The concept of “religion” in Vietnam has long been linked directly with the discourse of state influence. This essay presents place-making practices at the Hùng Temple, exploring the manner in which certain apparatuses of the contemporary state exert control over the temple for the purpose of promoting a sense of nationalism. Drawing on chronological data from 1945 onward, this essay argues that the meaning of the Hùng Temple site has shifted from being known as a historical site of national origins to a spiritual power affecting the nation and people’s lives in contemporary Vietnam.