Tay Ho Palace: A guide to visiting the sacred place by West Lake

Where is Tay Ho Palace?

Lying on the vast waters of West Lake, Tay Ho Palace is not only an important historical and cultural relic but also one of the most sacred spiritual destinations in Hanoi . Every year, this place attracts a large number of people and tourists from all over to visit, worship and pray for peace and fortune.

Address: No. 52 Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 05:00 - 19:00 daily. On major holidays (March 3 and August 18 of the Lunar calendar), the temple may close later.
Admission: Free.

Who is worshiped at Tay Ho Palace? — Tay Ho Temple is one of the famous spiritual places in Hanoi.

History and spiritual significance

With its important cultural and historical values, Tay Ho Palace was granted the title of Historical - Cultural Relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on February 13, 1996.

Who is worshiped at Tay Ho Palace?

Tay Ho Temple was built in the 17th century, and is a place to worship Mother Lieu Hanh. According to legend, she was the second daughter of the Jade Emperor, and because she broke a precious jade cup, she was banished to the mortal world. During this time, she stopped at West Lake, helping people to eliminate ghosts and stabilize their lives. To commemorate her merits, people built a temple to worship her, and this place has become a sacred place in the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship.

What to pray for at Tay Ho Palace?

Tay Ho Temple is a sacred place where people come to pray for luck, fortune and success. Many people often come to the temple on full moon and new moon days, and especially on holidays and Tet to pray for good things for themselves and their families.

Main festival at Tay Ho Palace

In addition to the usual holidays, the main festival of Tay Ho Palace takes place on the 3rd and 18th of the 8th lunar month every year. On these occasions, many people and tourists from all over come to the festival, participate in unique cultural activities such as Chau Van singing, Hau Dong and enjoy the beautiful scenery of West Lake.

Instructions for worshiping at Tay Ho Palace

To make the trip complete and show respect, visitors can refer to the experiences below.

Prepare and buy offerings

Preparing offerings when going to Tay Ho Temple is very important, usually including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings.

Salty offering: Includes sticky rice, chicken or pork that has been cooked and beautifully presented.
Live offerings: Usually include raw eggs, raw meat, salt and rice to be offered to the altar of the Four Palaces Community (to worship the White Snake, Green Snake and Five Tigers).
Ceremony for the Ladies and Gentlemen: Includes mirrors, combs, incense, flowers and children's toys.
In addition: Need to prepare more votive paper, conical hats, shoes, incense and fresh fruit.

Correct order of performance

To show respect and be in accordance with the ceremony, visitors should follow the order of the ceremony at the temple:

Place offerings at the altars in order.
After placing the offerings on all altars, then start burning incense.
Order of incense offering and worship: Starting from the main palace, then to Son Trang palace and finally to Co and Cau towers.

Important notes when visiting the Palace

To make the pilgrimage solemn and meaningful, visitors should note the following points:

Dress: You should wear neat, polite clothes, avoid wearing clothes that are too short or revealing.
Prepare offerings: You should prepare vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings at home to ensure hygiene and thoughtfulness.
Worshiping Buddha: Absolutely do not offer meat offerings or votive paper money at the Buddha altar.
Burning votive paper money: When burning votive paper money, it should be burned in order from the main altar to the other altars.
Lowering the offering: When lowering the offering, start from the outside altars first, then move to the main altar.

With its peaceful space and poetic landscape by West Lake, Tay Ho Palace is an unmissable destination for those who want to find a peaceful place and explore the spiritual cultural beauty of Hanoi.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/phu-tay-ho-cam-nang-vieng-tham-chon-linh-thieng-ben-ho-tay-400543.html