The story of the 'crane ascending to heaven' at Cuong Temple.

The mystery of the crane in the glass case.

Cuong TempleIt was classified as a National Historical Monument in 1975. Currently, the temple is not only a historical and cultural relic, but is also recognized as a tourist destination by the Provincial People's Committee. Every year, it welcomes tens of thousands of visitors who come to worship and sightsee.

One of the things that intrigues many visitors every time they come to Cuong Temple is the image of a large crane displayed in a glass case, placed prominently in the middle of the lower hall.

“Everyone in the area knows the story of the crane. But people from far away don't know, and they all ask about it; they're very curious. Every time that happens, we put aside our work and sit down to tell them the story that took place 30 years ago,” said Mr. Cao Van Tran (79 years old), one of the temple caretakers at Cuong Temple.

Mr. Tran recounted that on the opening day of the Cuong Temple Festival in 1995, while thousands of people were gathered to watch the horse-riding parade, a very large white crane suddenly flew in and landed on a disabled person in a wheelchair who was watching the festival in the temple courtyard.

“Back then, it was exactly the 20th anniversary of the Cuong Temple being classified as a National Historical Monument, so the festival was quite large, with many people coming to see it,” Mr. Tran recounted, adding that the strange thing was that the crane showed no fear despite the large crowd surrounding it. In fact, the crane even played with many people.

“In the following days, the crane often perched in the sacred spot in the temple. Because the bird refused to fly away, the temple management had to keep it and feed it daily. However, after about three months, the crane gradually weakened and died. The temple management then took the bird's remains to Hanoi, stuffed them, preserved them, and returned them to Cuong Temple,” Mr. Tran recounted.

Since then, this crane has been preserved in a glass case, displayed in the lower hall. Mr. Tran also said that when the crane was alive, each of its wings spanned 1.5 meters and weighed about 12 kg.

Mr. Tran also recounted that, a year later, on the very day of the Cuong Temple Festival, people discovered a very large whale washed ashore on Cua Hien beach, right behind Cuong Temple. The whale's carcass was then given a ceremony by the local authorities and people and buried near the beach. In subsequent years, other whale pairs occasionally swam near this beach, and on one occasion even became stranded. The local authorities had to rescue them and use boats to tow the whales back out to sea.

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Because of the strange occurrences during the temple festival, many locals believe that the cranes are My Chau in disguise, joining the festivities with everyone. And the dead whales washed ashore are seen as evidence of An Duong Vuong's tragic self-sacrifice.

Mr. Cao Van Tran - the head priest at Cuong Temple

Get ready for the holiday season!

Cuong Temple, also known as the An Duong Vuong Temple, is located on Mo Da Mountain, right next to National Highway 1A in Dien An commune (Dien Chau district). Legend says that after receiving help from the Golden Turtle deity to build the citadel and create the magic crossbow, An Duong Vuong completely lost his vigilance and fell into Trieu Da's trap. In 208 BC, after seizing the magic crossbow, Trieu Da launched a surprise attack on Au Lac, forcing King An Duong Vuong to retreat south. When he reached Mo Da Mountain – where the coastline blocked his path, the river was cut off, and no boats could be seen – the king, having no other choice, killed Princess My Chau and then threw himself into the sea...

To commemorate King An Duong Vuong, after his death, the people of this region erected a temple in his honor at Cua Hien. According to the elders in the area, the temple was originally called the Cong Temple because Mo Da Mountain used to be a forest of ancient trees where many peacocks flew to live. Furthermore, from a distance, Mo Da Mountain resembles a giant dancing peacock, with the temple located at its head. Not only is it a sacred historical site, but the temple is also a scenic spot due to the harmonious combination of architecture and natural landscape. The temple is situated on the slopes of Mo Da Mountain, with a vast pine forest on top and the sea behind.

According to Mr. Dao Hong Thanh, Head of the Culture Department of Dien Chau District and Head of the Management Board of Cuong Temple Relics, stories of cranes flying down to the temple and refusing to leave, and large whales washing ashore behind the temple during festivals, have added to the temple's mystique. "Currently, the cranes are displayed in a place of honor. As for the whale carcass, a mausoleum has been built for its burial, and local people regularly come to offer incense and prayers," Mr. Thanh said.

The Cuong Temple Festival 2025 will take place over four days, from March 11th to March 15th (corresponding to the 12th to 16th of the second lunar month). The opening ceremony will be held on the evening of March 12th. As usual, the festival will consist of eight important ceremonial parts, such as the Opening Ceremony, the procession of the King and Princess, and the Grand Sacrifice Ceremony. In addition, the festival will feature many unique cultural and sporting activities such as performing arts, traditional folk singing (ca trù and ví giặm), a youth beauty contest, volleyball, and traditional folk games.

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This year, Dien Chau district has made significant investments to elevate the Cuong Temple Festival, such as installing large LED screens and creating additional photo spaces for visitors. In particular, we have also invited many localities in the province to participate in displaying OCOP products, contributing to the promotion of local culture and specialties.

Mr. Dao Hong Thanh – Head of the Culture Department of Dien Chau District, Head of the Management Board of Cuong Temple Relics