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Ninh Binh is a tourist destination in Vietnam known as "Ha Long Bay on land" thanks to its many natural wonders with breathtaking scenery such as Trang An Landscape Complex, Mua Cave, Van Long Natural Reserve, Thung Nham Bird Park, etc.
However, Ninh Binh is also known for its valuable cultural heritage, such as traditional craft villages, especially religious architectural works, and one of the typical names among these works is Saint Nguyen Temple.
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1. A Brief Introduction to Saint Nguyen Temple
The temple worships Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong - the national teacher of the Ly Dynasty. He was a monk who headed the Buddhist organization of the Ly dynasty in history, founded many ancient pagodas, and was honored as the father of Vietnamese bronze casting.
Because of his many great contributions to healing the king and people, he was revered by the Vietnamese as Saint Nguyen. The ancients ranked him as a saint among the four immortals in Vietnam, and in folk legends, he was exalted as a legendary figure with many magical powers.
He is also worshiped in other major locations such as Bai Dinh Pagoda and many other provinces in Northern Vietnam.
The temple was built on the foundation of an ancient temple called Vien Quang Pagoda, founded by Nguyen Minh Khong in 1121 and was ranked by the Ministry of Culture and Information as an architectural and artistic relic in 1989.
2. The Architecture of Saint Nguyen Temple
The overall architectural work is very large-scale, built in the "internal Cong and external Quoc" style. The temple consists of 4 buildings: the first is Vong Lau - a 3-room building, where it is said to be the old house of Saint Nguyen, with a stone lamp standing on the gable more than one meter high.
The main temple is built in the style of Cong (工), including 3 buildings: the front worshiping space, the middle space, and the main room. It is a valuable work in both architectural and sculptural aspects.
The temple has 5 front worshiping spaces and the building structures of these spaces like pillars, roofs, and rafters are still intact from the 17th century.
The main room of Saint Nguyen Temple is considered the sculpture center of the temple complex because it possesses many sculptures imbued with folk nuances of 17th-century art such as images of four sacred animals, lotus ponds, etc.
Behind the main room is a steeple dating back to the Mac dynasty (500 years ago). It hangs a bell weighing more than a ton and 1.6m high.
The system of secondary architectural works on the east and west sides has up to 5 buildings, with a total of 31 spaces, including 2 corridors, 2 kitchens, and 1 sacred supervisor worship space. There are also many ancient trees planted around the campus.
3. Valuable Assets of Saint Nguyen Temple
Saint Nguyen Temple still retains many valuable ancient artifacts: stone lamps, prayer columns, ancient stone epitaphs from the Le and Nguyen dynasties, stone squirrels, bricks decorated with patterns from the Le dynasties, and two stone bases of the Ly-dynasty. Ceilings, incense burners, altars of the Le dynasty, 50 royal diplomas of the Le and Nguyen dynasties, etc.
These are invaluable cultural assets, contributing to the study of the nation's history, culture, and traditional arts.
4. Festival at Saint Nguyen Temple
The Saint Nguyen Temple Festival takes place from the 27th - 30th of April. This is an opportunity for local people to pay tribute to Saint Nguyen Minh Khong. During the festival, people will perform many rituals as well as play folk games.
Saint Nguyen Temple is always one of the must-see places in Van Long, Ninh Binh, so tourists should visit this place to admire the talents of ancient Vietnamese artisans.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any further questions.
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