Vuon No Temple

5.0Free

Introduction

Relic ranking level: Vuon No Temple was ranked at city level in Decision No. 844/QD-UBND dated February 25, 2026 of the Hanoi City People's Committee

1. Historical events and figures

Kieu Phu is an ancient Vietnamese village dating from long ago. Along with settlement and village establishment, its religious system was formed early, and many architectural works were built to meet the religious and spiritual needs of the village community while preserving the nation's traditional cultural values. Since ancient times, the image of the banyan tree, well, and communal house yard has been familiar and indispensable in ancient Vietnamese villages in the northern delta. In each village in Kieu Phu Commune, a system of historical and cultural relics typical of the Doai region is still preserved, such as Ngoc Bai Communal House, Ngoc Bai Shrine, Dong But Pagoda, Ngoc Phuc Pagoda, Ngoc Phuc Communal House, and Liep Mai Communal House and Shrine, etc., which have been ranked by the State. Almost every village has cultural institutions such as communal houses, temples, and pagodas to meet the spiritual needs of local people. Communal houses and shrines are built to worship the village tutelary god, while pagodas worship Buddha.

Based on the accounts of elderly people in the village and the genealogy of Ngoc Phuc Village, Vuon No Temple is where Saint Tu Dao Hanh and the Holy Mother are worshipped. His life and deeds are recorded quite carefully in many ancient books such as Thien Uyen Tap Anh, Linh Nam Chich Quai, and Viet Dien U Linh, along with folk legends of the Doai region. It can be seen that in Vietnamese cultural history, the figure Tu Dao Hanh is a special person with many interesting distinctive traits. He was originally a clear and transparent novice with a clear taboo name, father's name, mother's name, and homeland, yet folklore draped him in mysterious legends like a Saint Tu. He had many supernatural powers, then reincarnated as King Ly Than Tong (1128-1138), and later as Le Than Tong (1619-1643). He was a monk, a Buddha, a king, and is regarded by the people as the patriarch of traditional Vietnamese water puppet art.

The Saint was originally surnamed Tu, named Lo, courtesy name Dao Hanh. His father was named Vinh, serving as a monk-official and inspector at the Ly court, often visiting An Lang Village, married the daughter of a person surnamed Lo named Loan, and thus lived there. Lo was the son of the Lo woman. In his youth he liked heroic, free-spirited company, had great ambitions, and no one could match his actions and speech. He often befriended the Confucian scholar and Daoist Le Toan Nghia and the singer Phan At; at night he was absorbed in reading books, by day he played the flute, prayed, and enjoyed amusements. His parents often scolded him for being lazy. One night they looked through the door crack into his room and saw the lamp nearly out and books piled up. Lo was slumped over the desk asleep, his hand still not leaving the book. Therefore his parents no longer worried. Later Lo took the provincial monk examination and passed the Bach Hien examination. Not long after, his father used black magic and offended Dien Thanh Hau. Dien Thanh sent Great Hall Zen Master to use magic to kill him and throw his body into the To Lich River. The body floated to An Quyet Bridge, and before Dien Thanh Hau's house it suddenly stood upright there for a whole day without leaving.

Dien Thanh Hau was frightened and told Dai Dien. Dai Dien came and shouted: 'A monk is not allowed to be angry for more than a day.' As soon as he finished, the corpse fell down and floated away. Lo thought about avenging his father but had not yet devised a plan. One day Dai Dien went out and started a fight intending to strike, when suddenly a shout was heard in the air stopping him. Lo was frightened, threw down his staff, and left. He wanted to go to An Quoc Pagoda to seek miraculous powers to fight Dien; on the way through Kim Bi Pass (golden teeth) he saw it was dangerous and turned back, then lived in seclusion on Phat Tich Mountain, daily reciting the Great Compassion Dharani. He recited it one hundred and eight thousand times. One day he saw a divine person come before him and say: 'I, your disciple, am Tran Thien Vuong; I am moved by your merit and have come from the realm of the dead to be commanded by you.' Lo knew his Dharma power was complete and his father's vengeance could be washed away, so he went to An Quyet Bridge, held a staff in his hand, and threw it into the rushing water. The staff went upstream and stopped at Tay Duong Bridge. Lo rejoiced and said: 'My power has overcome Dai Dien.' He went straight to Dien's place. Seeing him, Dien said: 'Do you not remember what happened before?' Then he looked up at the sky and saw nothing, so he struck at once. Dien fell ill and died. From then on, the old vengeance was cleared, and the custom gradually subsided as he went to practice in forest regions to seek the traces of Buddha. Following Tri Huyen in Dai Binh Hoa, he respectfully went to pay respects and ask about the true mind. Huyen recited a gatha. Lo was confused and did not fully understand. He then went to Phap Linh Son Pagoda to meet Zen Master Pham Hoi and asked: 'What is the true mind?' Pham said: 'Ananda himself is the true mind.' Lo suddenly awakened and asked: 'Then what is the practice of Dharma?' Pham said: 'When hungry, eat; when thirsty, drink.' Lo bowed and left. From then on his spiritual power grew stronger and his Zen affinity deepened. Mountain snakes and wild beasts came to entwine around him. Lo burned his finger to pray, and chanted spells into water to cure illness, and it was always effective. A monk asked: 'Are walking, standing, sitting, and lying all the true mind?' Lo recited a gatha in reply:

