Lý Thái Tổ
The city of Hanoi honours a white horse as its patron saint with a temple dedicated to this revered spirit, the "White Horse" or "Bach Ma Temple" ( "bach" means "white" and "ma" is "horse"). The 11th-century king, Lý Công Uẩn (also known as King Lý Thái Tổ) had a vision of a white horse representing a river spirit which showed him where to build his citadel.