Temple worshipping Lao Princess in Ninh Binh to be restored

The Thuong Thai Son Temple worshipping Princess Nhoi Hoa of is located on the top of Den hill in Son Lai commune of Nho Quan district.

The temple is surrounded by the peaceful atmosphere with mountains and trees. 

According to old documents, under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, Princess Nhoi Hoa was entrusted to bring and train a herd of elephants for Dai Viet. Unfortunately, on the way back to her country, she was severely ill and passed away at Den hill. 

King Le Thanh Tong assigned local people and soldiers to build a temple dedicated Princess Nhoi Hoa on Den hill. Throughout hundreds of years, the temple has been recognized as a provincial historical site. 

A traditional festival commemorating the princess is held annually on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month. Many rituals and folk games are held, especially the Champa muang dance to promote sound relation between Vietnam and Laos.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports said, the temple is a special historical and cultural relic site that represents the solidarity between Vietnam and Laos. Over the past few years, the temple has been preserved and upgraded by the local administration and people.  

However, the temple's scale and campus have not commensurate with the importance of a historical relic site. Therefore, the provincial People's Committee has assigned the Department of Culture and Sports to work with the Embassy of Laos to hold inter-sectoral research activities in order to enrich the historical and scientific values of the temple so as to restore and upgrade it to the Vietnam-Laos culture-tourism park, Cuong added.

Translated by Duc Thang