Kiếp Bạc is the place where Vietnam remembers Trần Hưng Đạo, the thirteenth-century general who defeated the Mongols three times. In the 1280s, the armies of Kublai Khan's empire invaded Vietnam, and Trần Hưng Đạo, commanding the forces of the Trần dynasty, used guerrilla tactics, retreat and ambush to wear them down. The most famous victory came in 1288 on the Bạch Đằng river, when he planted iron-tipped stakes in the riverbed and lured the Mongol fleet onto them at low tide. He died in 1300, and the temple at Kiếp Bạc was built where he is said to have had his base.
The temple stands among hills and fields in Hải Dương province, in the Chí Linh district, a green landscape of rice paddies and lychee trees, and it is a place of pilgrimage. Every year, in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, which falls in the autumn, huge crowds arrive for a festival in his honour, with processions, incense, drums and offerings. At other times the courtyards are calm, with old trees, stone tablets and red-lacquered halls, and the atmosphere is more local than touristic.
In Vietnam, the way to travel is by motorbike, and this area is a good one for it. The roads run through a flat, fertile region of the Red River delta, then climb gently into low hills, with plenty of traffic, trucks, buses and scooters, all moving in a loose and flexible flow. Keep your speed down, look out for people and animals stepping out, and be ready for pot holes. In summer, heavy rain and heat make riding uncomfortable, and autumn and spring are the best seasons. The lychee harvest, in June, makes the whole province smell sweet.
Fuel is easy to find on all the main roads, and Chí Linh town has plenty of small restaurants and cafes. Hải Dương is known for its mung bean cake, a sweet crumbly treat that makes a good snack, and for its lychees from Thanh Hà. Dress modestly at the temple, take your shoes off when asked, and treat the offerings with respect. Allow extra time for the busy roads, because distances take longer than the map suggests.