Traveling about eleven kilometers northwest from the urban center of Cao Bằng toward Hòa An and crossing the bridge over the winding Dẻ Rào River, visitors enter a fertile valley where four earthen mounds rise from the level plain. Atop the highest mound in the north, known as the Dragon Mound (gò Long), beneath the dense canopy of ancient trees in Đền village, stands a quiet temple built of large traditional bricks and roofed with yin-yang tiles. Before its porch, a pair of ancient stone dragons and massive stone column bases rest silently as witnesses to successive dynasties.
This is King Lê Temple (Đền Vua Lê), dedicated to Emperor Lê Thái Tổ (Lê Lợi) right at the center of the Na Lữ Citadel (also called Nà Lữ Citadel or Bản Phủ Citadel). Few heritage sites on the northeastern frontier embody such a remarkable historical layering: a shrine honoring the founding emperor of the Later Lê dynasty stands directly upon the main palace foundation of the rival Mạc dynasty that ruled from Cao Bằng for nearly a century.
IEmperor Lê Thái Tổ and the layered historical memory inside the ancient citadel
The temple belongs to the Vietnamese tradition of ancestor and national hero veneration (Ancestor veneration), honoring Emperor Lê Thái Tổ (Lê Lợi, 1385 - 1433), supreme leader of the Lam Sơn uprising who drove out the Ming occupation forces and restored the independence of Đại Việt in the Mậu Thân year (1428). The three Chinese characters Lê Vương Từ (黎王祠) at the head of this page represent the literary Sino-Vietnamese title for the Temple of King Lê recorded in classical gazetteers of Cao Bằng garrison.
What gives this sanctuary its distinctive depth is the resonance between Lam Sơn in Thanh Hóa and Mount Lam Sơn in Cao Bằng. Rising directly behind the temple and the Na Lữ Citadel is a mountain range locally named Mount Lam Sơn, while in front flows the Dẻ Rào River on its way to join the Bằng Giang River. The convergence between this mountain's name and the memory of Emperor Lê Thái Tổ's personal expedition to the northern frontier in the spring of the Tân Hợi year (1431), when the monarch composed an imperial poem carved into the cliff of Mount Phja Tém beside the Dẻ Rào River in Hồng Việt, led local communities to bind the memory of the Later Lê founder directly to their own homeland.
Within the tradition of human deity veneration along the frontiers of Đại Việt, establishing a temple to a central imperial monarch at a borderland administrative seat carried two clear layers of meaning. First, it affirmed territorial sovereignty and dynastic orthodoxy: wherever royal decrees, an imperial throne, and spirit tablets of the founding sovereign stood, that land belonged to the shared vital current of the realm. Second, it reflected the gentle cultural synthesis of the Tày and Nùng communities of Cao Bằng: the distant monarch ceased to be an aloof court figure and became a benevolent guardian deity protecting harvests and sheltering the villages along the Dẻ Rào River with timely rain and peace.
Court chronicles and local traditions show that the transformation of sacred space at Na Lữ was bound up with the dynastic shift between the Lê and the Mạc. After withdrawing from the capital Thăng Long at the end of the sixteenth century, the Mạc dynasty established its stronghold in Cao Bằng for more than eight decades (from 1594 to 1677), making the Na Lữ Citadel one of its primary seats of power alongside Cao Bình. During that period, the Mạc monarchs raised earthen ramparts and built a royal palace complex featuring the Nine-Tiered Brick Pavilion (lầu gạch Cửu Trùng) and stone dragon steps atop the Dragon Mound.
In the Đinh Tỵ year (1677), when Mạc rule in Cao Bằng came to an end, the Restored Lê court resumed administration of the region. In order to dissolve separatist vestiges and unite frontier sentiment under a single legitimizing symbol, in the third year of the Chính Hòa era (1682) under Emperor Lê Hy Tông, the military governor of Cao Bằng, Lê Văn Hải, petitioned the court for permission to convert the former Mạc royal palace inside the Na Lữ Citadel into a temple dedicated to Emperor Lê Thái Tổ, installing symbolic royal relics including an imperial robe and ceremonial sword in the rear sanctuary.
