The temple sits set back inside a residential neighborhood in the west of the city, with no wide body of water before its gate and no mountain at its back. You pass through a modest ceremonial gate into a flat courtyard and find a medium-sized, quiet temple with nothing that looks like grand terrain.
Yet in the middle of the 2nd lunar month, this very courtyard is where the first palanquin is lifted. From here the Mother Goddess palanquin travels to Lower Temple (Đền Hạ) beside the Lô River, waits for the palanquin coming across from Upper Temple (Đền Thượng) at the foot of Mount Dùm, and then all three enter a single festival together. The most modest of Tuyên Quang's three Mother Goddess temples holds a role the other two do not, and the reason lies in the name Ỷ La.
IThe two princesses and the Mother Goddess pantheon
This place is called a đền (temple) rather than a phủ (palace), even though the principal figure worshipped here is a Mother Goddess. In Vietnamese usage, phủ usually refers to a Mother Goddess shrine in the Liễu Hạnh lineage with the full Four Palaces pantheon, whereas đền is a broader word also used for local tutelary deities. In Tuyên Quang, all three Mother Goddess shrines bear the word đền, a trace showing that worship here had indigenous roots before being reread through the Four Palaces system.
In the way the Mother Goddess tradition organizes itself, at the top stand the Three Holy Mothers (Tam toà Thánh Mẫu), comprising Mẫu Thượng Thiên governing the sky realm in red, Mẫu Thượng Ngàn governing the mountains and forests in green, and Mẫu Thoải governing the waters in white. Below the Mothers come the Lords (hàng Quan), the Ladies (hàng Chầu), the Princes (hàng Ông Hoàng), the Maidens (hàng Cô), and the Young Masters (hàng Cậu), each with a distinct robe color and chầu văn chant. Specifically at this temple stands an altar to Cô Tư Ỷ La, a Maiden deity bearing the very place name of this land. Naming a spirit after a local place is a familiar pattern when Four Palaces worship spreads to a locality and draws that place name into its own system.
As far as can be verified, the sacred legend of all three Tuyên Quang temples tells one shared story. Two princesses, Phương Dung and Ngọc Lân, accompanied the royal cortege along the Lô River. When their boat moored at Hiệp Thuận wharf, a fierce storm arose, the two princesses ascended to heaven, and local residents built a shrine that later honored them as Holy Mothers. Local documents cite this account from the Đại Nam nhất thống chí. This belongs to the layer of sacred legend rather than annalistic history, without a date or a king's reign name, and different versions even vary on the princesses' names, with some calling them Quỳnh Hoa and Mai Hoa. Sources also diverge on their parentage, as most describe them as daughters of a Hùng King, some place them in the Trần dynasty, and others treat them as daughters of the Dragon King, reading the story toward the Water Palace.
One common misunderstanding should be addressed from the historical records. Many visitors see three temples named Lower (Hạ), Upper (Thượng), and Ỷ La and assume each worships a separate goddess of the Three Holy Mothers. According to the founding legend and cultural records of Tuyên Quang Province, all three temples share the story of the two sisters Princess Phương Dung and Princess Ngọc Lân manifesting by the Lô River. Specifically, Lower Temple worships the elder sister Princess Phương Dung, Upper Temple worships the younger sister Princess Ngọc Lân, and Ỷ La Temple was built on the spot where Princess Phương Dung's statue from Lower Temple was once brought for refuge and therefore worships that same elder sister, revered here as Đức Thánh Mẫu Thượng Thiên. Because the three temples honor the two sisters within one shared legend, their palanquins are carried from Ỷ La Temple and Upper Temple to reunite at Lower Temple.
When mapped onto the Four Palaces system, sources again diverge, as some state that Ỷ La Temple worships Mẫu Thượng Thiên, others say Mẫu Thượng Ngàn, and still others link Princess Phương Dung to Mẫu Thoải. The library notes all three readings. Where all sources agree is that the temple also worships Saint Trần (Đức Thánh Trần).
