Few people realize that the Upper Temple (Thục An Dương Vương Temple) in Cổ Loa, Đông Anh, Hanoi, is currently preserving a “treasure” of significant cultural, historical, and scientific value.
Legend of An Dương Vương
For generations, the legend of the divine crossbow, the Golden Turtle God, and the tale of Mị Châu and Trọng Thủy during the reign of An Dương Vương has been well-known. The legend states that after defeating 500,000 troops from the Qin dynasty, despite having a population of less than one million, the An Dương Vương dynasty was established. He ascended the throne on the sixth day of the first month in 257 BC.
Overall view of the Cổ Loa ancient site. (Photo: Hanoi Construction Planning Institute)
After ascending the throne, the king began seeking land to establish his capital. Although he found suitable land, his attempts to build a city ended in collapse. It was only when the Golden Turtle God appeared to assist in vanquishing evil spirits that the city could be built without collapsing. The Golden Turtle God also provided one of its claws to An Dương Vương to use as a weapon. The king then ordered General Cao Lỗ to create a trigger for the crossbow and craft the divine crossbow, which could shoot hundreds of arrows at once with perfect accuracy.
At that time, Triệu Đà invaded with his troops, but An Dương Vương’s crossbow decimated the enemy ranks. Seeing this, Triệu Đà devised a plan to send his son, Trọng Thủy, to propose marriage to Princess Mị Châu, but his true intention was espionage. An Dương Vương, caught off guard, fell into the trap, and Trọng Thủy switched the divine crossbow. With the divine crossbow in his possession, Triệu Đà led his army to invade Âu Lạc. An Dương Vương was defeated and fled with the princess, ultimately perishing in Nghệ An.
Tracing Historical Records
From these legends, historians have dug through historical documents, confirming that the Âu Lạc state and An Dương Vương were indeed real.
The oldest historical record, “Records of the Grand Historian” by Sima Qian, mentions the Âu Lạc state, while “Old Book of Tang” by Liu Hu refers to the fact that “King Thục sent his son to An Dương Vương to govern Giao Chỉ.” This work, along with the Khâm định Việt sử Thông giám Cương mục, recounts how Triệu Đà successfully conquered Âu Lạc through espionage via marriage.
Furthermore, Vietnamese archaeologists have also uncovered remnants that indicate Cổ Loa was constructed for various functions, such as military fortifications, urban areas, and the royal capital.
Model of Cổ Loa Citadel. (Photo: Thăng Long Imperial Citadel)
Cổ Loa is one of the oldest ancient capitals in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It is known as the capital of the Âu Lạc state from 208 to 179 BC. During the Âu Lạc period, Cổ Loa served as the political, economic, cultural, and military center of the nation. Today, it still preserves remnants of life and the circular ramparts, which are evidence of the high military engineering skills of ancient Vietnamese people.
It is known that after conducting analyses, archaeologists have determined that Cổ Loa Citadel dates back 2,300 years. The citadel was designed in a spiral shape, hence it is also called Loa Citadel. According to tradition, Cổ Loa had up to nine circles, but today only three remain: the inner citadel, the middle citadel, and the outer citadel, constructed from mounds and high strips of land along the river. The total length of the citadel is 15.8 kilometers.
Cổ Loa Citadel is located in the delta triangle of the Red River. Not only situated on elevated land, but its location also allowed An Dương Vương to control both the plains and mountainous areas. Cổ Loa is situated on the left bank of the Hoàng River, a branch of the Red River, and serves as a link to the Cầu River (part of the Thái Bình River system).
At that time, the Red River and the Thái Bình River were the two largest waterways in Northern Vietnam. From the Hoàng River, boats could travel to the Northwest region or out to sea. Thus, Cổ Loa was strategically positioned at important road and water routes of Âu Lạc.
The Secret of the “Treasure” Beneath the Temple
Within the Cổ Loa complex, the Upper Temple holds a central position. Also known as Thục An Dương Vương Temple, it was built on elevated land in the southwest of the inner citadel, located in Chùa village, Cổ Loa commune, Đông Anh district, Hanoi.
The Upper Temple is constructed on the site of the former inner palace. Specifically, this temple was built in 1687 during the reign of Lê Hy Tông (the 21st king of the Later Lê dynasty, reigning from 1675 to 1705), and was later renovated in 1689, 1893, and more recently. The central figure worshipped in the Upper Temple is King An Dương Vương.
Upper Temple from above. (Photo: Cổ Loa site management board)
The Upper Temple is located on a mound that, according to feng shui, represents the head of a dragon. On either side of the temple are two groves, and directly below are two circular pits referred to as the dragon’s eyes. The unique feature of these two pits is that one is always filled with water even during droughts, while the other remains dry regardless of heavy rain.
Inside the Upper Temple are many precious historical artifacts. Among them, the bronze statue of An Dương Vương is a significant cultural, historical, and scientific relic. However, few people know that the process of creating this statue had many remarkable aspects.
According to tradition, in 1893, the villagers decided to renovate the Upper Temple. While digging the temple’s foundation, they accidentally discovered a treasure of bronze beneath. After discussions, they decided to use all the bronze to cast a statue of King An Dương Vương for worship.
Bronze statue of King An Dương Vương. (Photo: Cổ Loa site management board)
According to the Cổ Loa site management board, the statue of King An Dương Vương is made of bronze and cast according to the standard statue-making techniques. The statue is larger than a real person and is sculpted in the round form. This bronze statue is a solid cast, including the pedestal, crown, trousers, robe, and shoes of the king. The statue depicts the king seated with a square face, large ears, a high forehead, slanted eyes, and long black beard.
The king is adorned in a high collar royal robe, wearing a Bình Thiên crown decorated with two dragons facing the sun, and the robe drapes down to the tips of his shoes. He wears shoes with curved tips adorned with chrysanthemum motifs. His hands are clasped in front of his chest, with long fingers holding a ceremonial scepter. On the heart-shaped piece beneath his abdomen is inscribed the phrase: “Holy Ancestor An Dương Vương Emperor.” He wears a large jade belt that hangs down loosely.
According to the website of the Cổ Loa site management board and the electronic news portal of the Management Board of President Hồ Chí Minh’s Mausoleum, one spring day in 1961, President Hồ visited the Upper Temple where King An Dương Vương is worshipped. He asked the villagers if anyone knew the year the statue was cast and its weight.
At that time, no one could answer; everyone looked at each other in confusion. The oldest person only knew the temple was renovated in 1687. The king’s purple horse was carved from precious wood in 1716.
The bronze statue of An Dương Vương currently resides in the Upper Temple, Cổ Loa, Đông Anh. (Photo: Cổ Loa site management board)
At that moment, Hồ approached the back of the statue and pointed out that there are inscriptions on the back of the statue’s shoulder. The inscription on the left reads: “The bronze statue weighs 250 kilograms,” and on the right: “In the year of the Rooster, on the 16th day of the 5th month, the statue was created” (meaning: On May 16, 1897, the statue was cast).
From late 2004 to 2007, archaeologists conducted three excavation campaigns at the Upper Temple, with nine pits covering a total area of 311.5 m2. These excavations uncovered a system of bronze arrowhead furnaces and many other valuable related artifacts.
