Quan Thanh Temple stands on the southern edge of West Lake, not far from Tran Quoc Pagoda. Its main attraction is a bronze statue of the god Tran Vu, standing almost four metres tall.

I happened to walk past the temple just as it was closing and couldn’t get inside. If you’d like to visit the interior as well, plan your visit before your early evening stroll along the lake.

Accommodation tip between the Old Quarter and the lakes: Le Jardin Hotel Haute Couture on Nguyen Truong To Street is about a 10–15-minute walk from the temple and has a rooftop pool. We compare other locations and specific hotels in the article ‘Where to stay in Hanoi’.

What you’ll see at the temple

Quan Thanh is a Taoist temple whose history dates back to the 11th century. Over the following centuries, it underwent several reconstructions.

It is one of the four guardian temples of historic Thang Long, now Hanoi. Quan Thanh was intended to protect the city from the north, whilst Bach Ma Temple fulfilled the same role to the east.

Inside the main sanctuary stands a bronze statue of the god Huyen Thien Tran Vu, dating from 1677 and standing almost 4 metres tall. In addition to this, you can explore the entrance gate, the courtyard with its mature trees, and traditional wooden carvings.

Allow around 20–30 minutes for a standard visit to this smaller complex.

Admission and opening hours

• 💰 Admission: 10 000 vnd per adult.
• 💳 Payment: cash in VND, ideally in smaller notes.
• 🕒 Opening hours: daily 8.00–17.00.

On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, it tends to stay open longer, usually from 6.00 am to 8.00 pm.

How to get there and what to combine your visit with

The temple is located at 190 Quan Thanh, at the junction with Thanh Nien Street. If you’re coming from further afield, you can take a Grab; we describe other options in the section on Transport in Hanoi.

The most natural thing to do is to combine your visit with the surrounding sights:

• Tran Quoc Pagoda – about a 10-minute walk along the lake via Thanh Nien Street.
• Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – about a 15–20-minute walk.
• One-Pillar Pagoda – near the mausoleum, so you can easily include it in the same walk.

If you want to catch Quan Thanh Temple whilst it’s open and then continue to the lake to watch the sunset, start with the temple.

What to see around

Discover all the places to see in Hanoi.