PANO – 10km east of Da Lat city, visitors will find Prenn tourism complex, one of the busiest tourist attractions in the land of a thousand flowers. The romantic Prenn waterfall and the Au Lac Temple where the Hung Kings are worshipped attract travelers.

Rituals worshipping the Hung Kings at the Au Lac Temple. Source: dulich.dalat.link

Built on Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) Mountain and inaugurated in 2004, the temple is a replica of the Hung Kings’ Temple in Phong Chau district (Phu Tho province). From the Prenn waterfall, visitors can climb a 500m-long winding path to reach the Ha (Lower), Trung (Middle), and Thuong (Upper) Temples, which were built 200m from each other. Materials to build the temples came from localities in the Central Highlands and Ha Tay province, while construction workers hailed from Hue city.

One of the features of the temple in the highlands is the Lac Long Quan - Au Co Park in front of the Upper Temple. In the middle of the park are 6m statues of Lac Long Quan and Au Co (Father and Mother of the Vietnamese people) reaching for a sack of 100 eggs, symbolized by 100 egg-shaped stones shipped to the park from localities nationwide.

Visitors can also admire the statues of national heroes, such as Trung Sisters, Trieu Thi Trinh, Ly Nam De, and Ngo Quyen. Memorial statues honoring these and other national heroes are solemnly placed among the fluttering leaves and petals in the park.

Every year, on the 10th day of the third lunar month, Lam Dong provincial authorities often hold special activities re-enacting a legendary period of national history. These events attract thousands of Vietnamese people in the Central Highlands who come to pay tribute to the founders of the nation.

Translated by Huu Duong