IIFrom a place of refuge to a temple
The origin of this temple differs completely from that of the other two. Lower Temple and Upper Temple were built where the sacred legend took place, beside the river bend and at the mountain foot. Ỷ La Temple was built where the Mother Goddess statue was once brought for refuge, a spot with no prior link to the earlier legend.
Local records state that when news of approaching unrest arrived, residents carried the Mother Goddess statue from Lower Temple into Gốc Đa hamlet in Ỷ La commune for safety. According to tradition, once peace returned and villagers wished to carry the statue back, termites had built a mound completely enclosing the base where the statue rested, so the villagers left the statue there, built a temple right in Gốc Đa hamlet, and carved a new statue for Lower Temple. From that event came the name Ỷ La Temple, taken directly from the commune's name, and from that event also came the custom of carrying the palanquin from Ỷ La back to Lower Temple, retracing the very path the old statue once traveled.
- Sacred legendTwo princesses ascend by the Lô RiverPrincesses Phương Dung and Ngọc Lân ascend to heaven at a bend of the Lô River, and locals build a shrine. The sacred legend carries no date and is cited from the Đại Nam nhất thống chí.
- 1738Building of Lower TempleLower Temple beside the Lô River is built under the Revival Lê dynasty as the original shrine housing the Mother Goddess statue before its evacuation. Upper Temple at the foot of Mount Dùm is built around 1801.
- 1743 or 1747Founding date in Revival Lê accountsThe Tuyên Quang Provincial Tourism Promotion Center records that Ỷ La Temple was built in 1743 (the fourth year of Cảnh Hưng) and restored in the early 19th century. Several other articles give 1747 (the eighth year of Cảnh Hưng).
- Nguyễn eraSheltering the statue at Ỷ La and building the templeSeveral accounts place the evacuation of the Mother Goddess statue from Lower Temple to Gốc Đa hamlet in Ỷ La commune during unrest in the second half of the 19th century under the Nguyễn dynasty, after which the temple was erected on that spot.
- 19th and 20th c.Nguyễn dynasty royal decreesThe temple preserves imperial decrees granted by Nguyễn emperors across the reigns of Đồng Khánh, Thành Thái, Duy Tân, and Khải Định, praising the goddess's merit in aiding the country and sheltering the people.
- 2015 to 2018National heritage site and intangible heritageỶ La Temple is ranked as a national historical heritage site under Decision 2249/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated June 29, 2015 (certificate received on March 18, 2016). Revived in 2007, the three-temple Mother Goddess procession is inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (sources cite 2017 or 2018).
Four points where sources diverge should be stated plainly. On the founding year, the Tuyên Quang Provincial Tourism Promotion Center gives 1743 (the fourth year of Cảnh Hưng) with an early 19th-century restoration, several other documents give 1747 (the eighth year of Cảnh Hưng), while Pháp luật Việt Nam newspaper gives the second half of the 19th century tied to Nguyễn-era turmoil. On the national heritage ranking year, Decision 2249/QĐ-BVHTTDL was signed on June 29, 2015, while the certificate reception ceremony was held on March 18, 2016, so 2015 and 2016 reflect the signing date and the ceremony date. On the national intangible heritage inscription year, one source cites Decision 217/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated January 23, 2017, whereas several news reports and the provincial portal write 2018. On the number of royal decrees, one source records six decrees from four Nguyễn emperors (Đồng Khánh, Thành Thái, Duy Tân, Khải Định), while another records four decrees. The library sets out both accounts.
IIIArchitecture and artifacts
The temple is not large and does not try to look large. Its layout follows the familiar longitudinal axis of northern Vietnamese temples, passing from the ceremonial gate across the courtyard into successive worship halls. Its carvings bear the mark of Nguyễn dynasty art, with neat woodwork on dragon, phoenix, and stylized floral motifs. Its modest scale follows from its origin, a temple raised by the people of one hamlet, on the land of that hamlet, to preserve a memory of their own.
An entrance built in the pillar-gate style, modest in height, opening directly onto the residential neighborhood. Behind the gate lies a flat courtyard where procession teams and musicians gather before the palanquin is lifted.
The hall housing the incense altars and worship statues, including the Mother Goddess statue. Horizontal plaques and parallel couplets hang across the bays, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries.