Many visitors hearing the name King Lê Temple in Hòa An assume that the shrine was erected by Emperor Lê Thái Tổ himself when he led troops to Cao Bằng to pacify Đèo Cát Hãn and Bế Khắc Thiệu in 1431. Historical reality followed a more complex path. While Emperor Lê Thái Tổ did campaign along the Dẻ Rào River basin in 1431 and left a cliff inscription in Hòa An, the structure atop the Dragon Mound in the Na Lữ Citadel prior to 1682 served as the palace seat of local chieftains and later of the Mạc royal court. Only in 1682 under Emperor Lê Hy Tông was the former palace foundation officially repurposed into a temple honoring Emperor Lê Thái Tổ. Understanding this sequence explains why a temple dedicated to King Lê preserves stone dragon steps and column plinths carved in the unmistakable style of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Mạc period.
IIFrom the ancient Na Lữ Citadel across dynasties to a National heritage site
The history of King Lê Temple is inseparable from that of the Na Lữ Citadel (Bản Phủ Citadel), one of the oldest fortified settlements in northeastern Vietnam. Through archaeological strata and historical texts, the land of former Hoàng Tung commune (now part of Thục Phán ward, Cao Bằng province) served for over a millennium as a military, political, and religious center of ancient Thạch Lâm prefecture.
When cross-checking sources regarding the temple's pre-1682 origin and the exact date of its 1995 national heritage designation, the library records two points of divergence for readers' reference. First, concerning the origin of the shrine before 1682: some popular travel accounts state that local people built a shrine to King Lê as early as the fifteenth century after Emperor Lê Thái Tổ pacified the borderland and that the Mạc later occupied it as a palace, whereas historical studies and the official Cao Bằng provincial portal confirm that the Dragon Mound originally held the citadel palace of Nùng Tồn Phúc during the Lý period and of the Mạc dynasty (1594 - 1677), until Governor Lê Văn Hải petitioned Emperor Lê Hy Tông in the third year of Chính Hòa (1682) to convert the former palace into a temple honoring Emperor Lê Thái Tổ.
Second, regarding the exact month in 1995 when the site was ranked as a National historical and cultural heritage site: certain route guides of the Non Nước Cao Bằng Geopark cite July 20, 1995, whereas official legal records of the Cao Bằng cultural sector specify that King Lê Temple was ranked by the Ministry of Culture and Information under Decision No. 1568/QĐ-BT signed on April 20, 1995. The library records both dates explicitly.
- 9th - 11th centuryFoundation of the ancient Na Lữ CitadelLegend traces the earliest ramparts at Na Lữ to Cao Biền under the Tang dynasty, and in the first half of the eleventh century (around 1038 - 1039) the Tày chieftain Nùng Tồn Phúc (father of Nùng Trí Cao) expanded the earthen walls at Na Lữ as his capital seat.
- 1431Emperor Lê Thái Tổ's expedition along the Dẻ Rào RiverIn the first lunar month of the Tân Hợi year (fourth year of the Thuận Thiên era), Emperor Lê Thái Tổ personally led an army to pacify the Cao Bằng frontier and carved an imperial poem into a cliff beside the Dẻ Rào River, leaving a lasting imprint on local memory.
- 1594 - 1677Na Lữ serves as a royal capital of the Mạc dynastyMạc monarchs Mạc Kính Cung, Mạc Kính Khoan, and Mạc Kính Vũ chose Na Lữ Citadel and Cao Bình as their capital centers in Cao Bằng for 83 years, erecting palaces on the Dragon Mound along with the Nine-Tiered Brick Pavilion and stone dragon steps.
- 1682Conversion of the former palace into King Lê TempleIn the third year of the Chính Hòa era under Emperor Lê Hy Tông, Cao Bằng governor Lê Văn Hải petitioned the court to remodel the former palace inside Na Lữ Citadel into a temple dedicated to Emperor Lê Thái Tổ, housing a ceremonial robe and sword.
