Ngoc Son temple was built on Ngoc island of Hoan Kiem lake. The temple was initially called Tuong Nhi and Ngoc Tuong and was later renamed Ngoc Son Temple. It is a shrine to Van Xuong, La Dong Tan, Quan De, Buddha and General Tran Hung Dao. The temple today is the result of the renovation made by Nguyen Van Sieu in 1865. The Huc bridge was built to connect the land and the island. The Huc, or the place where the first rays of morning sunshine touch, leads to the gate of Ngoc Son temple, which is also called Dac Nguyet Lau. On the old Doc Ton mount, the Thap But (Pen Tower) was added, where three words were inscribed on the tower "Ta Thien Thanh", meaning "Write on Blue Sky". Inside the gate, there is the Dai Nghien - a pool resembling the shape of an ink well. On the way to the temple are two walls on which names of educated individuals were inscribed. The main temple is composed of two parts. The first one is located in the north and used for worshipping Tran Hung Dao and Van Xuong. The second one is in the south with Tran Ba temple. The combination of temples and pools create a harmonious architecture for the area.
