Soc Temple is located on Ve Linh Mountain, Phu Linh commune, Soc Son district, about 40km from Hanoi old quarter. This is the place for worshiping Saint Giong.
Legend has it that after defeating foreign invaders to the foot of Ve Linh mountain, expelling the last enemy out of the country, Saint Giong left his iron armor and rode his iron horse up to the sky.
Originated from a small temple named Dong Thien Vuong that one day the King Le Hoan (Le Đai Hanh) with his soldiers were on their operation to fight Tong invaders, the King and soldiers came in and prayed for good luck. In that battle the invaders were soon driven out of the country. On the way home, the King came in to give thanks and ordered to find a root of aloe wood to make a statue and construct a majestic temple and conferred the titles “Phu” and “Thien”, his name is worshiped at Soc Temple as “Phu Dong Thien Vuong”.
Soc Temple is part of a complex of religious sites including Trinh temple, Mother temple (for worshiping Saint. Giong’s Mother), Dai Bi pagoda, Upper temple, Da Chong which is believed to be the iron amour of Saint.
Giong left before flying to the heaven and the stone tomb recording the history of Soc temple festival, forming a complex harmonious and lively. All these works have been built and restored since pre-Le dynasty and upgraded many times by the feudal dynasties and it is bigger and more beautiful today.
Located in this relic complex are also Non Nuoc pagoda (Soc Thien Vuong Thien Tu), the place for worshiping the Great Buddha, its first master is Ngo Chan Luu who was conferred the title “Khuong Viet Quoc Su” in 971 by the King Dinh Tien Hoang. Non Nuoc pagoda which has been destroyed by the war has just been rebuilt after the war. In the pagoda, there is a masterpiece, a statue of Great Buddha made of 30 tons of copper.
Soc temple historical relic complex remains many valuable historical and cultural value, contributing to the cause of Vietnam cultural preservation and promotion, recognized by the State as cultural heritage of national level.
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