- 19th centuryRestorations under the Nguyễn dynastyLocal officials of Cao Bằng garrison and residents restored the temple multiple times, shaping its traditional brick-and-tile layout and endowing it with imperial decrees, horizontal plaques, and parallel couplets.
- 1995Designated a National heritage siteKing Lê Temple was ranked as a National historical and cultural heritage site by the Ministry of Culture and Information under Decision No. 1568/QĐ-BT dated April 20, 1995 (with some tourism publications citing July 20, 1995).
- 2018Heritage stop of the UNESCO Global GeoparkKing Lê Temple and the ancient Na Lữ Citadel became a featured cultural heritage stop on the western route of the UNESCO Non Nước Cao Bằng Global Geopark.
- 2025Administrative merger into Thục Phán wardUnder Resolution No. 1657/NQ-UBTVQH15 in 2025, Hoàng Tung commune (former Hòa An district) was merged with Sông Hiến, Đề Thám, Hợp Giang wards and Hưng Đạo commune to form the new Thục Phán ward of Cao Bằng province.
IIITam-shaped layout, stone dragon steps, and vestiges of the Nine-Tiered Pavilion
Set atop the flat summit of the Dragon Mound spanning thousands of square meters, King Lê Temple combines the solemnity of traditional frontier temple architecture with royal palace architectural fragments surviving from the Lê and Mạc periods. The overall ground plan follows a Tam-shaped (三) layout, or a linked Nhị-shaped variant, consisting of three successive spatial layers aligned along a central sacred axis from the triple gate across the courtyard into the front hall, middle hall, and rear sanctuary.
Unlike lowland temples that typically open their front bays wide with tall wooden panel doors, King Lê Temple encloses its structure with thick walls built of large traditional bricks (gạch vồ) to withstand frost and northern winter winds in the northeastern highlands, topped with moss-covered yin-yang trough tiles (ngói máng). The interior load-bearing timber frame is crafted from prized regional hardwoods such as ironwood (nghiến and đinh thối) using a gong-stand and stacked-beam truss system, with beam ends, brackets, and tie beams finely carved with the four sacred animals (dragon, unicorn, tortoise, phoenix) alongside scrolling clouds and stylized chrysanthemums.
The most valuable surviving relics of the former royal palace are the pair of stone stairway balustrades carved with sinuous dragons and the large blue-stone column bases carved with lotus petals, bearing the distinctive stone-carving style of the Mạc dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The primary ritual space enclosed by thick brick walls and low, contemplative yin-yang tile roofs. Inside hang gilded lacquered horizontal plaques and Chinese couplets praising Emperor Lê Thái Tổ's pacification of the Ming and founding of the dynasty.
The most sacred innermost chamber housing the dragon throne, spirit tablet, and statue of Emperor Lê Thái Tổ. According to tradition, this chamber formerly kept the ceremonial imperial robe and sword presented by Governor Lê Văn Hải in 1682.
Around the Dragon Mound and across the Na Lữ fields remain traces of earthen citadel ramparts, oversized bricks, and the foundation of the Nine-Tiered Brick Pavilion (Lầu gạch Cửu Trùng), once a nine-story viewing and watchtower of the Mạc royal court.
The temple preserves stone stelae recording restorations carried out under the Restored Lê and Nguyễn dynasties, alongside eight-treasure emblems, incense burners, and an antique bronze bell.
According to classical gazetteers such as the Đại Nam nhất thống chí and archaeological surveys in Cao Bằng, the former Bản Phủ Citadel (Na Lữ Citadel) covered an expansive area, utilizing the crescent arc of limestone mountains behind it in combination with earthen ramparts linking the valley hills. The image of the Nine-Tiered Brick Pavilion (lầu gạch Cửu Trùng) at Na Lữ still lives on in Tày and Nùng folk verses of Cao Bằng recalling the prosperous era of the region under the Mạc court. Although more than three centuries of weather and historical upheavals left the Nine-Tiered Pavilion in ruins, the oversized bricks, shoe-tipped tiles, and stone dragon steps before King Lê Temple remain tangible material proof of a mountain capital that endured for nearly a hundred years.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
This section presents the library's reading through the eyes of traditional landform feng shui based on the actual topography of the Na Lữ valley and the Dẻ Rào River basin, rather than content copied from the temple's stelae. The library states this clearly so that readers can distinguish historical records from geomantic interpretation.