An altar dedicated to a Maiden deity bearing the name of this very locality, showing that the temple is read through the full Four Palaces pantheon rather than honoring only the Mother rank.
An altar to Grand Prince Hưng Đạo (Trần Quốc Tuấn), forming a second layer of worship inside the temple in the multi-deity pattern widespread across northern Vietnam.
Regarding artifacts, local records note that the temple preserves two antique bronze bells and sixteen old statues, along with bronze ritual vessels, ceramics, horizontal plaques, couplets, large-character boards, and Nguyễn dynasty royal decrees. For a small temple, sixteen statues is a substantial number, showing that the halls once displayed a full array of deities rather than a single figure.
A note on the Chinese characters at the head of this article. Vietnamese records consistently write the name as Đền Ỷ La, and the library has not located a photograph of an original plaque or stele showing how the temple writes its own name in Chinese characters. The three characters at the top are reconstructed by the library from the place name Ỷ La and the character từ (temple), not copied from an artifact on site.
IVThe lie of the land and the facing
This section is the library's reading through the eyes of traditional feng shui, not something recorded on stelae or in the heritage dossier. The library notes this clearly so that readers can distinguish documentary records from interpretation.
The first thing to say is that this plot of ground was not chosen by geomantic rules. It was chosen because it lay far from the river, far from the main road, and deep inside a village, following the criteria of refuge in wartime. Reading the lie of the land here means reading a hiding place elevated into a place of worship, not a dragon node (huyệt) selected by a geomancer. What is striking is that this criterion of shelter lies very close to a real concept in traditional land reading, a spot that stores wind (tàng phong).
Read across the triad of temples, what matters most is not any single temple but the relationship among the three. Upper Temple at the foot of Mount Dùm is the mountain (sơn) element. Lower Temple beside the Lô River is the water (thủy) element. Ỷ La Temple in the middle of village land, without mountain or river, is the center (trung), the earth element. Together the three temples form a complete set of mountain, water, and earth, and the palanquin moving among them is the thread that binds the three elements together. In traditional reading, worship that has mountain without water has stiff qi, while water without mountain has scattered qi. Having all three allows qi to circulate, and here that circulation is made visible by a procession.
As for the bright hall (minh đường), the open space before the temple door is only large enough for a courtyard. In traditional terms, a narrow bright hall belongs to a secluded shrine suited to a small community, unlike the wide bright hall of major pilgrimage centers. That matches the everyday life of the temple, quiet all year and lively only during a few festival days. Finally, the word ỷ in the place name Ỷ La means to lean on or take refuge in. That is a coincidence of toponymy rather than geomantic design, yet it fits remarkably well for a temple raised on the spot where people once sought shelter in a time of unrest.
VThe spring and autumn Mother Goddess processions
The festival here is not the festival of a single temple but of three temples at once, and what makes it is the procession route rather than the courtyard. It is held twice a year, in the middle of the 2nd lunar month and the middle of the 7th lunar month, a custom local records call spring and autumn rites (xuân thu nhị kỳ). The 2nd-month festival is larger, traditionally running from the 10th to the 16th (and in many recent years held mainly from the 11th to the 16th day of the 2nd lunar month).
| Lunar date | Rite | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-2nd lunar month | Spring festival | The main festival of the year, featuring the Mother Goddess palanquin procession among the three temples and grand sacrifices at Lower Temple, traditionally from the 10th to the 16th (or 11th to 16th). |
| 11th day of the 2nd month | Lifting the palanquin at Ỷ La Temple | The Mother Goddess palanquin is lifted from the courtyard of Ỷ La Temple and carried to Lower Temple, following the path the statue once traveled after its refuge. |
| 12th day of the 2nd month | Procession from Upper Temple | The palanquin from Upper Temple at the foot of Mount Dùm is carried across to Lower Temple to join the palanquin that arrived from Ỷ La Temple. |
| 16th day of the 2nd month | Return of the palanquins | The palanquins are carried back to Ỷ La Temple and Upper Temple, closing the spring festival. |
| Mid-7th lunar month | Autumn festival | The second festival of the year (from the 10th to the 16th day of the 7th lunar month), keeping both the palanquin procession and ritual offerings on a more compact scale. |
The procession includes the Mother Goddess palanquin, the eight-instrument ritual band (đội bát âm), lion dancers, and bearers carrying flags, parasols, the eight precious emblems (bát bửu), and ceremonial vessels. Along the route the palanquin pauses at several points so residents on both sides of the road can offer incense, making the journey last far longer than the physical distance alone would suggest. Festival days also feature chầu văn ritual singing accompanied by the moon lute (đàn nguyệt), drums, clappers, and small cymbals.
