Ba Kieu Temple also known as Huyen Tran Tu is located on the eastern corner of the Hoan Kiem Lake, across the street. The temple was built and expanded in the period of 1619-1628 under the Le Dynasty. Ba Kieu Temple faces west, and there is a huge banyan tree with gigantic roots covering a corner of the temple complex.
Travel Guide to the Ba Kieu Temple, Hanoi
The temple is dedicated to Goddess Lieu Hanh in Vietnamese cult who is accompanied by two assistants Quynh Hoa and Que Hoa. In legend, Goddess Lieu Hanh was a princess, daughter of the Emperor of Jade. The princess accidentally dropped and broke a jade cup and was banished to Earth. The lady helped people during the term of the banishment and is revered by the Vietnamese as the Four Immortal.
The altar behind is for the three Goddesses of Heaven (Mau Thien), Earth (Mau Dia), and Water (Mau Thoai, mispronounced of Mau Thuy).
In 1883 the French started occupying Hanoi and the Ba Kieu Temple was turned into the office of a French Group Mobile and later the private residence of a French colonel.
In 1889-1891 the French made a road, Francis Garnier (Dinh Tien Hoang Street nowadays) which cut through the front yard of the Ba Kieu Temple that is why we see another small building faces opposite the Ba Kieu Temple nowadays. Originally this small temple was the Tien Te building where offerings were prepared before offered in the main temple.
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