Where the Đá Bạc and Giá rivers empty into the Bạch Đằng estuary, the tidal flats of Quảng Yên and Uông Bí stand witness to three naval battles that decided the destiny of the country, from Ngô Quyền routing the Southern Han fleet in 938 and Lê Hoàn shattering the Song navy in 981 to Grand Commander Trần Hưng Đạo and the two Trần kings destroying the entire Mongol-Yuan armada of Omar and Fan Ji on the 8th day of the 3rd lunar month in the Mậu Tý year (April 9, 1288).
Unlike a single standalone shrine, the Bạch Đằng Victory Historical Complex on the left bank of the Bạch Đằng River is a special national heritage complex comprising 11 component sites distributed around Rừng Ferry, Hà Nam Island (Quảng Yên), and the Điền Công area (Uông Bí). The complex brings together seven ancient worship structures, namely the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo, Vua Bà Shrine, Yên Giang Communal House, Trung Bản Communal House, Trung Cốc Temple, Đền Công Communal House, and Cổ Linh Shrine, along with Rừng Ferry and three ironwood and táu-wood stake yards still preserved in the tidal mud at Yên Giang, Đồng Vạn Muối, and Đồng Má Ngựa.
IHistorical timeline
- 938 and 981Two decisive naval victories by Ngô Quyền and Lê Hoàn on the Bạch Đằng estuaryIn 938, Ngô Quyền planted iron-tipped wooden stakes in the bed of the Bạch Đằng River and crushed the Southern Han fleet led by Liu Hongcao, ending more than a millennium of Northern domination. In 981, King Lê Đại Hành once again routed the invading Song naval forces on this river.
- Early 1288Trần Hưng Đạo surveys the terrain and lays out the underwater stake formationsPreparing to block the seaward retreat of the Mongol-Yuan war fleet commanded by Omar and Fan Ji, Prince Hưng Đạo Trần Quốc Tuấn personally surveyed the tidal currents at the mouths of the Chanh, Rút, and Kênh rivers, mobilizing soldiers and local inhabitants to fell forest timber and drive thousands of wooden stakes into an intricate ambush formation.
- 8th of 3rd lunar month, Mậu Tý year (April 9, 1288)The Great Victory of Bạch Đằng destroys the Mongol-Yuan armadaTaking advantage of the rapid ebb tide from dawn until noon, Trần forces lured enemy warships into the submerged stake fields across the river branches, launched fire attacks and ambushes from all sides, captured Omar, Xiliji, and Fan Ji alive, and seized more than 400 warships.
- After 1288 - Lê and Nguyễn dynastiesImperial investiture of Vua Bà and construction of temples and communal housesThe Trần king bestowed the title "Vua Bà" (Royal Lady) upon the female tea-stall vendor at Rừng Ferry who had shared crucial knowledge of tidal schedules and riverbed channels, ordering a shrine built right on the riverbank. Residents of Yên Hưng, Phong Cốc, Trung Bản, and Điền Công villages also erected temples and communal houses honoring Trần Hưng Đạo, Phạm Ngũ Lão, Yết Kiêu, and the tutelary deities who aided the victory.
- 1958 - 2010Discovery and excavation of three Bạch Đằng stake yards in Quảng YênIn 1958, while digging an irrigation work at Nhử Lagoon (Yên Giang), local residents uncovered hundreds of ironwood and táu-wood stakes driven deep into the mud, prompting archaeological excavations in 1958, 1969, 1976, 1984, and 1988. Subsequently, the Đồng Vạn Muối stake yard was discovered in 2005 and the Đồng Má Ngựa stake yard in 2010 (both in former Nam Hòa ward, now Phong Cốc ward).
- 1988 - 2021Special national heritage and national intangible cultural heritage rankingsThe Bạch Đằng complex was ranked as a national historical heritage site in 1988 and elevated to a special national heritage site on September 27, 2012 under Decision 1419/QĐ-TTg comprising 11 component sites. In November 2021, the Traditional Bạch Đằng Festival was inscribed on the national list of intangible cultural heritage under Decision 2970/QĐ-BVHTTDL.
IISaint Trần, Vua Bà, and the generals guarding the river
The central figure of worship across the entire Bạch Đằng estuary is Grand Prince Hưng Đạo Trần Quốc Tuấn (Saint Trần), supreme commander of the 1288 naval campaign. He is venerated as the principal deity at the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo beside Rừng Ferry and honored as the tutelary deity (Thành hoàng) at Yên Giang Communal House, Trung Bản Communal House, and Trung Cốc Temple, as well as at the Đền Công Communal House - Cổ Linh Shrine cluster.
