It was another hot Vietnamese afternoon, and Pinky and I set out to discover some of the city's tiny ancient shrines and temples. Our first destination was the ancient Bach Ma Temple, believed to be the oldest in Hanoi!
Temple days require special planning, since women are not allowed to wear shorts or have their shoulders exposed once inside. We need to decide in advance and prepare if we are going out to visit temples. We had passed this one a few times, and as it's one of the city's top historical sites, we couldn't miss it!
Dinh Bach Ma means "Temple of the White Horse". It's dedicated to the spirit of a legendary magical white horse, who is said to have helped the Vietnamese emperor find the spot to found Hanoi over a thousand years ago.
Dinh, I learned, refers to a Daoist or Confucian temple. Actually, in Vietnam, there isn't much distinction between the two. Although a temple may be specifically consecrated as Daoist or Confucian, there is so much overlap between the two in common practice that they really serve the function of both. It's a big part of traditional Vietnamese folk religion too. It's quite complicated, and not nearly as clear-cut as things are back in Thailand.
We don't really know what to do in a Daoist or Confucian temple. To be honest, I know little beyond the basics of either religion. What I do know is that the temple is beautiful. It's one of the city's most important historical landmarks, and it's survived the city's long and tumultuous history.
And of course, any good temple should have a temple cat hanging out and being lazy in the afternoon heat!
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