The Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations presented its certificate of patronage of the “Son Nam – Ba Chua Vuc Temple”, part of the Pho Hien relic complex in northern Hung Yen province, on January 6.

A procession during a festival at Den Mau (Mother Temple) in the Pho Hien relic complex

The temple worships Ba Chua Vuc, believed to be the Jade Emperor’s eldest daughter who helped local residents build dams to prevent floods, ensure bumper harvests, and bring about prosperity and happiness. However, the temple has been damaged in the course of history.

In 2004, the Son Nam Plaza Urban Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, re-built the temple on the same ground it used to exist as part of a spiritual and ecological tourism area.

The sponsorship of the relic is of importance to honouring the humanistic and spiritual values of the Son Nam – Pho Hien relic complex.

The Pho Hien relic complex lies in the villages of Dang Chau and Ne Chau. It contains countless pagodas and temples built in Vietnamese, Chinese and western architectural styles. A Catholic Church built in the Gothic style was constructed in Pho Hien in the 17th century.

Pho Hien was once a bustling commercial port on the Red River, reaching its heyday in the 17th-18th century, and Pho Hien was second only to the imperial capital city of Thang Long as a trading point. It was well-known among foreign traders, especially those from China, the Netherlands, Japan and France.

VNA