Standing right beside the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo is Vua Bà Shrine, dedicated to the female tea vendor at ancient Rừng Ferry. According to the spirit register, when Trần Hưng Đạo surveyed the river terrain, he consulted her on the timing of high and low tides, submerged rock shoals, and shallow versus deep channels. Thanks to her detailed guidance, the Trần command calculated the exact hours for driving stakes and luring the enemy fleet. When the victorious army returned to thank its benefactor and found she had passed away, the Trần king conferred upon her the title "Vua Bà" and ordered a shrine erected for perpetual worship, with its front hall also honoring the Three Holy Mothers (Tam Tòa Thánh Mẫu).
Across the other component sites on Hà Nam Island and the northern bank of the Rút River, local communities also venerate General Phạm Ngũ Lão, General Yết Kiêu, Trần royal princes, and four deities associated with miraculous aid during the Battle of Bạch Đằng in the Điền Công area, namely Cao Sơn Quý Minh, Nam Hải Tôn Thần, Phi Bồng Tướng Quân, and Bạch Thạch Tướng Quân.
Set on an ancient headland overlooking the confluence of the Bạch Đằng and Chanh rivers (Quảng Yên ward), jointly honoring the Grand Commander and the local woman who knew the tides.
Three ancient communal houses and temples in Quảng Yên, Liên Hòa, and Phong Cốc wards venerating Saint Trần and Phạm Ngũ Lão as tutelary deities and hosting the third-month palanquin procession.
Đền Công Communal House and Cổ Linh Shrine in Uông Bí ward honor Trần Hưng Đạo and four realm-protecting deities, linked to the Yên Giang, Đồng Vạn Muối, and Đồng Má Ngựa stake yards.
IIIThe Đá Bạc estuary, tidal currents, and Hà Nam Island
A three-river water gathering (thủy tụ) before the Rừng Ferry headland: The cluster of the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo and Vua Bà Shrine sits on a raised mound projecting right where the Bạch Đằng River branches into the Chanh River winding around Hà Nam Island. Looking out from the temple courtyard, one faces a vast expanse of water kilometers wide, while across the river rises the rolling Tràng Kênh limestone range (Thủy Nguyên, Hải Phòng) serving as the front screen (tiền án). In the coastal estuary lie of the land, the Rừng Ferry mound resembles the prow of a warship guarding the waterway gateway between the Northeast and the Red River Delta.
Hà Nam Island and its natural network of tidal channels: The land south of Quảng Yên is a large alluvial island (Hà Nam Island) surrounded on all four sides by the Bạch Đằng River, Chanh River, Rút River, and the sea, formerly interlaced with marshes and alternating shallow and deep tidal creeks. At high tide, vast waters submerged every mudflat and stake line. At low tide, the water drained rapidly, exposing shoals and narrow channels. This alternating yin-yang rhythm of the diurnal tide created the heaven-sent timing and terrain advantage of the Battle of Bạch Đằng.
The ancient banyan tree and river landing before Vua Bà Shrine: Directly in front of Vua Bà Shrine and the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo stands a centuries-old banyan tree casting shade over Rừng Ferry. The banyan roots, water landing, and moss-grown temple roofs right at the water's edge form a sacred landscape characteristic of water-deity and naval-hero shrines along the northern coast.
IVSeven worship structures, an ancient ferry landing, and three wooden stake yards
The Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo and Vua Bà Shrine in Quảng Yên ward (former Yên Giang ward) stand side by side within a spacious compound beside Rừng Ferry. Vua Bà Shrine was founded in the Trần period right on the site of her former tea stall, facing west. Rebuilt in 2001, it comprises a three-bay, two-wing front hall (bái đường) of about 80 square meters honoring the Three Holy Mothers and a 30-square-meter rear sanctuary (hậu cung) housing a stone pedestal that supports Vua Bà's throne. The Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo was originally erected in the Hậu Đồng area and moved by villagers in 1934 (the 9th year of Bảo Đại) or 1936 depending on the source to its present spot next to Vua Bà Shrine, built in the traditional T-shaped (chữ Đinh) layout with carvings of dragons, clouds, and waves.
