Formerly, there were four important temples guarding the four entrances to Thăng Long in four directions. Among them, Voi Phục (Kneeling Elephant) Temple was the western “guardian temple” of ancient Thăng Long. The temple was built on a high mound south of Thủ Lệ Zoo in what is now known as Ngọc Khánh Ward, Ba [...]

To the freshly-arrived tourists in Hà Nội, the guide will most certainly show the temple named the Jade Mountain (Ngọc Sơn) built on an islet in the Lake of the Restored Sword (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm) an expanse of green water with a border of lawns, flower-beds and age-old trees – the jewel of the capital [...]