Co Ngoa Temple and Pagoda

Location: The relic complex is located in Co Ngoa village, Lien Minh commune, where local village tutelary deity worship and Buddhism intersect.

Co Ngoa Temple: This is where the tutelary deity General Hai Dieu is worshipped - a son of the homeland who made great contributions in helping the Trung Sisters launch the uprising that shook the nation in 40 AD. In addition, the temple also jointly worships Duke Le Binh (Le Trung Hung period), who had merit in building dikes to block floods and help the people. Next to the temple is a small shrine worshipping Lady Le Thi Hanh (mother of General Hai Dieu).

Co Ngoa Pagoda: The pagoda complex is located on the same plot of land as the temple and is arranged harmoniously according to the principle 'Buddha in front, Saints behind'. The pagoda has a very long history, evidenced by the remaining stone stele recording its restoration from the 20th year of Hong Duc (1489) and the bell cast in the 6th year of Canh Thinh (1789).

2. Artistic architectural features and precious relics

Architecture of Co Ngoa Temple: The temple was built in the 'Dinh' (T-shaped) layout facing southeast, including a front hall and a rear sanctuary. The most notable relic is the procession palanquin in the art style of the 18th-19th centuries, carved with eight dragon beams and majestic tiger-face motifs. The rear sanctuary has an early 20th-century incense table in the 'kneeling legs, fish back' style along with a splendid worship canopy carved with the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), deeply imbued with late 19th-century art. The temple preserves many treasures such as dragon thrones, ancestral tablets, deity genealogies, and royal edicts. In particular, the portrait statue of Lady Le Thi Hanh expresses a very vivid inner life, a great success of folk sculpture art.

Architecture of Co Ngoa Pagoda: The pagoda faces northwest and also has a 'Dinh' layout with a front hall (5 bays) and an upper sanctuary (3 bays). The architectural highlight is the wooden structural system carved with spiral clouds and water waves, combined with an openwork curtain door featuring the theme of dragons adoring the sun and the four sacred creatures, all extremely exquisite. The pagoda currently preserves many Buddha statues of high artistic value (such as Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta) in the style from the late 18th to early 19th century.

3. Relic ranking

With its rich cultural and historical depth and the value of its exquisite sculpture architecture through the dynasties, the Co Ngoa Temple and Pagoda complex was officially ranked by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a Historical - Artistic Relic in the year 1990