Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [242]
In the anarchy that followed, Le Hoan, commander of Dinh Tien Hoang’s army and supposed lover of his queen (whom Le Hoan later married), wrested power and declared himself King Le Dai Hanh in 980. The second temple, Den Le Dai Hanh, is dedicated to the earlier of the two Le dynasties which itself spiralled into chaos 25 years later while the king’s three sons squabbled over the succession. Le Dai Hanh is enshrined in the temple’s rear sanctuary with his eldest son and Queen Duong Van Nga. On the way out, signs direct you to an adjacent archeological dig where some tenth-century foundations have been unearthed, along with tiles and pottery shards.
After visiting the two temples, energetic types could climb the steps of neighbouring “Saddle Mountain” (Nui Ma Yen) for a panoramic view of Hoa Lu and its surroundings. The new Bai Dinh Pagoda is currently under construction nearby and already features the largest Buddha in Vietnam, consisting of a hundred tonnes of sculptured bronze. Due to be completed in 2010, it is already on some tour group itineraries, in part because of the excellent views of the surrounding countryside.
The central provinces - Part 2 | Ninh Binh and around | Hoa Lu |
Practicalities
Hoa Lu is just as popular as Tam Coc and the temples can be swamped, particularly mid-morning and early afternoon when tour groups arrive from Hanoi. The hawkers can also be just as enthusiastic, though fortunately they aren’t allowed to pursue you into the temples. Admission to both temples is 10,000đ. Day-trips from Hanoi to Tam Coc stop at Hoa Lu and cost from $15 per person on a minibus. From Ninh Binh, the quickest way to Hoa Lu is to rent a motorbike for the day or take a xe om (90,000đ for the round trip), but if time allows this is definitely one to do by bicycle in combination with Tam Coc (See "Tam Coc and Bich Dong"); allow at least one hour for the journey. The best route from Ninh Binh is to head up Tran Hung Dao, and turn left after number 58 – from here, it’s pretty much straight all the way. En route you’ll pass Thach Ban Quan, a friendly cafe just 3km from Hoa Lu that can rustle up a small meal for hungry cyclists; you can also stay the night for a couple of dollars, quite a temptation given the surrounding amphitheatre of mountains.
The central provinces - Part 2 | Ninh Binh and around |
Phat Diem
Strike southeast from Ninh Binh and there’s no mistaking that you’ve stumbled on a Christian enclave, where church spires sprout out of the flat paddy land on all sides; it’s said that 95 percent of the district’s population attend church on a regular basis. These coastal communities of northern Vietnam were among the first to be targeted by Portuguese missionaries in the sixteenth century. This area owes its particular zeal to the Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes who preached here in 1627. The greatest monument to all this religious fervour is the century-old stone cathedral, Phat Diem, situated 30km from Ninh Binh in Kim Son Village. Note that opening times vary, so check in Ninh Binh before setting off.
The first surprise is the cathedral’s monumental bell pavilion, whose curved roofs and triple gateway could easily be the entrance to a Vietnamese temple save for a few telltale crosses and a host of angels. The structure is built entirely of dressed stone, as is the equally impressive cathedral facade sheltering in its wake; both edifices rest on hundreds of bamboo poles embedded in the marshy ground. Behind, the tiled double roof of the nave extends for 74m, supported by 52 immense ironwood pillars and sheltering a cool, dark and peaceful sanctuary. The altar table is chiselled from a single block of marble, decorated with elegant sprays