Examined on the topographic map at 22.70528 degrees north latitude and 106.17639 degrees east longitude, the Na Lữ Citadel and King Lê Temple occupy one of the most textbook landform formations in the karst valleys of the Northeast. The foremost geomantic feature of this site is the pattern of four sacred mounds rising amid a level plain: across the flat floor of the Hoàng Tung valley, four natural earthen mounds emerge, named by the ancients after the four sacred creatures: Dragon Mound (gò Long), Unicorn Mound (gò Ly), Tortoise Mound (gò Quy), and Phoenix Mound (gò Phượng). In landform feng shui, a flat basin ringed by limestone peaks risks letting its vital energy drain away with the water if the floor is completely featureless, but when four mounds rise as anchors at the four quarters, the qi of the entire valley is locked in place. By choosing the Dragon Mound in the north as the site of the royal palace and later the main temple from the time of Nùng Tồn Phúc and the Mạc monarchs through the Restored Lê period, builders pinpointed the highest and most noble node (huyệt) among the four sacred emblems.
Looking outward at the surrounding mountains and water, the temple sits squarely atop the back of the Dragon Mound, facing south-southeast to welcome benevolent breezes and sunlight. Directly behind the temple, the rear backing (hậu chẩm) is formed by the Lam Sơn mountain range and the limestone arcs of Hòa An, standing as a protective screen against freezing northern winds. In front of the temple, the bright hall (minh đường) opens out across the wide Nà Lữ fields, where the Dẻ Rào River winds like a jade sash embracing the base of the citadel in a pattern of water gathering in the bright hall before flowing southeast to join the Bằng Giang River. On the left and right flanks, low hill ridges together with the Tortoise, Phoenix, and Unicorn mounds curve inward as the Azure Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right paying court to the Dragon Mound at the center. This configuration, backed by Mount Lam Sơn, seated upon the Dragon Mound, and overlooking the Dẻ Rào River, provided both the defensive strength required of an ancient military citadel and the wind-sheltered, qi-gathering harmony of a royal capital and sacred sanctuary.
VThe spring-opening festival on the sixth day of the first lunar month
Within the spring festival cycle of the Non Nước Cao Bằng region, the King Lê Temple Festival held annually on the sixth day of the first lunar month holds a special place: it is the earliest major traditional festival opening the new year across Hòa An and urban Cao Bằng, initiating a spiritual pilgrimage route that leads from King Lê Temple (on the sixth day) to Đà Quận Pagoda (on the ninth day) and on to Kỳ Sầm Temple (on the tenth day of the first lunar month).
