TEMPLE OF GRAND PRECEPTOR TRAN QUANG KHAI

Deity: The temple worships the village tutelary god, Great Prince Chieu Minh Tran Quang Khai.

Merits: He was the third son of King Tran Thai Tong and served as Grand Preceptor and Supreme General in charge of internal affairs. He was a key general who directly commanded the defeat of the Yuan army at Chuong Duong and Thang Long, achieving the most resounding victory of that time.

Talent: Not only was he a brilliant general, Tran Quang Khai was also a skillful diplomat and a great poet in Vietnamese literary history (author of the poetry collection Lac Dao, the poem Luu Gia Do, etc.). To the people of An Thinh village, he is revered as a cultural hero who spiritually protects their lives.

2. History of formation and revolutionary imprints

Origin: Legend has it that the area of the moss-covered ancient well in front of the temple was once the site where the Tran royal family built a temporary palace during the resistance war against the invading Yuan army.

Revolutionary base: The temple is a relic steeped in the history of the struggle to defend the fatherland.

Before 1945: This was a rallying point for the Can Vuong movement (1883-1885) on its way to attack the Hanoi citadel.

During the French resistance: The temple was the headquarters of the Viet Minh, with a secret tunnel in the rear sanctuary to shelter and hide cadres.

During the American resistance: The temple was used as the headquarters of the Bac Ha Cooperative.

3. Distinctive architecture and artifacts

Although modest in scale, the temple has a complete traditional architectural layout, including: the ceremonial gate, pillar inscriptions, left and right corridors, main hall, and rear sanctuary.

Landscape: In front of the temple are an ancient well and a moss-covered ancient banyan tree, which serve as a water gathering point and bring blessings to the villagers.

Ceremonial gate: On top of the pillars, four phoenixes are molded facing upward toward the sky; on both sides are a pair of elephants facing the temple and Chinese-character couplets.

Main hall (three compartments and two side wings): Hanging a horizontal plaque "Eternal sacred spirit" along with worship weapons such as long swords, the eight treasures, and pairs of couplets praising the majesty and merits of Tran Quang Khai.

Rear sanctuary: The most sacred place houses the dragon throne, memorial tablet, and set of hats and robes of the tutelary god, along with the horizontal plaque "Long live the holy palace".

4. Festival and commemoration days

Traditional festival: Every year, the temple organizes occasions for the "village festival", and the people use the left and right corridors to prepare incense, lamps, and offerings for the village tutelary god.

Battle anniversary: In particular, on the 16th and 17th days of the 11th lunar month every year, the villagers hold a communal "Battle Anniversary" to remember and express gratitude to the hundreds of Can Vuong movement volunteer soldiers who bravely sacrificed their lives when suppressed by the French.

The Temple of Grand Preceptor Tran Quang Khai was ranked as a city-level relic at Decision No. 306/QD-UBND dated February 22, 2006 by the People's Committee of the former Ha Tay Province; at Decision No. 4952/QD-UBND dated October 1, 2025 by the People's Committee of Hanoi City, the name of the historical-cultural relic was supplemented: An Thinh Temple (Temple of Grand Preceptor Tran Quang Khai).