Quan Thanh Temple sits on the southeastern corner of West Lake (Ho Tay). While not especially large, the temple is one of the city’s oldest–it dates back to the 11th century–and amongst the four designated as its most sacred.
At the heart of the main shrine is an impressive bronze statue depicting Huyen Thien Tran Vu (usually shortened to Tran Vu and transliterated as Xuan Wu), one the higher-ranking Taoist deities and often known as the God of the North. He’s also of particularly revered by martial artists–the reason that martial arts classes are hosted at the temple. The statue was cast in 1677, stands 13 feet high and weighs in at nearly 4 tons.
Photos of Quan Thanh Temple
What to Know Before You Go
Quan Thanh Temple is right next to the West Lake.
Next door is a military base. I don’t recommend taking photos of the military building.