Provincial cultural records explain the meaning of the procession as meeting and reunion. Because the three temples honor two sister princesses, bringing their palanquins together at Lower Temple is understood as a reunion of the sisters, through which the communities of the three neighborhoods also gather as one. The festival of Lower Temple, Upper Temple, and Ỷ La Temple was inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage under Decision 217/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated January 23, 2017 (with some news reports writing 2018). What is inscribed is the living communal practice and its cultural value, not a judgment on religious belief.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Phường Ỷ La cũ, nay là phường Minh Xuân, tỉnh Tuyên Quang
- Getting there
- The temple sits in residential group 2, former Ỷ La Ward, now part of Minh Xuân Ward, Tuyên Quang Province, west of the city center. Lower Temple beside the Lô River and Upper Temple at the foot of Mount Dùm both lie within the same urban area and can easily be visited together in a single day.
- Coordinates
- 21.8175, 105.1972
This is an active place of worship, so house customs should be respected, including dressing modestly, removing hats when entering the inner halls, not touching worship statues, antique bells, or ritual vessels, and placing donations into the merit box rather than on the incense altars. On the day the palanquin is lifted, the courtyard belongs to the procession team, so visitors are asked to stand clear of the formation and never cross in front of the palanquin. To see the full custom of this place, it is worth visiting all three temples, since the rite here belongs to the three temples combined.
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?Quick Questions
Who is worshipped at Ỷ La Temple
It worships Princess Phương Dung (revered as Đức Thánh Mẫu Thượng Thiên), the elder sister in the legend of Princesses Phương Dung and Ngọc Lân who ascended by the Lô River, sharing the same legend with Lower Temple and Upper Temple. The temple also has an altar to Cô Tư Ỷ La in the Maiden rank and an altar to Saint Trần.
Why is the temple named Ỷ La
Because it was built in Gốc Đa hamlet of former Ỷ La commune, where locals once carried the Mother Goddess statue from Lower Temple for shelter during unrest. According to tradition, after peace returned, termites had built a mound over the base where the statue rested, so villagers left the statue there, raised a temple on the spot, and named it after the commune.
When does the Tuyên Quang Mother Goddess procession take place
Twice a year, in the middle of the 2nd and 7th lunar months. The 2nd-month festival is the main one, traditionally running from the 10th to the 16th (or from the 11th to the 16th), beginning when the palanquin is lifted at Ỷ La Temple and carried to Lower Temple before the palanquin from Upper Temple crosses over to join it.
Do Lower, Upper, and Ỷ La Temples worship three different Mother Goddesses
According to the founding legend and cultural records of Tuyên Quang Province, all three temples are tied to the two sisters Princess Phương Dung and Princess Ngọc Lân. Lower Temple worships the elder sister Phương Dung, Upper Temple worships the younger sister Ngọc Lân, and Ỷ La Temple stands where Princess Phương Dung's statue from Lower Temple was once sheltered and therefore worships that same princess. Later readings through the Four Palaces system assigned them differently among Mẫu Thượng Thiên, Mẫu Thượng Ngàn, and Mẫu Thoải.
When was Ỷ La Temple built
Sources diverge. The Tuyên Quang Provincial Tourism Promotion Center records 1743 (the fourth year of Cảnh Hưng) with a restoration in the early 19th century, several documents record 1747 (the eighth year of Cảnh Hưng), and another account places the founding in the second half of the 19th century during Nguyễn-era unrest. The library's data table leaves the founding date as uncertain and notes all accounts.