Đình Ngọc Hà

The Đình Ngọc Hà, in Hanoi

The Đình Ngọc Hà is the communal house of the former village of Ngọc Hà, a spiritual sanctuary nestled in a lane of Hanoi, witness of a horticultural village swallowed by the town. The Hanoi audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this traditional đình, heart of village life and place of worship of the tutelary genius of the community.

The communal house of the village of flowers

Here, in the little lane that goes off on the right, is the entrance of the Đình Ngọc Hà, the communal house of the former village of Ngọc Hà. The đình is, in the Vietnamese tradition, the spiritual and social heart of a village: at once a temple dedicated to the protective tutelary genius, a meeting place of the community and seat of the great festivals, it embodies the soul of the village. Ngọc Hà was originally an old village, situated to the west of the imperial citadel of Thăng Long, before being gradually absorbed by the urban expansion of Hanoi. It was part of the Thập Tam Trại, the group of thirteen villages established under the Lý dynasty to develop the lands close to the capital. Ngọc Hà was above all renowned as a horticultural village, specialised in the cultivation of flowers destined for the imperial court, the temples and the markets of the town; it was affectionately called the village of flowers. The đình keeps today, with respect, altars, statues, old objects of worship and stelae, in an atmosphere of contemplation away from the modern bustle. It remains a place of memory and prayer for the inhabitants, attached to the memory of their village. A communal house and a village memory, the Đình Ngọc Hà is discovered with respect.

What to see

Here you discover, with respect, the communal house of the former village of Ngọc Hà, spiritual and social heart of the village in the Vietnamese tradition, dedicated to the protective tutelary genius; this horticultural village, long renowned for its flowers and member of the thirteen villages established under the Lý dynasty, was absorbed by Hanoi, and the đình keeps altars, statues and stelae in an atmosphere of contemplation. The Đình Ngọc Hà is a place of memory of Hanoi. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Đình Ngọc Hà lies in a lane of Ngọc Hà street, in the Ba Đình district, in Hanoi, reachable on foot. A communal place of worship, it can be visited with respect; access follows the conditions of the place, which vary. It is best to enquire before coming and to respect the sacred character of the building.

What is the Đình Ngọc Hà in Hanoi?

The communal house of the former village of Ngọc Hà, spiritual and social heart of the village in the Vietnamese tradition, dedicated to the protective tutelary genius; this horticultural village renowned for its flowers, member of the thirteen villages established under the Lý dynasty to the west of the citadel, was absorbed by Hanoi, and the đình keeps altars, statues and stelae.

Where is the Đình Ngọc Hà in Hanoi?

In a lane of Ngọc Hà street, in the Ba Đình district, in Hanoi, in Vietnam.