THUỴ ỨNG SHRINE

The Thuỵ Ứng Shrine is now located at 259 Thuỵ Khuê Street, Thuỵ Khuê Ward. This historical site is near the Voi Phục Temple, which is dedicated to Linh Lang, who significantly contributed to defending the capital against foreign invaders.

There are several routes from the city centre to the historical site. Still, the most convenient and accessible one is as follows: From Hoàn Kiếm Lake, go straight along Tràng Thi Street, then continue onto Điện Biên Phủ Street, turn right onto Hoàng Diệu Street, pass through Nguyễn Biểu Street, then turn left onto Quan Thánh Street; continue past the intersection of Thanh Niên and Hùng Vương Streets, then proceed along Thuỵ Khuê Street towards its end. The historical site is on the left side at 259 Thuỵ Khuê Street.

Thuỵ Ứng Shrine is a historical site classified as a place of religious and folk belief. According to legend, the shrine was initially dedicated to Prince Linh Lang’s mother. Later, as the devotion of the Mother Goddess developed, the shrine became a place of worship for Princess Liễu Hạnh. In folk consciousness, Princess Liễu Hạnh is also respectfully referred to by various titles, including “Bà Chúa Liễu, Mẫu Sòng, Mẫu Phủ Giầy, and Mẫu Nghi Thiên Hạ.” Princess Liễu Hạnh was the daughter of the Jade Emperor. She was known for her rebellious and free-spirited personality, refusing to conform to the strict rules of the celestial realm. As a punishment for breaking a jade cup, she was banished to the mortal world and reincarnated as the daughter of Lê Thái Công in Vân Cát Commune, Vụ Bản District, Nam Định Province, under the name Giáng Tiên. Growing up, she was adopted by a mandarin of the Trần family and received a proper education, excelling in literature and musical instruments. At 16, she married Đào Lang, the son of a local mandarin. The couple lived together for five years until her exile ended. She passed away on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month at the age of 21, leaving behind her husband and two children, a son and a daughter. Although Giáng Tiên returned to Heaven, her earthly ties remained, and she was once again allowed by the Jade Emperor to descend to the mortal world under the new name Liễu Hạnh. Using her supernatural abilities this time, she reunited with her husband, children, and parents but finally left them behind. She traversed the country with a free-spirited personality and an enigmatic presence, appearing as an old woman with a walking stick, a young woman playing the flute, or a tea vendor. In Lạng Sơn, she composed amusing verses teasing the diplomatic ambassador returning to Đại Việt from China. In Tây Hồ, she took the form of a wine seller, engaging in poetic discourse with the renowned scholar Phùng Khắc Khoan. The princess later travelled to Nghệ An, manifesting as a mortal woman and marrying a learned scholar. They collaborated on composing poetry and pursuing academic projects. She had a son and lived with her husband and kid for a few years before returning to Heaven. After spending three years in Heaven, the princess, longing for the mortal realm, requested the Jade Emperor’s permission to descend again. She was accompanied by two celestial maidens, Quỳnh Hoa and Quế Hoa. They settled in Phố Cát (Thanh Hóa), where they taught the people agricultural techniques and helped build a prosperous life. Residing in Phố Cát, the princess frequently manifested her divine presence, rewarding the virtuous with blessings and punishing wrongdoers. As a result, the local people established a temple to worship her. However, the reigning King at the time, King Lê Huyền Tông, did not believe in her divinity and dismissed her as a supernatural entity, ultimately issuing a decree to destroy the temple. Bà Chúa Liễu unleashed natural disasters and diseases, causing numerous casualties as a demonstration of her divine power and in retribution for the temple’s destruction. Consequently, the King was compelled to restore the temple and mandated annual ceremonies conducted by court officials in her honor. In gratitude to the King, she used her supernatural powers to support King Lê in defeating foreign invaders. As a result, she was bestowed with the honorary title “Princess Liễu Hạnh.” During the Nguyễn Dynasty, she was further venerated as “Mẫu Nghi thiên hạ.”

In the people’s consciousness, Liễu Hạnh is a deity, a dynamic and varied symbol who is both ordinary and extraordinary. Her story represents an affirmation of human rights and the aspiration for self-liberation, especially for women seeking to break free from societal constraints and the rigid norms of feudal ethics. It embodies the yearning to pursue happiness within family and society. This also reflects the Vietnamese people’s philosophical outlook on life, entrusting their faith in the symbolic image of the mother.

Notably, Thụy Ứng Shrine is dedicated to the mother of Linh Lang Đại Vương. Therefore, the interior arrangement must place the Holy Mother’s sacred throne and ancestral tablet in the shrine’s highest and most central position. Other deities, such as Princess Liễu Hạnh, hold a subordinate position in the worship hierarchy.

Currently, the shrine preserves horizontal lacquered boards and couplets praising the virtues of the Holy Mother. There is a horizontal board inscribed with “Thao thủy khôn trinh,” which signifies that the profound virtue of the Holy Mother is as enduring and pure as the waters of the Thao River.

Couplets: Tây Hồ dạ nguyệt qui tiên hạc

Sùng lĩnh xuân hoa ám hải vân.

Interpretation: Đêm ngự Tây Hồ quy tiên lạc

Giáng xuống Sòng Sơn ám hải vân