Huong Gia Temple, Noi Bai Commune, Hanoi City
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01HUONG GIA TEMPLE
Huong Gia Village, Noi Bai Commune, Hanoi City
Huong Gia Temple is located on the north bank of the Ca Lo River (also called Ngu Huyen Khe River) – an old tributary of the Red River that flowed to the Ba Xa junction and joined the Luc Dau Giang; this is land where the midland region meets the plain, a place preserving many folk legends associated with the river. The temple faces southeast. Overall, the relic was built according to the traditional layout of temples to Duc Thanh Tam Giang in the Northern Delta riverine region, with components following a sacred axis from outside to inside: ceremonial gate – screen – temple courtyard – front hall – square pavilion – central hall – rear sanctuary; on both sides of the courtyard are corridor houses (ta hu vu), and in the grounds there is also a stele house preserving an ancient stone stele. The whole complex is enclosed by brick walls, interspersed with shade-giving ancient trees, giving the temple an ancient, solemn appearance beside the river.
Huong Gia Temple is also a memorial site for many local revolutionary events: during the French temporary occupation (1947–1954), the temple was a base for protecting and sheltering cadres and guerrillas operating in enemy-held areas, holding on to the land and people to maintain the resistance base; during the resistance against the Americans for national salvation, the temple was an evacuation site for part of the command post of the Noi Bai Airport air force, where Vietnamese air force soldiers together with Soviet, Chinese, and Korean experts were once stationed, including air force heroes Tran Hanh, Anh Bay, Anh Coc, and Anh Chieu. In particular, on the first day of Tet, Dinh Mui (09/02/1967), President Ho Chi Minh came to visit and extend Tet greetings to Soviet experts and cadres and soldiers on duty at the temple.
. With its distinctive architectural, artistic, and historical values, Huong Gia Temple was ranked as a National-level Architectural and Artistic Relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1990.
Huong Gia Temple worships two figures, Truong Hong and Truong Hat – honored by the people as Duc Thanh Tam Giang. The temple also preserves a hagiographic account compiled by Nguyen Bich in the mid-18th century, telling of the Holy Mother surnamed Phung, titled Tu Nhan, from Van Mau Commune, Vo Giang District, Bac Ninh Province. Legend has it that she dreamed of the Giao Long deity coiling around her while bathing in the Luc Dau River; from then she became pregnant and gave birth to a sac containing four boys and one girl, named Hong, Hat, Lung, Lay, and Dam Nuong. Responding to Trieu Quang Phuc's call to save the country against the Liang invaders in the mid-6th century, the four brothers recruited righteous troops, won great merit, and were appointed generals. After Ly Phat Tu usurped the throne of Trieu Viet Vuong, the two refused to serve as officials, preserved their loyal integrity, and sacrificed themselves on the Vu Binh and Nam Binh rivers; moved by their merits and the land they left to the village, the people built a temple to worship them.
021. Ceremonial Gate
At the beginning of the relic is a substantial ceremonial gate built in the style of a roofed three-entrance gate, consisting of one large central entrance and two smaller side entrances, all with arched openings. Each entrance is covered with its own set of curved flying roofs, the ridge decorated in relief with a pair of dragons facing each other, the roof corners curved in dragon forms; below the roof eaves is a band of large Chinese characters and lines of parallel couplets running along the pillars praising the merits of Duc Thanh Tam Giang. The main gate is fitted with a dark red-painted door set, while the two side gates have small doors for daily passage. The gate body is painted blue-gray, accented with relief panels and decorative compartments; continuing on both sides is a long enclosing wall, whose surface is decorated with red-bordered lantern compartments creating a graceful rhythm. In front of the gate is a wide paved yard, beside which stands a large old tree spreading shade. Located at the head of the sacred axis, the ceremonial gate both demarcates the boundary between ordinary space and the sacred realm and serves as a dignified architectural accent, orienting the entire layout of the relic.
