Soc Temple

Thanh Giong is one of the four immortals of Vietnamese belief: a child who did not speak until an invasion came, then asked for an iron horse and armour, grew enormous, drove out the invaders, and rode up from the top of Soc mountain into the sky. The temple complex at the foot of that mountain marks the departure, with several shrines, an old ironwood statue, and a very large modern statue of Giong on his horse added on the summit in 2010. The Giong festival held here and at Phu Dong was inscribed on the UNESCO intangible heritage list in 2010; the Soc festival opens the lunar new year.

What you actually see

• The site of Giong's departure - where he is said to have ridden into the sky.
• Shrines at the mountain's foot - with an old ironwood statue.
• A large modern statue on the summit - added in 2010.
• A UNESCO-listed festival - inscribed in 2010, opening the lunar year.

When to go

Year round; the festival falls in the first lunar month. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The summit statue is a recent addition on a large scale. Festival days are extremely crowded. It is close to Noi Bai airport, so aircraft are frequent overhead. Interpretation is in Vietnamese.

Nearby

Noi Bai airport is south; Hanoi is beyond it.