undergone 700 years of construction with many restorations (Photo: collectibles)

In the following years, the temple continued to be restored and embellished. In 2014, the master plan for Cua Ong Cam Pha Temple relic site in Quang Ninh was approved with an area of ​​up to 18,125ha. By 2017, Trung Temple was built and completed in 2017.

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

According to the introduction of Cua Ong Temple, this place originally only worshiped Monsignor Tran Quoc Tang. After building more temples and pagodas, worshiping more famous people. Specifically:

• Ha Temple:  Including Mau Temple and Trung Thien Long Mau Temple;
• Trung Temple:  Worshiping Kham Sai Dong Dao Thiet Che Hoang Can and Son god, Thuy god;
• Upper Temple:  Including Thuong Temple, Quan Chanh Temple, Quan Chau Temple, Tran Quoc Tang Pagoda and Tomb;
• Pair Tien Temple:  Worshiping a lady – the daughter of Tran Quoc Tang (also known as “Cua Suot Girl”), mandarin Chanh, human gods, Buddha, Ngoc Hoang, Nam Tao, Bac Dau and Tien Thien Thanh Mau .

Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh is a relic area with many temples and pagodas (Photo: collectibles)

3. When do you visit the historical site of Cua Ong Temple?

Is Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh  open? The temple is always open to welcome local people and domestic and foreign tourists to visit and worship. Even on New Year’s Eve, the temple is still open for people to come to worship and pray.

Visiting Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh in the spring is the most ideal (Photo: collectibles)

The best time to visit this place is at the beginning of the new year because at this time the weather is cool, pleasant, with little rain. At the same time, the beginning of the year is also an occasion for the temple to organize many festivals such as: Cua Ong Main Temple Festival, Praying for Requiem Ceremony, Procession of Lord Ong to return to the palace, … 

4. Instructions on how to move when going to Cua Ong Temple 

According to the experience of going to Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh, there are many ways to move here. Specifically, for tourists in Hanoi:

• By bus:  Tourists can go from Hanoi to Cam Pha city by bus with a cost ranging from 80,000 – 300,000 VND/time depending on the type of vehicle and seat type. When coming to Cam Pha, tourists continue to hire motorbike taxis or taxis to Cua Ong Temple.
• By private car or motorbike:  Visitors go from Hanoi city center along Nguyen Khoai street, cross National Highway 1A in Linh Nam, then continue to move to National Highway 5B/Highway 04, continue along national route. Highway 10 and National Highway 18. Go to Ly Thuong Kiet street – Cam Pha city, continue going straight to Cua Ong Temple. Total distance traveled is about 200km.

Families can take a private car to visit Cua Ong Temple relic (Photo: collectibles)

In addition, visitors can go by the above means to Ha Long city. Then, from Ha Long city, you follow Highway 18 to the Northeast about 30-40km, turn right about more than 100m to Cua Ong Temple.

5. What’s interesting about Cua Ong Cam Pha Temple?

5.1. Temple of Cua Ong Quang Ninh – The sacred 700-year-old temple

The temple of Cua Ong Quang Ninh is the temple that many locals trust and go to Mass the most. This place worships Hung Nhuong Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tang – who had great merit in repelling the Mongol invaders in the 13th century. Over the centuries, the sacred and heroic legends of the temple have been passed down to the next generations.

The temple has 700 history with many heroic legends (Photo: collectibles)

5.2. Cua Ong Temple 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. This place has a unique, mysterious architecture and converges all the feng shui mascots: Left dragon, right white tiger, pre-church and post-xuan vu.

The materials used to build the temple are cast stone, Bat Trang bricks, terracotta roof tiles, mortar mixed with honey,… The decorative architecture is mainly based on the classic stories of the four spirits of Long, Ly, Quy. , Phung,… 

This is one of the temples with the most beautiful architecture in Vietnam (Photo: collectibles)

The architecture inside the temple uses strong and durable woods such as nails, iron, rosemary, mahogany,… The house’s frame is carved with reliefs, couplets, … and painted patterns, splendid gold cards.

5.3. Cua Ong Temple is a well-known spiritual cultural spot

Over hundreds of years of history, Quang Ninh Cua Ong Temple still retains its cultural and historical value, contributing to preserving and promoting national cultural identity, community cohesion and spiritual culture development. .. This place has become an indispensable part in the spiritual life and cultural activities of the local people. At the same time, this place is also an attractive tourist destination for many domestic and foreign tourists.

Cua Ong Temple is an attractive place for tourists to visit (Photo: collectibles)

5.4. The place where many big and attractive festivals take place throughout the year

Since the 14th century, the festival of Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh has always been held on a large scale. Visiting this place in the first 3 months of the year, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in many attractive festivals such as:

• Cua Ong Main Temple Festival:  Held from January 2 of the lunar calendar to the end of March of the lunar calendar;
• The ceremony of intercession, the ceremony of praying at the Temple gate and offering incense to the Lord:  Including the sacrifice and the procession of the Tran Quoc Tang tablet;
• The procession of Monsignor to the palace:  Lasts until the end of the 3rd lunar month. Visitors have the opportunity to participate in many folk games such as blindfolded drumming, stick picking, tug of war, whore shrimp nest, cooking rice, betel nut,… 

Cua Ong Temple Festival in Quang Ninh is held on a large scale (Photo: collectibles)

7. What to prepare when going to Cua Ong Temple?

The relic site of Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh includes both temples and pagodas, so when going to offer incense, to go to all the boards, visitors should buy both vegetarian, salty and live food ceremonies. Ceremonies to be prepared can be selected from: Vegetarian ceremony (incense, flowers, confectionery, fruit, votive coins – all purchased in odd numbers); salty ceremony used at the council board (chicken, pork, sausage, spring rolls,… are carefully cooked and presented); live offerings (salt, rice, raw eggs and votive paper).

The experience of going to the Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh is to prepare all the offerings (Photo: collectibles)

Visitors to the ceremony are mainly sincere because the number of visitors here is very large, so it is necessary to limit burning votive papers. The preparation of the ceremony also does not need to be too sophisticated because the offerings are mainly sincere, avoiding waste.

Note:  Placing change when coming to offer incense may cause negative effects on the beauty. So visitors can put the money in the merit box.

8. Notes to remember when coming to Ong Cua Ong Temple in Quang Ninh 

Cua Ong Temple is the most famous spiritual cultural spot in Vietnam. If you choose to visit this place, you need to pay attention to the following:

• Visitors need to wear formal, discreet clothes, in accordance with the fine customs and traditions of the sacred places, the Buddha’s door;
• Visitors need to walk gently, avoid talking too loudly because it will affect others and affect the dignified and quiet atmosphere at the temple;
• Visitors are not allowed to arbitrarily touch objects at the temple to avoid causing damage to the monument.

Visitors to the temple should choose polite and discreet clothes (Photo: collectibles)