It was my last day in Hanoi and I was travelling solo. My friend had left the day before. Right after my tour of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in the morning, I flagged down a taxi to take me to a part of Hanoi that I wanted to see badly - the West Lake area.
My first stop at West Lake was at Phu Tay Ho Temple.
![photo P1210892_zpso0guq2bt.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210892_zpso0guq2bt.jpg)
That is the main entrance gate of the temple. My taxi driver did not stop in front of this temple but further off, and I had to walk quite a bit to reach here. It was OK as I did not mind walking and exploring the place.
Below is the same gate from the other side.
![photo P1210893_zps1jpsrx5q.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210893_zps1jpsrx5q.jpg)
Located on a peninsula in the middle of West Lake, the Tay Ho Temple was rather quiet during my visit. But I heard that it would get quite crowded during 1st and 15th days of each lunar month.
![photo P1210894_zpscsovqsul.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210894_zpscsovqsul.jpg)
The temple, also known as Tay Ho Pagoda, is not a Buddhist temple - neither is it a Confucius temple. It is actually dedicated to the Mother Goddess, Thanh Mau.
![photo P1210895_zpskzprddba.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210895_zpskzprddba.jpg)
Legend has it that sometime in the 17th century, the Mother Goddess appeared as a pretty girl to a fisherman on the lake, smiling and reciting poetry. However, she disappeared without a trace after that. The locals found out her real identity and decided to build Phu Tay Ho.
![photo P1210896_zpsdflpmovb.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210896_zpsdflpmovb.jpg)
The main building of the temple, which is located on the left side after entering the main gate.
![photo P1210897_zpsgefhh846.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210897_zpsgefhh846.jpg)
Intricate carvings
![photo P1210898_zpsdlgkrnje.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210898_zpsdlgkrnje.jpg)
The Jade Emperor is also worshipped here, although he is deemed less important than the Mother Goddess.
![photo P1210899_zpsr4trg8gp.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210899_zpsr4trg8gp.jpg)
Not sure why, but I did not take any pictures inside the temple that day. Maybe that's a good thing because then you will visit this temple to have a look yourself rather than just reading from my blog haha!
![photo P1210910_zpskedtw5uy.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210910_zpskedtw5uy.jpg)
I like the ambiance here - peaceful and quiet. Not many visitors and worshippers that day.
![photo P1210911_zpsyh4a9c4e.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210911_zpsyh4a9c4e.jpg)
I like the shape of that roof with the dragon carvings!
![photo P1210913_zps78cdzbba.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210913_zps78cdzbba.jpg)
There were some Vietnam heritage trees in the temple compound, like this one.
![photo P1210902_zpseb5tqakf.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210902_zpseb5tqakf.jpg)
It's called Ficus Benjaminal otherwise known as the Weeping Fig tree.
![photo P1210903_zpsnoyii5hb.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210903_zpsnoyii5hb.jpg)
![photo P1210904_zps09ufffkd.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210904_zps09ufffkd.jpg)
Look at this tree! It was slanting so much it needed supporting beams.
![photo P1210905_zpsi59imgnz.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210905_zpsi59imgnz.jpg)
One good thing about this temple is you get to see the view of West Lake.
![photo P1210908_zpsazlxrdlb.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210908_zpsazlxrdlb.jpg)
Not sure what structure this is but it has two elephants at the bottom and two dragons at the top. Hanging from the middle is a bat-shaped axe.
![photo P1210917_zpsavtpla0v.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210917_zpsavtpla0v.jpg)
Bats are regarded as auspicious objects as the word for bat and good fortune are homonyms in Chinese.
![photo P1210916_zpsfjbvefyb.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210916_zpsfjbvefyb.jpg)
Dragon
![photo P1210920_zpsliapt30m.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210920_zpsliapt30m.jpg)
Elephant
![photo P1210921_zpsgcp3lyxy.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210921_zpsgcp3lyxy.jpg)
Walking towards the right side of the temple compound while enjoying the view of the lake.
![photo P1210923_zpsx2qcmpnx.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210923_zpsx2qcmpnx.jpg)
Another heritage tree here - banyan tree.
![photo P1210924_zpskidoxsyd.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210924_zpskidoxsyd.jpg)
This tree is so tall!
![photo P1210925_zpsdkt9inlh.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210925_zpsdkt9inlh.jpg)
Can you see a golden buffalo and its calf in the photo below?
![photo P1210928_zpsjhglca37.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210928_zpsjhglca37.jpg)
I forgot to take a close shot of the buffaloes! Apparently there's a legend surrounding these buffaloes but I was not too clear about it.
![photo P1210929_zpsonzc5tc0.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210929_zpsonzc5tc0.jpg)
Another temple building with lovely dragon carvings at the rooftop.
![photo P1210930_zpsm8xknjzs.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210930_zpsm8xknjzs.jpg)
Close shot of the rooftop carvings.
![photo P1210931_zpshrotyzcs.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210931_zpshrotyzcs.jpg)
More photos ....
![photo P1210932_zpswtd9onbu.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210932_zpswtd9onbu.jpg)
![photo P1210933_zpsimc1nkhy.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210933_zpsimc1nkhy.jpg)
![photo P1210934_zpsrxzhjmva.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210934_zpsrxzhjmva.jpg)
![photo P1210935_zpscrfklr3r.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210935_zpscrfklr3r.jpg)
A giant bell and a carp. Not sure what they represents.
![photo P1210936_zpsp78v67mr.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210936_zpsp78v67mr.jpg)
It was said that this giant bell is actually a replica of an even larger bell, which according to legend, when it was rung, the sound could be heard as far away as China!
![photo P1210937_zpsue0pkd3y.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210937_zpsue0pkd3y.jpg)
![photo P1210939_zpsbfqpizir.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210939_zpsbfqpizir.jpg)
I took only about half an hour to complete my tour of Phu Tay Ho. Clearly, the temple was not very large but it was still a nice temple to visit.
![photo P1210940_zpsknp9pzai.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210940_zpsknp9pzai.jpg)
There are actually many temples around West Lake. So expect me to go temple hopping! LOL!
![photo P1210942_zpsxgwmgyrb.jpg](http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac228/jesselton88/Bali%20Souvenirs/P1210942_zpsxgwmgyrb.jpg)
Which temple would I be visiting next? Stay tuned!