Yên Giang Communal House (also called Hàng Tổng Communal House), located about 2 km from Rừng Ferry, was the grand communal house of former Hà Bắc canton, housing the spirit tablet and statue of Trần Hưng Đạo and serving as the starting point of the palanquin procession of Saint Trần to the riverbank during the annual festival. Trung Bản Communal House (in former Liên Hòa commune, now Liên Hòa ward) faces southwest, was ranked as a national heritage site on August 30, 1991, and underwent major restorations in 1919 (initiated by the 1906 provincial graduate Nguyễn Huy Hách), 1998, and 2009 - 2010, preserving a seventeenth-century Lê-dynasty red-lacquered and gilded eight-bearer palanquin (kiệu bát cống) and ceremonial washing set (bộ quán tẩy).
Trung Cốc Temple stands in Đông Cốc village (former Nam Hòa ward, now Phong Cốc ward) on the mound where the command boat of Trần Hưng Đạo and Phạm Ngũ Lão ran aground while inspecting the battlefield. It was rebuilt in the 6th year of Gia Long (1807) and restored in 2011 in a T-shaped plan comprising a three-bay front hall and a two-bay rear sanctuary. On the northern bank of the Rút River in former Điền Công commune, Trưng Vương ward (now Uông Bí ward) stand Đền Công Communal House and Cổ Linh (Cu Linh) Shrine, dedicated to Trần Hưng Đạo and four battle-aiding deities, completing the 11 component sites of the complex.
The three Bạch Đằng stake yards represent the most distinctive archaeological feature of the complex. Yên Giang Stake Yard lies about 1 km from the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo, measuring roughly 120 m long and 20 m wide, with ironwood and táu-wood stakes 2.6 m to 2.8 m long and 20 - 30 cm in diameter, their lower tips sharpened over 0.5 m to 1 m and driven vertically or at a 75-degree angle in an interlocking comb pattern. Đồng Vạn Muối Stake Yard (discovered in 2005) and Đồng Má Ngựa Stake Yard (discovered in 2010) in new Phong Cốc ward (former Nam Hòa ward) used locally available mixed hardwoods of smaller diameter (7 - 22 cm) planted densely to seal off narrow river creeks and prevent Mongol troops from landing on Hà Nam Island. Today all three stake yards are housed in on-site conservation enclosures where visitors can observe the more than 700-year-old wooden stake heads beneath the water surface.
VBạch Đằng festival on the eighth day of the third lunar month
The Traditional Bạch Đằng Festival (popularly known as the "Death Anniversary of the Battle of Bạch Đằng") takes place annually from the 6th to the 9th day of the third lunar month (with the main festival day on the 8th day of the third month, the exact lunar date of the 1288 victory) and was inscribed on the national list of intangible cultural heritage in November 2021 under Decision 2970/QĐ-BVHTTDL.
The most sacred highlight of the festival is the palanquin procession of Saint Trần from Yên Giang Communal House to the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo and Vua Bà Shrine at Rừng Ferry and back to the communal house. Stretching for kilometers with sacred flags, eight precious emblems, dragon palanquins, ritual musicians, and thousands of local residents, the procession also preserves at Yên Giang Communal House the custom of letting young children pass beneath the palanquin of Saint Trần to pray for health, intelligence, and peace.
The festive part features traditional dragon-boat races (đua thuyền chải) on the Bạch Đằng River reenacting the spirit of the Trần navy, alongside wrestling matches, human chess, tug-of-war, and responsive hát đúm folk singing native to Hà Nam Island.
VIWhere historical sources differ
On the number of component sites in the complex: The special national heritage dossier of the Bạch Đằng Victory Historical Complex under Decision 1419/QĐ-TTg dated September 27, 2012 by the Department of Cultural Heritage officially designates 11 component sites, comprising 9 sites in former Quảng Yên town (Rừng Ferry, Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo, Vua Bà Shrine, Yên Giang Communal House, Yên Giang Stake Yard, Trung Bản Communal House, Trung Cốc Temple, Đồng Vạn Muối Stake Yard, and Đồng Má Ngựa Stake Yard) and 2 sites across the Rút River in former Uông Bí city (Đền Công Communal House and Cổ Linh Shrine). Because some travel accounts count only the Quảng Yên side, they often summarize the complex as five worship structures and three stake yards.
