600 years old ancient temple in Ha Tinh

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HA TINH – Nen Temple worships Ly Nhat Quang, the 8th son of King Ly Thai To, who had great merits in developing the ancient Nghe Tinh land.

Nen Temple, also known as Tam Toa Dai Vuong or Ca Temple, was built in the 15th century, on an area of ​​​​5 hectares in Phuc Tien village, Thach Tien commune, now Viet Tien commune, Thach Ha district. Temple of Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang (8th son of King Ly Thai To) and some historical figures.

The temple has a rectangular layout, consisting of three buildings: upper, middle and lower. The architectural complex outside the temple also has a worship house, bell house, stele house, money house, community temple, tac Mon, fang column, lotus pond and garden… The work is ranked as a cultural-historical relic. national level in 2009.

Legend has it that Ly Nhat Quang is intelligent, studious, and talented. In 1039, he was appointed by his father, King Ly Thai To, to take care of taxing in the Hoan Chau area, ie Nghe An, Ha Tinh today. He was continuously promoted, in 1044 held the position of Uy Minh Vuong, head of Nghe An town, replacing the king to decide all political affairs in the land of Nghe.

He is recognized by history books as a simple man, close to the people, with merit in agricultural development; building roads and waterways for trade with regions; open many schools; establishing monuments and temples. Under Ly Nhat Quang, the court did not have to send troops to the garrison, but the forces he built on the spot were able to take care of the border defense of Nghe citadel “Iron wall copper citadel”.

After 16 years of working in Nghe An, Ly Nhat Quang built this land into a solid fortress in both military and economic terms. In 1057, when he died, people in the area built many temples to remember his merits.

On the photo is a statue of Ly Nhat Quang placed in the upper hall.

The three-door gate leading to the temple has a two-story architecture with eight roofs, both sides are engraved with parallel sentences in Chinese characters.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Son, Chairman of Ha Tinh Historical Science Association, said that this is one of the beautiful three-door gate systems in the province, bearing a structural motif of the Ly Dynasty.

On the roofs of palaces and small temples, the image of a dragon is always featured. The dragon is intricately carved, a symbol of authority.

Dang Huu Cu, Head of Nen Temple Ceremonies, said that this is one of the most beautiful and sacred ancient temples of Ha Tinh with artistic architecture arranged in harmony through the skillful hands of craftsmen. old.

“In the temple, there is a parallel sentence in Nghi Mon describing the beautiful scenery as follows: ‘The scenery of Ha Ha family. The world can’t be helped. That means the scene in the Nen temple is so beautiful and perfect that I don’t know what to add. what,” said Mr. Cu.

The upper hall is the place to place a statue of Ly Nhat Quang and some historical figures and folk beliefs. In addition to the diverse couplet system, the temple has a large number of altars with more than 25 pieces.

On the right side of the temple is the restored bell house, renewed with a two-story roof architecture, inside an ancient bell.

About 5 meters from the bell house is the stele house, with a stone stele recording the biography and merits of Ly Nhat Quang for the ancient Nghe Tinh land.

The house of worship is surrounded by a row of si trees. According to Mr. Dang Huu Cu, in the past there was a forest of delusion, over time, only the trees remained on some items of the temple, creating a rare antique look.

On one side of the three-door gate is the embossed image of a horse, which has now been painted. At the temple, embossed architecture is used a lot, corresponding to the images of generals, four spirits, stylized motifs…

At the entrance to the gate are two stone elephants built hundreds of years ago, meant to protect the temple.

Starting from the Later Le Dynasty, the temple was restored on a large scale in 1724, during the reign of King Le Du Tong. By 1921, during the reign of King Khai Dinh and the Nguyen Dynasty, the appearance was completed. The last time in 2010 to 2012, the authorities spent tens of billions of dong to renovate and renew many items.

The temple is often chosen by the local government as the venue for a number of regional festivals. The Nen Temple Festival takes place annually at the beginning of the new year, on the occasion of commemorating the death of Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang.

Every year, the temple welcomes thousands of visitors inside and outside the province to burn incense, visit and study historical, architectural, and religious values. Follow vnexpress

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