Dieu Hoa Temple – My Tho’s Secret Thing to See
Dieu Hoa communal house has marked many historical and cultural events of the ancient My Tho land and was the place where the administrative headquarters of Dieu Hoa commune was located during the years of anti-French colonialism.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official My Tho Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: One hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn - Dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: /dieu-hoa-temple-my-tho/
Address: Located at 101, Trinh Hoai Duc Street, Ward 2, My Tho City, Tien Giang Province.
Added values: Dinh Dieu Hoa is an architectural and artistic work of large construction scale, imbued with national cultural identity, which is reflected in the construction structure and decorative carvings inside.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Dieu Hoa Temple? Or maybe you found it too long a drive here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Phoenix Islet (12 km), Dong Tam snake farm (1o km), My Tho Cathedral (5 minutes), My Tho Market (3 minutes), Vinh Trang Pagoda (5 minutes)…
2. Travel Guide to Dieu Hoa Temple
Because it is located in the city center, in the middle of a residential area, it is very convenient to go to the monument by road transport. From Trung Luong junction on National Highway I, turn onto Ap Bac Street, go straight down Nguyen Trai Street, turn over Hung Vuong and run towards Cho Gao, cross the Quay Bridge and turn left onto Trinh Hoai Duc Street about 300m to the relic.
When it was first established, it was also known as Giang station of Dieu Hoa village, since the first day of its establishment, Dieu Hoa communal house was used as a stopover for mandarins under the Nguyen Dynasty who went on a business trip to the locality and wanted to stay overnight. In addition, Dieu Hoa communal house is also a place to worship Thanh Hoang Bon Canh of the people in the region. According to old documents, the name Dieu Hoa dates back to the 18th century, at that time there was a merger of 3 unicorns (each equivalent to a hamlet today) including Hoa My, Hoa Hao, Hoa Thoi, belonging to Kien Hung district, Tran Dinh palace (later Dinh Tuong town, Dinh Tuong province). After establishing the village, the people set up a communal house to worship the god Thanh Hoang and those who have openly reclaimed the village and hamlet.
Currently, the communal house is located at Trinh Hoai Duc Street, Ward 2, My Tho City, Tien Giang Province. The communal house worships three gods Thanh Hoang and a blessed god. Besides worshiping the gods believed by the people, the communal house also worships those who have merit to found the village of Dieu Hoa such as Tien Hien Cam Dia Nguyen Van Kien, Tien Hien Nguyen Van Truoc and Truong Van An. The station was also appointed as the head of the communal house to organize the Ky Yen ceremony of the communal house.
In 1792, along with the re-establishment of Dieu Hoa village, Dieu Hoa communal house was established. In 1826, the communal house was repaired with more carvings and diaphragms, couplets for worship as well as decorations inside the communal house. The communal house was built in the style of "Three" (≡), including Vo ca, Vo Quy, and the main hall; It is built mainly with traditional materials such as bricks, tiles, wood, and stone and the binder is aquamarine. Later, in the process of restoration and embellishment, people used modern construction materials such as cement, and ceramic tiles. The wooden construction systems are linked together by a strong and sophisticated mortise and latch system.
In 2009, Dieu Hoa communal house was ranked a national relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
3. What to Do – See – Eat at Dieu Hoa Temple
This is the place to concentrate and preserve many tangible and intangible cultural heritages of Tien Giang. At present, the communal house still keeps and preserves the collections of urns, bronze crests, the collection of worshiping weapons, and many antiques and ceramics of China in the 18th - 19th centuries. The rituals of worshiping in the communal house from previous centuries are still preserved until now. Entering the main hall, the nave with the carvings above. Below are the Eight Immortals undressing; Above the cover are molds carved with Tu Quy, Tu Linh, Mai Dieu, Tung Loc, and on top is a diaphragm painted with gilded vermilion and engraved with Tu Linh. On the two nave columns is a pair of elaborately carved double poles, the lower layer is painted with gilded dragons, and the upper layer is a couplet. In addition to the decoration of the pavilions, the main hall of Dieu Hoa communal house is also decorated between the two intersecting roofs with paintings of painted water, four precious stones, and animals and fruits close to daily life.
When it was newly built, the communal house was located near the riverbank. In 1904, the communal house was heavily affected by the storm Giap Thin, so it collapsed and deteriorated rapidly. Facing that situation, the people of Dieu Hoa village agreed to move the communal house to the shrine of Than Nong located on a tall and airy field. At the beginning of 1913, the communal house was moved to a new place and remains the same to this day. In 1967, the communal house was seriously degraded. Mr. Nguyen Van Don, a local contractor, is a member of the Communal Service Committee who designed and restored the martial arts, ancestral house, and smokehouse of the communal house; at the same time, built a concrete Tam Quan gate towards Trinh Hoai Duc street. After more than 200 years of existence and through many renovations, the communal house of Dieu Hoa still retains its original appearance and looks very spacious as it is today.
Every year, people in the region gather at the communal house to celebrate Ky Yen (on February 16-17-18 of the lunar month and October 16-17-18 of the lunar month) by the ritual. People came to pray for the peace of the village and held contests for making cakes, sticky rice... The communal house festival lasts 3 days and 3 nights. Every night, there is Hat Boi performance with contents reflecting ancient legends, attracting thousands of people to come to watch and entertain.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From My Tho city center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in My Tho. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package My
Tho daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Dieu Hoa Temple
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Dieu Hoa Temple by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in My Tho village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in My Tho.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Dieu Hoa Temple
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Dieu Hoa Temple (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
You can stay in a homestay which is near the Mekong riverside, this will help you out. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself.
If you plan to extend your travel to My Tho homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit My Tho or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose My Tho responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
My Tho food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make My Tho cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Hu Tieu My Tho (a kind of noodle soup but it is really yummy), elephant ear fish, Snakehead Fish Rice Porridge, snake wine, coconut candy, Fried Sticky Rice…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to My Tho in the rainy season, as My Tho always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
My Tho tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Coconut Candy Traditional Village & Small Canals, mighty Mekong river cruise, educational tour and community tour in My Tho, My Tho homestay 2D1N, My Tho Cycling Tours, Dong Tam Snake Farm, Vinh Trang Pagoda, 4 Stunning islets (Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix), My Tho Market, My Tho Cathedral, Buu Lam Pagoda, Dieu Hoa Temple.
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in My Tho, Tien Giang province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