On the year the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo was moved next to Vua Bà Shrine: The Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo was originally built in the Hậu Đồng area. Regarding the year it was relocated to Rừng Ferry beside Vua Bà Shrine, Monument Management Board records and local stele documents state the Giáp Tuất year 1934 (the 9th year of Bảo Đại), whereas several local press articles record the year as 1936.
On the dating and extent of the wooden stake fields across the Bạch Đằng basin: Alongside the three stake yards in Quảng Yên (Quảng Ninh), which have been dated to the 1288 battle through radiocarbon (C14) analysis and stratigraphy, additional large wooden stake fields were uncovered in 2019 at Cao Quỳ and Đầm Thượng (former Thủy Nguyên district, now Thủy Nguyên city, Hải Phòng) on the right bank of the Bạch Đằng River. Historians and archaeologists continue to conduct broader surveys to distinguish which stake clusters belong to the campaigns of 938, 981, or 1288 and how each military wing operated across the entire Bạch Đằng riverfront.
VIILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Các phường Quảng Yên, Phong Cốc, Liên Hòa và Uông Bí (trước 01/07/2025 là các phường Yên Giang, Nam Hòa, Yên Hải, xã Liên Hòa thuộc thị xã Quảng Yên và phường Trưng Vương thuộc thành phố Uông Bí), tỉnh Quảng Ninh
- Getting there
- From Hanoi or Hải Phòng, take the Hanoi - Hải Phòng - Hạ Long Expressway (CT06), exit at Hoàng Tân interchange or Chợ Rộc interchange (Quảng Yên), and continue about 4 km into the center of Quảng Yên ward (former Yên Giang ward) to reach the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo, Vua Bà Shrine (Rừng Ferry), and Yên Giang Stake Yard.
- Coordinates
- 20.9461, 106.7778
The component sites of the Bạch Đằng complex are distributed across Quảng Yên, Liên Hòa, Phong Cốc, and Uông Bí wards, spaced from 1 km to 8 km apart. Visitors with limited time should prioritize the central cluster comprising the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo and Vua Bà Shrine (Rừng Ferry), Yên Giang Stake Yard, and Yên Giang Communal House (all within a 1 - 2 km radius in Quảng Yên ward). When visiting the Yên Giang or Đồng Vạn Muối stake yards, take time to study the stratigraphic cross-section diagrams in the exhibition house to visualize the 1288 tidal water levels relative to the present rice fields. Dress respectfully when entering the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo, Vua Bà Shrine, and the ancient communal houses. A trip to Quảng Yên can easily be combined with visits to Phong Cốc Communal House, the Tiên Công Shrine (honoring the founding pioneers of Hà Nam Island), or the Bạch Đằng Giang Memorial Complex across the river in Thủy Nguyên (Hải Phòng).
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?Quick Questions
Which component sites make up the Bạch Đằng Historical Complex?
According to the 2012 special national heritage dossier, the complex comprises 11 component sites, including 3 Trần-dynasty wooden stake yards (Yên Giang, Đồng Vạn Muối, and Đồng Má Ngựa), Rừng Ferry, and 7 ancient worship structures (the Temple of Trần Hưng Đạo, Vua Bà Shrine, Yên Giang Communal House, Trung Bản Communal House, and Trung Cốc Temple in the Quảng Yên area, along with Đền Công Communal House and Cổ Linh Shrine in the Uông Bí area).
Who is venerated at Vua Bà Shrine at Rừng Ferry?
Vua Bà Shrine honors the female tea vendor at Rừng Ferry who gave Prince Hưng Đạo Trần Quốc Tuấn detailed guidance on tidal schedules and riverbed terrain ahead of the 1288 naval battle. Following the victory, the Trần king bestowed upon her the title Vua Bà (Royal Lady) and ordered a shrine erected right on the riverbank.
In what year was the Yên Giang stake yard discovered?
The Yên Giang stake yard was first discovered in 1958 when local residents dug an irrigation work at Nhử Lagoon and was subsequently excavated across multiple campaigns. In 2005 and 2010, archaeologists discovered two additional stake yards at Đồng Vạn Muối and Đồng Má Ngựa in former Nam Hòa ward (now Phong Cốc ward).
When does the Traditional Bạch Đằng Festival take place?
The Traditional Bạch Đằng Festival takes place annually from the 6th to the 9th day of the third lunar month (with the main festival day on the 8th day of the third month, commemorating the April 9, 1288 victory) and was inscribed as a national intangible cultural heritage in November 2021.