In the journey to find the heritage region and discover the unique features of Mong Cai tourism, especially spiritual tourism, visitors should visit and admire the temple of Thanh Mau in Tra Co ward, a traditional beauty in the pure Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship of Vietnam. In 2023, Thanh Mau Temple was ranked as a provincial historical relic by the Provincial People's Committee.
In the past, people came to Thanh Mau temple to pray for a peaceful sea, a safe sea trip, and a bountiful harvest. Today, people and tourists come to the temple not only to perform spiritual rituals but also to admire the scenery, find peace and relax for the soul. Go through the main gate, take visitors into a large yard with an ancient rice tree spreading wide, every year on the occasion of March, the rice tree blooms to light a fire in a corner of the sky. In front of the temple yard, there is a shrine to Mother Goddess, in front is an aquarium, in the distance is a bowl of green bamboo groves reflecting in the shrimp ponds and releasing fish of fishermen.
Legend has it that the temple is thousands of years old, attached to the land and people on the border of the country. In the past, the temple was just a small temple in the ancient vegetarian forest. According to anecdote, there was a statue floating in from the sea, people in the area found it strange, so they went in to build a temple. In addition to worshiping Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the temple also has a altar to worship four mothers. Experiencing the change of time, the vegetarian forest is now gone, traces of the vegetarian forest remain only a few ancient vegetarian trees on the temple grounds, including a 700-year-old heritage tree. Over time, the temple was restored, spacious and located on a large land as it is today.
Along with the ancient vegetarian tree, in the temple grounds there is also a fairy well filled with water all year round. According to Mr. Thu from the temple keeper, the temple area is an estuary area, so the water is brackish, people cannot use well water for drinking, but the well water in the temple yard is sweet and cool all year round, never drying up, so it is called Tien well. According to the old people in the village, from ancient times to now, people often come to Tien well to get water to use to make tea, drink in a clear, refreshing and healthy spirit.
The main festival of Thanh Mau Temple takes place on the 23rd day of the third lunar month every year. Legend has it that this is the birthday of Thien Hau Thanh Mau. On the morning of the main festival, the local people hold a procession of the Holy Mother's palanquin to travel around the village, praying for the nation's peace, good weather, good health, good crops, and full boats.
On the days of the festival, the children of Tra Co homeland from all over the world and visitors from all over the world to attend respectfully prepare a tray of offerings to offer to Thien Hau Thanh Mau. At the same time, many cultural activities and special flower-offering ceremonies are held, imbued with the culture of the Vietnamese people in the coastal areas.
This summer, come back to Tra Co with spiritual tourism in Mong Cai city with many famous landmarks such as Xa Tac temple, Xuan Lan pagoda, Linh Son pagoda, Tra Co communal house, Binh Ngoc communal house etc.