| Lunar date | Rite and activity | Detailed content |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon of the 5th day of the 1st month | Preliminary announcement and preparation | The monument management board and village elders of Đền village cleanse the ritual vessels, arrange floral and food offerings in the rear sanctuary and front hall, and present a preliminary announcement to Emperor Lê Thái Tổ ahead of the main festival day. |
| Morning of the 6th day of the 1st month | Offering procession and grand spring sacrifice | Processions bearing village offerings enter the temple courtyard to the sound of eight-instrument ensembles, drums, and gongs, followed by incense offering and the reading of the ceremonial oration recalling Emperor Lê Thái Tổ's merits and the history of Na Lữ Citadel, praying for national peace and abundant harvests. |
| All day on the 6th day of the 1st month | Tày and Nùng folk cultural festivities | The grounds around the Dragon Mound and Na Lữ fields come alive with Then singing, Tính lute music, antiphonal Sli and Lượn folk songs, and traditional games such as human chess, tug-of-war, stick pushing, còn ball tossing, and lày cỏ. |
| 1st and 15th lunar days, and 8th lunar month | Monthly rites and death anniversary of King Lê | Local residents maintain regular incense offerings on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month and hold a memorial rite around the 22nd day of the eighth lunar month, the death anniversary of Emperor Lê Thái Tổ. |
The vitality of the King Lê Temple Festival lies in its cultural synthesis between Vietnamese court ritual and the folk heritage of the indigenous Tày and Nùng communities. Through the fragrant incense smoke of early spring atop the Dragon Mound, trays of five-colored glutinous rice, sweet rice cakes, square glutinous rice cakes, and roast duck from the villages along the Dẻ Rào River are offered to the Lam Sơn emperor with deep reverence. The gentle melodies of the Tính lute blending with the temple bell and drum create a festive space that is at once solemn with antiquity and warm with frontier solidarity.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Làng Đền, phường Thục Phán (xã Hoàng Tung cũ, huyện Hòa An cũ), tỉnh Cao Bằng
- Getting there
- From the center of Cao Bằng province (around the Kim Đồng pedestrian street), follow Provincial Road 203 northwest toward Hòa An and Pác Bó for about 11 km, cross the Dẻ Rào Bridge, and turn into Đền village in Thục Phán ward (former Hoàng Tung commune) to reach the heritage complex.
- Coordinates
- 22.70528, 106.17639
King Lê Temple is an active and solemn place of worship situated amid the old residential quarter of Đền village, so visitors are asked to dress modestly, remove hats when stepping through the temple gates, and maintain quiet inside the middle hall and rear sanctuary. In particular, the pair of ancient stone dragons before the porch and the Mạc-era stone column plinths are archaeological relics several centuries old, so visitors should never step on, sit upon, or displace the stone carvings within the temple grounds.
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?Quick Questions
Which monarch is worshipped at King Lê Temple in Cao Bằng?
The temple worships Emperor Lê Thái Tổ (Lê Lợi, 1385 - 1433), supreme leader of the Lam Sơn uprising who drove out the Ming occupation forces and founded the Later Lê dynasty in 1428. In 1431, the emperor personally led an expedition to the Cao Bằng frontier along the Dẻ Rào River to secure the borderlands.
Why is King Lê Temple associated with the ancient Na Lữ Citadel and the Mạc dynasty?
The temple stands atop the Dragon Mound at the center of the ancient Na Lữ Citadel (Bản Phủ Citadel). Throughout the period from 1594 to 1677, the Mạc monarchs chose Na Lữ Citadel as a capital seat, building palaces and the Nine-Tiered Brick Pavilion here. After the Mạc departure, in the third year of the Chính Hòa era (1682) under Emperor Lê Hy Tông, Governor Lê Văn Hải petitioned the court to convert the former palace into a temple honoring Emperor Lê Thái Tổ.
What is distinctive about the four-sacred-animals landform at the Na Lữ Citadel?
Rising from the flat valley floor of Na Lữ are four natural earthen mounds named by the ancients after the four sacred creatures: the Dragon Mound, Unicorn Mound, Tortoise Mound, and Phoenix Mound. King Lê Temple sits atop the Dragon Mound in the north, backed by the Lam Sơn mountain range of Cao Bằng and facing the winding Dẻ Rào River in front.
Which administrative unit does King Lê Temple belong to after the 2025 reorganization?
Prior to July 1, 2025, the temple belonged to Đền village, Hoàng Tung commune, Hòa An district, Cao Bằng province. Under Resolution No. 1657/NQ-UBTVQH15 issued in 2025 by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Hoàng Tung commune was merged with Hưng Đạo commune and Sông Hiến, Đề Thám, and Hợp Giang wards to establish Thục Phán ward of Cao Bằng province.
When does the King Lê Temple Festival take place each year?
The official festival takes place annually on the sixth day of the first lunar month. It is the earliest major spring-opening festival in Cao Bằng province, featuring offering processions and sacrificial rites honoring Emperor Lê Thái Tổ alongside vibrant Tày and Nùng folk activities including Then singing, Tính lute playing, Sli songs, còn tossing, and tug-of-war.