Khanh Xuan Temple

1. Monument ranking: Khanh Xuan Temple was ranked at City level under Decision No. 82/QD-UB dated January 19, 2004, by the People's Committee of former Ha Tay Province, now the Hanoi City People's Committee.

2. Overview of the monument

Based on Han-Nom documents archived at Khanh Xuan Temple and legends passed down among the villagers, Khanh Xuan Temple worships the village tutelary god, the Three Tan Vien Son Thanh deities.

Currently, Khanh Xuan Temple is a single-bar-shaped horizontal house; this architecture is characteristic of the ancient architectural school of the Doai region.

The gate of Khanh Xuan Temple was built in the pillar-gate style. The main path is flanked by two large square-section pillars (47 x 47 cm), whose tops are decorated with stylized four-phoenix and flower motifs, followed by a tiger-talisman panel with four dragon heads extending majestically in four directions. Below is a lantern panel. The pillar bases are made large in a gourd-neck shape. On both sides of the main path are two secondary paths made as small cannon gates. Connecting the two large pillars with the cannon gates and two small pillars is a simple flower wall system linked to a similar flower wall enclosing the monument grounds. The small pillars are made slightly simpler than the large ones. On top of the pillars are pairs of standing nghê, acting as spiritual guardians checking pilgrims before they enter the temple to worship the saints.

From the entrance, passing through a courtyard 930 cm wide and 1390 cm long, one reaches the Main Temple. On both sides of the courtyard are two rows of left and right corridors. The Main Temple platform is 19.47 m long and 8.95 m wide. The platform is raised and built of brick, with the front divided into five steps for access. The four wide roofs slope downward and are covered with ri tiles. The roof ridge and eave borders were formerly rows of elegant lemon-flower and star-flower bricks, now replaced by dinh ridges. The curved wooden roof corners are gracefully carved, with the corners decorated with lively coiled dragons.

Inside, the Main Temple of Khanh Xuan Temple is divided into three main bays and two small side bays, corresponding to four roof trusses supported on a plan of six rows of wooden columns, made in three slightly different styles. The two rows of main columns have a circumference of 123 cm, and the two rows of subordinate columns have a circumference of 78 cm. The column bases rest on round stone footings. The two trusses in the central bay of the Main Temple are made in two slightly different styles. The right truss is made in the style: upper gong with stacked beams and double supports, lower tie beams, front brackets, and rear arched panel. Connecting the tops of the main columns is a large, sturdy tie beam with flat back and underside. Standing on the tie beam are two hidden posts, whose tops support a pig-belly beam, the back of which supports the upper ridge beam through a boat-shaped bearing block. The left truss is made in the style: upper gong with stacked beams, lower tie beams, front brackets, and rear arched panel. Connecting the tops of the main columns is a large, sturdy tie beam with flat back and underside. On the tie beam is a straight beam, and on this beam are two hidden posts, whose tops support a pig-belly beam, the back of which supports the upper ridge beam through a boat-shaped bearing block. This architectural style has the artistic character typical of around the 18th century.

The two trusses of the side bays are four stacked beams placed on a system of bearing blocks, creating openness on the two gable sides of the temple. Connecting the ends of the columns are corner braces; four braces are mortised from the tops of the main columns through a hidden post, and this hidden post stands on a thigh beam extending outward to create four graceful corner brackets. Parallel to the corner braces are tie beams mortised from the tops of the main columns to the subordinate columns; from the tops of the subordinate columns, they are mortised out to the front subordinate columns and become eave brackets supporting the roof edges. All the purlins of the temple are tenoned into the board system, which fits closely on the tie beams to create lightness; the side-beam system and tie beams here are mainly edged and lined. The exquisite carvings here are concentrated mainly on the arched panels and eave brackets. The themes here are mainly dragons, phoenixes, and long ma; these are sacred creatures expressing the people's desire for favorable rain and wind and for a prosperous, healthy population. For this reason, the craftsmen embedded all their feelings and beliefs in every line. These are arched panels dating from around the early 19th century.

The interior system of the temple is also arranged symmetrically; the central bay is the solemn place where villagers come daily to offer incense and worship the saints. The upper sanctuary is made from the rear main column extending to the rear subordinate column. In front of the upper sanctuary, the theme of dragons flanking the moon is decorated. On both sides are half-columns (perhaps in the past at this position there was a pair of nghê guarding the forbidden palace gate; these nghê symbolized spiritual control over pilgrims). The front of the upper sanctuary has three small doors, inside which are placed three dragon thrones and spirit tablets. As mentioned above, the floors of the two side bays and the side bays are higher than the floor of the central bay; this is also the place where villagers sit for meetings. The appearance of Khanh Xuan Temple still follows the architectural style of the 17th-18th centuries.