032. Temple Courtyard
Past the ceremonial gate, on the sacred axis, is a roofed screen wall – its body bears Chinese characters in relief, lacquered red and gilded, and above it is a small tiled roof with curved corners, supported by two pillars. According to survey records, in the gate area the screen also has lantern-style ornamental pillars together with images of elephants and lions playing with a ball flanking both sides, familiar decorative elements in Northern Delta village communal houses and temples; they function to block direct views into the place of worship according to folk feng shui beliefs and also symbolize the protective power of the sacred place. Surrounding the screen is the spacious temple courtyard, paved with evenly jointed red bricks. This is where the community gathers, arranges offerings, performs rituals, and carries palanquins during festivals. From the courtyard, stone steps lead up to the front hall; on both sides of the courtyard are rows of corridor houses, and behind the screen the space gradually opens into successive layers of worship space, creating depth and solemnity for the whole.
043. Front Hall
The front hall lies in the outermost layer of the worship area and is where the community conducts sacrificial rites and incense offerings. The building has five bays and four rows of columns, with brick-paved gable ends at both ends; the roof frame is structured in the 'upper rafter, lower bracket' style (four trusses), with corner braces on round columns; the columns rest on round stone bases, the distance between main columns and subsidiary columns is 1.2 m, between main columns and main columns 1.8 m, the central bay is 2.5 m wide and the side bays 2.2 m. Seen from the courtyard, the front hall appears with a moss-covered traditional tiled roof, the ridge decorated in relief with an elaborate dragon scene, and curved roof corners; the veranda is left open with ironwood columns on stone bases, the three central bays are fitted with wooden doors, the two gable ends have red-bordered lantern compartments, and red lanterns hang in front of the veranda.
The interior of the front hall displays many valuable carved panels and ritual objects. High above hangs a large wooden plaque, lacquered red and gilded, inscribed 'Chinh thuong tu,' along with a door valance carved with a pair of dragons facing the Taiji, a phoenix holding a silk ribbon and a tiger tally, with dragons curling through water carved on both sides; the door valance system and wooden brackets are all splendidly lacquered red and gilded. On both sides of the front hall are two worship horses painted red and white, 2.2 m high, with saddles carved with phoenixes, dragons facing the moon, turtles spouting water, a ly unicorn riding waves, and tiger-tally faces; the horses are placed on four-wheeled stands – artistic works of the 19th century. Along with these are four sets of the Eight Treasures (twenty ritual weapons), a palanquin and memorial-tablet set carved with dragons, phoenixes, and ly unicorns, and ten pairs of ancient couplets, giving the front hall a solemn and brilliant appearance.
054. Square Pavilion
Located between the front hall and central hall on the sacred axis is the square pavilion – a small four-roofed structure built on four square wooden columns (cross-section about 15 x 15 cm) resting on stone bases, with a floor plan about 2.6 m x 2.4 m. The roof is decorated with ridge finials, dragons and ly unicorns are applied at the four corners, and tiger-tally motifs are carved on two sides; on the lower roof, dragons are applied at four corners, while the other four corners are composed of turtle and ly unicorn forms, and the eaves are carved with oak leaves. With four open columns on all four sides, the square pavilion creates ventilation and is where the eight-seat palanquin and incense table are placed during outdoor rituals and procession ceremonies; it also serves as a transitional space linking the front hall with the inner worship area. Seen from inside the temple, the square pavilion–central hall area is also adorned with a multicolored embroidered dragon door valance with brilliant fringes, framing the view toward the inner sanctuary. The themes of dragons, ly unicorns, tiger tallies, and turtles together with the oak-leaf motif on the square pavilion are all familiar auspicious creatures and patterns in traditional 18th–19th-century art, consistent with the overall style of the temple.
065. Central Hall
The central hall is a structure connecting the front hall with the rear sanctuary and serves as the temple's main ritual space – where solemn sacrificial ceremonies take place during festivals and the Saint's death anniversary. The building has five bays and two trusses, with four rows of columns: the four central trusses use lower beams, and the two side trusses use corner-column braces; the main columns are about 0.5 m in diameter and rest on stone bases, the distance between main columns and subsidiary columns is 1.2 m, between main columns and main columns 2.2 m, and the central bay is 2.2 m wide. The interior of the central hall impresses with its wooden partitions, door valances, and densely carved brackets, splendidly lacquered red and gilded: in the central bay hangs the horizontal plaque 'Van co toi linh' (sacred through all ages); the door valance is carved with a pair of dragons facing the moon, with the Four Seasons above and a tiger tally and long horse below; the brackets and beams are carved with vivid dragons, nghe mythical lions, and long horses; on both sides hang many pairs of ancient couplets, typically such as 'Danh tuong tuc than linh...' and 'Quan doanh vi mieu mao, Huong Gia, Gia Ha cong Truong giang.'
