BACH LINH SHRINE

Bach Linh shrine is the worship place of 100 prophetic things of many animals. The first animal is the Dragon - one of four noble animals (Long, Ly, Quy, Phuong - Dragon, Lion, Turtle and Eagle).
Nobody knows when the shrine was built. Recorded documents show that at first it was made of wood, until the sixth year of Khai Dinh (1912) when the shrine was repaired and rebuilt with bricks. Then the leader of Quang Uyen district, who was originally from Thai Binh Province, hired workers from the delta to build the shrine, hence it looks like a pagoda.
The shrine consists of three-entrance gates, a yard, an ancestor-worship house and a Queens’ apartment. After a long period of war, the Queens’ apartment collapsed, leaving only the three-entrance gate, yard and the worship house.
Bach Linh shrine is closely connected with a fireworks festival, which is one of the biggest festivals in Cao Bang Province. The festival is organized annually on the 2^nd February Lunar calendar and attracts many people. It is thought that heads of fireworks in Quang Hoa are blessed by a genie at Bach Linh Shrine so they are extremely sacred.
This shrine was recognized as provincial historical-cultural monument under Decision 2856/QĐ-VX-UB dated 2^nd December 2003.