King Le Thai To Temple and the Le Loi Stele

The national relic complex of the King Le Thai To temple and the Le Loi stele lies 110 km southwest of Lai Chau city, in Le Loi and Pu Dao communes, Nam Nhun district, on the banks of the Da river reservoir.

In 1431, after personally leading campaigns to quell the revolt of the chieftain Deo Cat Han and pacify the Northwest, King Le Loi had an inscription carved into the Pu Huoi Cho cliff on the northern bank of the Da river to record the event — known in old chronicles as the “Bia Co hoai lai”. The stele was recognized as a national relic in 1981. During construction of the Son La hydropower plant, the inscribed section was cut from the cliff as a block weighing over 15 tonnes and in 2012 relocated to the grounds of the Le Thai To temple, 500 m from its original site.

The Le Loi stele, a unique original artifact tied to the career of the national hero Le Loi, was recognized as a National Treasure in the fifth round by Prime Ministerial Decision 2496/QD-TTg of 22 December 2016. The temple, set on a high hill beside the reservoir, is a leading spiritual destination of Lai Chau province.