The central hall also preserves many precious artifacts: a bronze bell cast in the first year of the Tu Duc reign (1848), 65 cm high – according to the inscription on the bell, it was cast with bronze contributed by elders, local officials, and devout men and women in Huong Gia hamlet for use in worship and long-term preservation; along with a writing desk carved with dragons, chrysanthemums, tiger tallies, long horses, and a phoenix holding a flower; a washing vessel (used for purification before rituals) carved with turtles, fish, and long horses; and sets of ritual objects in wood, bronze, and porcelain. The ancient bell is not only a ritual instrument but also an original artifact valuable for dating the relic and its periods of restoration and embellishment over time.
076. Rear Sanctuary
The rear sanctuary (a house with a rounded rear extension) is the most solemn place in the temple, built extending deep inward, structured with four rows of columns in the stacked-bed style, with main columns and subsidiary columns 1.5 m apart and main columns 2.2 m apart, resting on stone bases. This is where the worship throne together with a set of hats, boots, and a box of edicts is placed. High above hangs the horizontal plaque 'Nam thien chinh khi' (righteous spirit of the southern sky), along with the plaques 'Van co toi linh' and 'Can thuy khon sinh' (heaven opens, earth gives birth); below is a door valance carved with a pair of dragons facing the moon, lacquered red and gilded, a worship niche holding the throne and statues, and an altar carved with phoenixes and flowers; on both sides are arranged a pair of worship cranes, a pair of decorative vases, and a system of couplets. Notably, in the worship space there are also carvings with unique themes reflecting daily life, such as scenes of 'playing the flute' and 'firing a gun,' along with brackets carved with dragons curling through water, turtles, and long horses.
The rear sanctuary of Huong Gia Temple still preserves fifteen edicts from feudal dynasties, the earliest bearing the Vinh Huu era name (1735–1740) and the latest the Khai Dinh era name; along with spirit tablets, edict boxes, an eight-seat palanquin, a roofed palanquin, a worship platform with seal-script patterns, and many other ritual objects. With its system of horizontal plaques, couplets, edicts, and other ancient relics still preserved, the rear sanctuary in particular and Huong Gia Temple in general are valuable sources of material on the worship of Duc Thanh Tam Giang by the people living along the Ca Lo River.
087. Quoc Mau Shrine
Within the relic complex there is also the Quoc Mau Shrine – where the Holy Mother, mother of the five Truong brothers honored as Duc Thanh Tam Giang, is worshipped. According to the hagiographic account preserved at the temple, the Holy Mother was surnamed Phung, titled Tu Nhan, from Van Mau Commune, Vo Giang District, Bac Ninh Province; legend has it that she dreamed of the Giao Long deity coiling around her while bathing in the Luc Dau River, from then became pregnant and gave birth to a sac containing four boys and one girl – who later all became talented generals, became saints, and were worshipped by the people in temples. Dedicating a separate house to worship the National Mother beside the place of worship of her children deeply expresses the moral principle of 'when drinking water, remember its source,' gratitude for the merit of birth and nurture, and also reflects a distinctive feature of Mother worship – worship of the mother among Northern Delta residents, blended with the worship of heroes and famous generals who rendered service to the people and the country.
The Quoc Mau Shrine is built as a separate house, with a wooden frame, trusses, and tiled roof, creating a warm yet solemn space. The main worship bay holds a worship throne lacquered red and gilded, with the back of the throne and its two armrests carved with dragon and phoenix heads; on the incense table are displayed a bronze ding (incense burner) in the form of a nghe mythical lion facing a longevity character, a pair of candlesticks, a pair of blue-and-white porcelain decorative vases, offering trays, worship cups, and a flower vase. On both sides of the throne are arranged a pair of worship cranes standing guard – symbols of nobility and longevity; above hangs a horizontal plaque lacquered red and gilded, and in front is an offering table (outer incense table) for incense offerings. All ritual objects are lacquered red and gilded and finely carved in the traditional style, giving the Quoc Mau Shrine a solemn appearance befitting the sacred position of the Holy Mother – the source of the deities worshipped at Huong Gia Temple.
