For travelers visiting Sapa, a famous spiritual tourist destination in this town is the Stone Church of Sapa. For those who want to learn about the worship of the Mother Goddess – one of the long-standing beliefs of the people, when going on a Sapa tour, you can visit two famous temples, the Upper Mother Temple and the Son Mother Temple.
Today, Cuong will introduce you to the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa to give you another suggestion for a Sapa tour.
Introduction to the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa
The Upper Mother Temple of Sapa is a very sacred temple with ancient architecture, solemn and dignified. The Upper Mother Temple of Sapa attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year to visit and worship…
The Upper Mother Temple of Sapa worships Princess Lieu Hanh – one of the 4 immortal deities honored by the Vietnamese people. In the past, the temple was called the Sawmill Temple because it was near a large French sawmill. Due to being built during the French colonial period, the monument was heavily damaged. In 2002, the temple management board renovated it to serve the spiritual needs of visitors who come to visit from near and far.
When entering to worship at the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa, Cuong found the temple to be a simple 4-room house, small in size. The temple is located on high ground, backed by a mountain, with a spacious courtyard and a wide entrance path, convenient for parking.
As soon as Cuong stepped through the gate into the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa, he felt a very solemn and peaceful atmosphere of a sacred place with the scent of incense lingering, making the soul calm and seeking tranquility, away from the hustle and bustle of the city outside. The main hall of the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa consists of 3 worship halls, including the main hall, the Four Palaces worship hall, and two side worship halls.
If you visit the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa during a mediumship ceremony, you will witness the traditional mediumship ritual – a traditional activity of the Mother Goddess worship with mediums in elaborate costumes and traditional dances and spiritual rituals.
Furthermore, during the Lunar New Year, the monument management board and the people of Sapa organize the Upper Temple festival, contributing to promoting the cultural identity of the Northwest people. If you travel to Sapa in the spring, besides visiting the Love Market or Cat Cat village to participate in the spring festivals with traditional dances of ethnic girls, the sound of mouth organs, and leaf flutes of young men, visit the traditional festivals at the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa to learn more about the culture, history, traditions of this mountainous town as well as the worship of the Mother Goddess. Cuong is sure that not only middle-aged people but also young people, students will be attracted by the lively atmosphere of the festival and learn many useful things.
The Upper Mother Temple is one of the 3 famous temples and an important historical-cultural relic of Sapa, recognized as a provincial-level historical-cultural relic. In recent times, the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa has and is carrying real values: historical value, traditional cultural education value, spiritual value for the people and tourists of Sapa.
Location of the Upper Mother Temple of Sapa
The Upper Mau Temple in Sapa is one of the 3 extremely famous spiritual temples in Sapa. The Upper Mau Temple in Sapa is located in group 11, Sapa town, 3 km from the town center of Sapa. With this location, visitors can easily visit the Upper Mau Temple in Sapa by any means of transportation.
How to get to the Upper Mau Temple in Sapa
With a distance of only 3 km from the town center of Sapa, if you are on a Sapa tour and want to burn incense or visit the Upper Mau Temple in Sapa, you can take a motorbike taxi (priced at about 30,000 VND) or a taxi (priced at about 50,000 VND/one way). For those on a full-package Sapa tour, the travel company will prepare transportation and guides to help you get to the Upper Mau Temple in Sapa most conveniently. For independent travelers on a Sapa tour, you can rent a motorbike taxi. Or as Cuong knows, many hotels in Sapa now offer motorbike rental services, so you can ask hotel staff to take you to the Upper Mau Temple if you are unsure of the way. For families on a Sapa tour or group tours on a Sapa tour, you can rent a taxi or car directly to the Upper Mau Temple in Sapa.
Best time to visit the Upper Mau Temple in Sapa
Peak tourist season for visitors to visit the Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa is from January to July every year. Especially in the spring, according to tradition, we Vietnamese people often visit temples to pray for a prosperous and lucky new year. That’s why many tourists travel to Sapa in the spring to visit and pay respects at the Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa. I went to Sapa during the Lunar New Year and encountered many pilgrims offering prayers at the Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa. Although located quite far from the town center, on average, the Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa welcomes 4000-5000 visitors per month. Tourists gather at the Mau Thuong Temple in large numbers on the first and fifteenth day of each month to offer incense and pray for peace and blessings.
Find more information about Sa Pa tourism here
Extremely Detailed Review of 20 Sapa Tourist Attractions for First-Time Visitors to Sapa
Top Highlighted Tourist Attractions in Sapa
Top 10 Hottest Sapa Tourist Attractions – Save Now to Avoid Regrets
Some points to note when visiting Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa
The Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa is considered an important religious site, so when visiting, please remember to respect the beliefs and customs of the local people. The temples emphasize modest and respectful attire, so please choose appropriate clothing when visiting this Sapa tourism site. Women should avoid wearing short skirts, short tops, exposed shoulders, and necklines.
