Hai Bà Trưng Temple-Pagoda_Communal House tourist destination

Đồng Nhân Temple currently located at No. 12 Hương Viên Street, Đồng Nhân Ward, Hai Bà Trưng District, 3 km south of the center of Hanoi capital. Hương Viên was one of the 8 villages of Thanh Nhàn canton in the mid-19th century; before that it was Hậu Nghiêm canton. Hương Viên is also a compound name of two villages, Hương Thái and Hoa Viên; Hoa Viên is exactly where the people of Đồng Nhân village moved from the riverbank into “borrowed land” to build and place the temple that exists to this day.

Present-day Đồng Nhân village was originally just a small hamlet (Xóm Chùa) of Đồng Nhân Châu village (in Bạch Đằng Ward). This Đồng Nhân village, Xóm Chùa, was only formed in the 19th century, while Đồng Nhân Châu village outside the Red River bank had been recorded in historical documents since the 12th century with the event of establishing the temple to worship the Hai Bà Trưng.

Đồng Nhân Temple is currently built on a beautiful plot of land belonging to Hoa Viên village. To the right of the Temple is the village communal house, and to the left is Viên Minh Pagoda. The Communal House-Temple-Pagoda forms a beautiful relic complex with many values of the capital. In front of the relic site there is also a large lake that further embellishes the relic landscape.

Đồng Nhân village pagoda, whose Han-character name is Viên Minh Pagoda It was built to the left of the Temple, set back about 1 m. The pagoda is currently presided over by Venerable Thích Đàm Hiếu, and he is also the person who looks after Đồng Nhân Temple, which worships the two national heroines.

According to legend, the name Viên Minh Pagoda comes from the Dharma name of the Hai Bà Trưng when they were honored as Buddhas by the Lê court. In addition, the pagoda is also called by the respectful name Hai Bà Pagoda.

Đồng Nhân Pagoda currently shares the front yard with Đồng Nhân Temple, and everyone passes through the Nghi môn gate to enter the temple or pagoda. The temple's festival is also the common festival and ceremony of both the pagoda and temple, and for a long time the Temple-Pagoda has become a special religious-belief relic complex of Đồng Nhân village. The main pagoda has a layout in the shape of the character 'cong' (工), including a five-bay front hall. Behind the pagoda is a narrow yard separating the rear wall of the upper hall from the bell tower. That rear yard is also where the pagoda displays potted ornamental plants to decorate the space of the Buddha's land.

Đồng Nhân Pagoda currently also has a stele, “Viên Minh thiền tự kỷ niệm bi chí,” dating to Bảo Đại 7 (1932), which records the history of the pagoda's construction as well as a list of some of the founding abbots who presided at the pagoda.

Đồng Nhân Communal House located right next to the right side of Hai Bà Trưng Temple (set back 13 m) and also shares the large front yard with the temple-pagoda complex.

The communal house has a layout in the shape of the character 'đinh' (丁), including a five-bay Đại bái (main worship hall) and a one-bay Hậu cung (rear sanctuary).

Đồng Nhân Communal House worships three tutelary deities: Cao Sơn Đại Vương, Quốc Vương Thiên Tử, and Đô Hồ Đại Vương. In addition, the communal house also worships several Water deities. Đồng Nhân Communal House currently preserves 17 royal edicts from the Lê and Nguyễn dynasties. The earliest edict dates to Cảnh Hưng 44 (1783); there are also two 19th-century Phỗng statues, two stone stelae recording repairs to the communal house, and many other worship objects.