The Thuy Trung Tien temple is in an idyllic location, sitting on a small island in Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi and accessible by a brand new 18-metre-long bridge.

The ​temple, originally called Cẩu Nhi, welcomed more and more visitors, especially during the Lunar New Year (Tet), the largest festival in a year for Vietnamese people.​

"I held that it is lucky to visit the temple in the first days of the Lunar New Year and pray for peace for the entire year," said  Doan Duc Tam, a Hanoi resident.

Nguyen Thi Xuan, another Hanoi resident said: "I visit the temple to pray for luck. After this temple was upgraded, it welcomed more visitors."

The temple devoted to a peculiar myth involving the great emperor Ly Cong Uan, later known as Ly Thai To who reigned from 1009 to 1028.

The temple was dedicated to the worship of a mystical puppy, who, when born, bore a prophecy written into its fur that someone was soon to become king.

 As Ly Thai To became emperor around that time, and was born in the Year of the Dog, the prophecy became attached to him.-VNA