Cua Ong Temple

Some say that at first, Cửa Ông Temple was not a temple to Trần Quốc Tảng.

In that telling, the first guardian spirit honored at this sea gate, then called Cửa Suốt, was Hoàng Cần. He was a leader of this coast who fought armies from the north. The royal court gave him the title Khâm Sai Đông Đạo Tiết Chế. The temple of that time was perhaps only a small hut of thatch, bamboo and leaves, raised for this local leader. People say that only in the 20th century was Trần Quốc Tảng made the main figure of worship. That does not make the role of Hoàng Cần any less important. The Middle Temple of the complex still honors him, out of full respect for history.

Still, as visitors pass through the Nghi Môn Gate and begin to climb Cẩm Sơn Hill, the heart of the temple story is another man. He is the prince honored as Hưng Nhượng Đại Vương, Trần Quốc Tảng.

Trần Quốc Tảng was born in 1252. He was the third son of Trần Quốc Tuấn, who is known by his title Hưng Đạo Vương. He grew up in a family whose name is bound to the three wars against the Mongols. When the first of those wars came, in 1258, he was only six years old. During the second war, he and three other princes led the troops of five districts to gather at Vạn Kiếp. After the victory, in 1289, he received the rank of Tiết độ sứ, a military governor. He was then sent as Suất Ti Tuần Đại An to guard this sea gate.

Cửa Suốt is the old name of today's Cửa Ông. It was one of the most important sea gates in the northeast under the Trần dynasty, which ruled Vietnam from 1225 to 1400. Whoever held Cửa Suốt held the road from the sea into the land. Giving it to Trần Quốc Tảng was a sign of complete trust.

He died in 1313, at the age of 61. The emperor gave him the title Thái úy after his death. It was one of the highest honors of the Trần court. The people of Cửa Suốt revered him and worshipped him, to remember what he had done for them.

The climb up Cẩm Sơn Hill passes three levels of temples, from the lowest to the highest. The Lower Temple, on the left of the courtyard, belongs to the Holy Mothers. It holds the Mother Temple, for the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms. It also holds a temple to Trung Thiên Long Mẫu. She is the Dragon Mother who rules the waters of Cửa Suốt. This level keeps the folk faith of the people of the sea, fishermen who went out day and night and needed protection.

Next comes the Middle Temple, where Hoàng Cần is honored with the mountain god and the water god. On both sides of the path, low hills form a classic feng shui guard. The green dragon is on the left, and the white tiger on the right. This temple was rebuilt from 2015 to 2017.

The top of the climb is the Upper Temple, the spiritual center of the whole complex. It is the main shrine of Trần Quốc Tảng. Beside it stands an altar to his father, the great prince Hưng Đạo Đại Vương. Generals of that age are honored here too, among them Phạm Ngũ Lão and Yết Kiêu. Many members of the royal family are honored here as well. The Upper Temple is built of lim ironwood and rosewood, bricks from Bát Tràng, cast stone, and lime mortar mixed with molasses.

But what makes people stop short is a set of 34 ancient statues.

They were carved in the 19th century. They sit on thrones, inside shrine cabinets, and inside small carved dragon pavilions. The work is careful and fine, and each statue is a carving of high artistic value. Cửa Ông Temple is also one of the rare temples that still honor the whole family of Hưng Đạo Đại Vương, along with the high officials of the Trần court.

To the right of the Upper Temple is Cẩm Sơn Pagoda, which honors the Buddha Shakyamuni. Behind the Upper Temple lies the tomb of Trần Quốc Tảng. And on a separate high hill, about 150 meters to the south, stands the monument.

The bronze statue of Trần Quốc Tảng there is 10 meters tall. It weighs more than 40 tons. It was unveiled in 2006. But that is not the most remarkable thing about it.

The most remarkable thing is what happened on January 1, 2018.

That day, Vietnamese engineers did something truly bold. They moved a statue weighing more than 40 tons up a slope of 46 percent. The route ran more than 90 meters, from the old site to the top of this hill, which rises more than 50 meters. They brought in several heavy-lift cranes, the largest rated at 250 tons. It was the first time such a move had been made in Vietnam. And they succeeded.

From that hilltop, the statue looks straight out over Bái Tử Long Bay. These are the waters that Trần Quốc Tảng guarded day and night more than 700 years ago.

Cửa Ông Temple sits with its back to the mountain and its face to the sea. Behind it rises Cẩm Sơn, and before it lies Bái Tử Long Bay. This is no accident. The people of old chose the spot with care. A temple to a general who guarded the sea had to face the sea.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come here on pilgrimage. The temple remembers one general, but it is also a meeting place for many layers of faith, history and shared memory. A national hero is honored here, along with the Mother Goddesses, the spirits of nature, and the Buddha. Vietnamese people bring all of this into one temple, and to them it feels entirely natural. Up on its hill, the bronze general still looks quietly out over Bái Tử Long Bay, as if he were still keeping watch over the old sea gate.