In addition, the temple is a sacred spiritual place that requires a solemn and dignified atmosphere, so young visitors should avoid laughing or speaking loudly in the temple area. Families visiting Sapa should pay attention to their children, preventing them from running and jumping in the temple area to avoid accidents.
Those who visit Mau Thuong Temple on busy days such as the beginning of spring, the first and fifteenth day of the month should follow the ceremony in order, avoiding overcrowding and pushing in the temple area, which would disrupt the solemnity. Furthermore, when visiting Mau Thuong Temple on busy days, visitors should be mindful of safeguarding their belongings to prevent theft.
Visitors to Mau Thuong Temple should remember to maintain general cleanliness, not litter in the temple area, and temple grounds to preserve the beauty and solemnity of this spiritual site. Be polite and conscious travelers!
Development of spiritual tourism in Sapa
Until now, when traveling to Sapa, tourists often visit famous tourist destinations such as the stone church, love market, Cat Cat village, Ham Rong mountain, Fansipan peak… Recently, spiritual tourism has been receiving attention from the Sapa district’s cultural sector, although this type of tourism is still relatively new in Sapa. Since 2012, the management board of Sapa’s historical sites has been established and operational, contributing to more effective management and protection of historical sites.
Currently, the Mau Thuong Temple area has expanded its parking lot, providing convenient conditions for international tourists to travel to Sapa for visits. However, Mau Thuong Temple is still a level 4 facility, with many parts in disrepair and deterioration, requiring repairs and renovations. This temple was built by the local people long ago, and the renovation process has been patchy without an overall plan. The restoration and renovation of the temple require significant funding, while social mobilization is slow, requiring more time. The Sapa district’s cultural sector is actively promoting the dissemination of the cultural and historical values of the site, raising awareness among the local people and international tourists about landscape preservation, general cleanliness at Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa to attract more tourists to this Sapa tourist destination.
Preserving and restoring historical and cultural sites like Mau Thuong Temple will contribute to the conservation and preservation of these sites and open up spiritual development opportunities for Sapa.
Tours to Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa
If you want to go on a 3-day-2-night Sapa tour or a 2-day-1-night Sapa tour, especially for groups of tourists who want to visit spiritual tourist destinations in Sapa, you can book all-inclusive Sapa tours with travel companies.
I have learned that nowadays, many families, groups, and organizations often combine spiritual tourism with the Lunar New Year holiday to pray for peace and blessings. You can refer to Sapa tours with itineraries that include Sapa tourist destinations such as Ham Rong mountain – Sapa market – Mau Thuong Temple in Sapa – Bao Ha Temple, or tours to visit sacred temples in Sapa like Bao Ha Temple – Tan An Little Girl Temple – Mau Thuong Temple…
Travel companies will provide transportation for the group, arrange restaurants and hotels for dining, accommodation, entrance tickets to tourist sites, and tour guides to help you understand each location. For first-time visitors to Sapa, I recommend booking an all-inclusive Sapa tour for a comfortable and convenient sightseeing and relaxation trip!
Sapa tourist destinations near Mau Thuong Temple
For groups of tourists on spiritual tours in Sapa, you should also visit two other famous temples in the town, Hang Pho Temple and Mau Son Temple.
Hang Pho Temple:
The Hang Pho Temple was built at the end of the 19th century. The temple worships Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan but is called Hang Pho Temple because it is located on a hill near the bustling and crowded area. The temple has been recognized as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic since 2005. The temple is located on Fansipan Street, in Sapa town, very close to the information center and tourism promotion of Lao Cai, so after visiting Hang Pho Temple, you can conveniently visit the Sapa Museum located right in the central area. Hang Pho Temple is located in the central area of Sapa town, so it is quite easy to find. Those staying in hotels in the town center can walk or rent a motorbike or taxi to the temple, which is very convenient. Please note that there is no parking at Hang Pho Temple!
Mau Son Temple:
The Mau Son Temple worships Princess Lieu Hanh. This temple is quite easy to visit and find for tourists in Sapa as it is located at 4a Thach Son Street, in the center of Sapa town. Mau Son Temple was built about 200 years ago. In 2013, the temple was beautifully renovated with social funding.
Fansipan Spiritual Cultural Complex
This is a new cultural complex that has been in operation since 2018. Prominent in the spiritual cultural complex of Fansipan is a statue of Buddha Amitabha over 21 meters high, placed at an altitude of 3,000 meters. From the great Buddha statue, the Arhat path with 18 bronze statues 2.5 meters high will lead you to the sacred Buddhist realm.
At the end of the Arhat path is the Kim Son Bao Thang Pagoda complex, an 11-story tower along with many other Buddhist structures. It is estimated that it will take about 1 day to visit all the tourist spots in the Fansipan spiritual cultural complex.
The route to Fansipan now has a modern cable car system that not only makes sightseeing convenient but also allows you to admire the beautiful Sapa valley landscape, unique natural scenery from above. Taking the cable car to an altitude of 3,000 meters will also give you a thrilling adventurous feeling.
