VietNamNet Bridge - Trung Tuc Vuong Le Lai Temple, part of the Lam Kinh Special National Relic site in central Thanh Hoa Province, burnt to the ground on Sunday morning.

The fire started at midnight on Saturday, according to people living near the temple, but local authorities and firemen were not able to put it out until the next morning.

The temple was located at a considerable height far from water sources, making the blaze difficult to extinguish. An ongoing investigation aims to uncover what caused the fire.

The temple was built to commemorate Le Lai, the hero who led the Lam Son Uprising against the Chinese Ming invaders in the 15th century to win national independence.