Travel Guide Temples Chu Dong Tu

On the banks of the Red River, these temples, restored several times, are dedicated to the cult of the genius Chu Dông Tu and Princess Tiên Dung. Chu Dông Tu, a poor fisherman and orphan, bathed naked in the Red River. Just as in the fairy tales, he met Princess Tiên Dung, daughter of the 18th King Hung, who, passing through the area, had also had the good idea of cooling off in an Eve outfit. Instant love at first sight. The wedding was celebrated on the spot. The king's anger at this mismatch forced the couple into exile. In the course of his tribulations, Chu Dông Tu met a monk and the Perfect Light. As a viaticum, the monk Phât Quang (Buddha's Light) entrusts him with a staff and a hat made of latanier leaves. He reunites with the princess, with whom he embarks on a new life dedicated to discovering the Way. A harsh life, where every day is a conquest, especially at bivouac time, when the elements are raging and there's no roof over the heads of Truth seekers. All that remains is the hat, which, planted on the stick, provides precarious shelter from the downpour. A miracle of faith! The couple awake to a radiant dawn, in the heart of a palace of jade and emerald, surrounded by eager servants and soldiers. The news reaches the court of King Hung, who, believing in an attempted rebellion, dispatches his army to the scene. And the jade palace flew away in a storm cloud, taking Chu Dông Tu and the princess with it. All that remained was a vast, sandy, water-laden expanse of land, which came to be known as the "Marsh of a Night". This is where the Da Hoa temple was built, and where the cult of the genie Chu Dông Tu and the princess Tiên Dung is celebrated today. The cult is very popular: pilgrims come from all over the region to seek luck, success and marital happiness. From the 10th to the 13th day of the1st lunar month, the local population celebrates Chu Dông Tu and the princess with numerous festivities.