Hung Yen: Discovering the spiritual heritage of Pho Hien and its thousand-year-old legends.

With its system of over 3,700 historical sites and the unique Pho Hien complex, Hung Yen is becoming a key cultural and spiritual destination, creating new growth momentum from 2026 onwards.

With its advantageous geographical location bordering Hanoi and its vast system of historical and cultural relics, Hung Yen province is becoming a preferred choice for many tourists during their spring travels. The combination of unique traditional festivals and a long-standing cultural heritage has created a strong attraction for this land in the lower Red River Delta.

Chuong Pagoda – "The most famous scenic spot in Pho Hien"

The first must-see destination when visiting Hung Yen is Chuong Pagoda, renowned as one of the most beautiful scenic spots in the Pho Hien region. Chuong Pagoda impresses visitors with its ancient architecture in the "inner courtyard, outer walls" style and the "four waters converging" layout, creating perfect harmony from the main gate to the Mother Goddess house.

The temple is associated with the legend of a golden bell floating on a wooden raft during a flood. According to legend, the villagers of Nhan Duc hamlet collectively pulled the bell ashore and donated funds to build the temple. Today, the tranquil atmosphere and distinctive architecture of Chuong Temple serve not only as a spiritual place of worship but also as a living museum of late Le Dynasty architectural art.

Chuong Pagoda is one of the typical relics located within the Pho Hien Special National Historical Site.

A Sao Temple and the legend of loyalty to the king.

Located about 50km from Chuong Pagoda, A Sao Temple (in A Sao commune) is a place of worship for National Hero Tran Quoc Tuan (Hung Dao Dai Vuong) and two famous generals, Yet Kieu and Da Tuong. This is considered a sacred land, associated with the folk saying: "The first to be born in Kiet Bac - The second to be born in A Sao."

History records that in 1288, during the resistance against the Mongol invaders, Hung Dao Dai Vuong's war elephant became bogged down in the Hoa River. Witnessing the sacrifice of his loyal animal, he drew his sword and swore to defeat the Mongols. Today, A Sao Temple is not only a place to preserve traditional rituals of carrying the sacred statue and pulling the ceremonial banner, but also a historical education site for the younger generation through tug-of-war competitions and cultural dialogues.

A Sào Temple is considered a sacred land where the Second Birthplace is located, dedicated to Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan.

The region boasts one of the most extensive systems of cultural heritage.

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hung Yen province, the province currently possesses a vast treasure trove of heritage with 3,716 relics. This includes 6 special national relics and relic clusters, 284 national relics, and 10 national treasures. The depth of the local culture is further evidenced by 1,152 traditional festivals and 257 traditional craft villages that are still being maintained.

Ms. Bui Thi Luong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province, said that after the merger, the province's tourism product structure has become significantly more diversified. Besides the core product of cultural and spiritual tourism, the province is promoting handicraft village tourism, community tourism, eco-tourism, and unique river tours.

Keo Pagoda is a special national monument of Hung Yen province.

Developing tourism into a new growth engine strategy.

Recognizing culture as an economic driving force, Hung Yen province has implemented numerous large-scale monument restoration programs. During the 2021-2025 period, the former Hung Yen region invested over 1.158 billion VND in 210 historical sites, while the former Thai Binh region allocated over 88.5 billion VND to renovate key temples and shrines such as the Choi Temple, An Co Temple, and Tinh Xuyen communal house.

Mr. Pham Quang Ngoc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Yen province, emphasized that 2026 will be a crucial milestone for the development of cultural industries linked to spiritual tourism. With the advantages of modern urban areas and close connections with Hanoi, the heritage values ​​of Pho Hien are being transformed into a chain of high-value economic products, generating revenue and sustainable growth for the locality.

Nom Pagoda, a famous ancient pagoda in Hung Yen.

In the coming period, the province will continue to develop regional tourism routes and on-site experiential tours to build a multi-experience tourism ecosystem, meeting the increasingly high demands of domestic and international tourists.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hung-yen-kham-pha-di-san-tam-linh-pho-hien-and-nhung-huyen-tich-nghin-nam-3324666.html