Tran Temple is located in Trang An eco-tourism area, in Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district. Legend has it that this is a temple built by the Tran kings to serve religious activities during the years of retreating to Vu Lam palace, preparing for the resistance war against the Mongol invaders. Tran Temple is also known as Noi Lam Temple (Temple in the Forest).

The temple is the place to worship Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong – One of the two generals who served as the ambassador of Son Nam and Hoang consort Quy Niang was his wife.

This is a temple that has been around for a long time, in the late 19th century and early 20th century it was remodeled, the temple is very sacred, a place where locals and visitors often come to pray for peace and happiness, self request.

Although the temple is small, it contains a lot of unique carved stone art values ​​that are shown on the crossbeams, door steps, columns and eaves of the temple.

You can observe the sophisticated carvings on stone by ancient artisans, especially on the 4 outer columns carved according to the four spirits of Long, Ly Quy and Phuong; Long represents power, Ly represents good luck, Tortoise represents eternal existence, and Phuong represents purity and detachment.

Visitors may have admired the talented features on stone carving at round and square stone columns in some temples and communal houses, but carving on small square columns is probably only found in this place.

The unique feature is that, if the other stone pillars are only carved with an inch, these stone pillars are carved on the channel deck and carved with 8 inches of clearance, with floating places up to 10 centimeters high.

The phoenix or dragon fish here are very small embossed with a body just the size of a thumb, but have enough heads, beaks, tails, wings, and legs. If you look closely, you can see these delicate small carvings.

These are unique, lively and soulful stone blocks, showing the ingenious quintessence of stone village folk artisans in Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province.  

Also talking about these stone columns, there is a legend that: Previously, the temple was built lightly on the ground in the “seven-major building”, but in the flood season, the temple was flooded, so the people of Ninh Hai commune moved here.

When the people of Van Lam village made stone pillars to rebuild the temple, after burning incense to worship the gods, although the stone pillar was very heavy, measuring 15cm x 15cm, 2m high, strangely, when each person carried one This stone pillar goes through 3 stilts to the temple easily without feeling heavy.