The sun and moon rise from the mountain top

Every person loses the fire pearl

The returning person has a staff

Walking does not avoid the ditch

At that time King Nhan Tong had no son and prayed for an heir for a long time without success. After being begged by Sung Hien Hau to spare him from the death penalty, Lo wanted to repay the favor and asked to be reincarnated as his son so that he could later become king. Sung Hien Hau agreed. One day, while the lady was bathing, she saw Lo cast his shadow into the water tub and, in anger, told Hien Hau. The Hau understood the meaning and said nothing, so the lady became pregnant. Lo also told the Hau that when the lady gave birth, he should be informed quickly. When the time came, Lo received the news, bathed and changed clothes, and told his students: 'My karmic debt is not yet finished; I must be reborn once more in the world, temporarily as an emperor, and when I grow old and die I will become the twentieth son of heaven. If you see my body dissolve into the earth, that means I have entered the mud and earth and am no longer in the realm of birth and death.' Hearing this, the students were all moved and wept. Lo recited a gatha:

Autumn comes; the returning goose does not transform

Coldly laughing at the human world's temporary sorrow

To repay the people's lingering attachment of old

The old master has several times become the present master

As soon as he finished speaking, he solemnly passed away. Later the lady gave birth to a son named Duong Hoan; as a child he was raised in the palace by the king, made crown prince, and later became King Ly Than Tong.

Therefore, the Vuon No Temple relic in Ngoc Phuc Village was built to worship the deity Tu Dao Hanh, a deity with merit in many fields, especially medicine, agriculture, culture, and art. He taught people to cure diseases with southern herbs, helped them have more favorable harvests, and is regarded as the patriarch of cheo singing because he developed cheo art and trained the first professional artists.

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Story

012. Characteristics of the relic

Based on a number of valuable artifacts and the architectural style of the Tien Te and Hau Cung sections, the temple was built long ago. Vuon No Temple still preserves a number of objects such as a genealogy, a terracotta incense bowl, a dragon throne, etc., with artistic value from the Nguyen period. Based on the above documents and the accounts of village elders, formerly there was a mound with only a small structure on a large plot. In 2004, the commune allocated land to restore the temple as it is today, including walls and a gate. The temple is a place of worship for a deity with merit in many fields, especially medicine, agriculture, culture, and art.

023. Cultural and religious activities related to the relic

Since its establishment, Vuon No Temple has truly become a cultural center and a place for religious and spiritual activities of the local people. Especially during festivals and village holidays in general and temple festivals, it has attracted large numbers of people. This is an occasion for people to express gratitude and thereby strengthen community solidarity and cohesion.

Every year, on the 7th day of the 3rd lunar month, the local people hold a ceremony.

03* Preparations for opening the festival

Preparation for the ceremony is organized by the village authorities, including the Head of the Fatherland Front Committee, the village chief and deputy chief, the executive board of the elderly association, and the festival board.

Preparation work in the relic area is undertaken by the temple caretaker, such as bathing the memorial tablet, cleaning the altar, and sweeping inside and outside the relic area one or two days beforehand, with the executive board of the elderly association and elderly female devotees in the village assisting.

04* Moc Duc ceremony

The water used for the cleansing ceremony is clean Da River water mixed with herbal tea water for purification.

- The cloths used in the ceremony are new white cotton cloth bought by the executive board of the elderly association. After the ceremony, the water is poured on tree roots and the temple yard inside and outside the relic area.

05* Offerings

Offerings are bought and prepared by the executive board, including: one vegetarian offering with bananas, fruit, cakes and candy, water, and wine; one mixed offering with sticky rice, chicken, pig's head, and pig innards. The two offerings are placed at the main altar. In addition, there is an offering to wandering souls outdoors with white porridge, salt, cakes, and candy. This offering is made after the ceremony is completed.

During the ceremony, people voluntarily bring merit money and offerings (vegetarian offerings) to the place of worship, hoping for peace for everyone.

06* Ritual oration

A village elder with clear eyesight, a complete family, and neat, legible handwriting is chosen. The text is written at the temple. It follows the traditional wording, with pre-existing content kept from before, changing only the date such as day, month, and year. The content of the ritual text is to respectfully invite and report to the saints and deities, according to the genealogy, to attend the ceremony and enjoy the offerings; the descendants and villagers make offerings and pray for national prosperity and peace.

Today the ritual text is written in the national Romanized script on yellow paper. After writing, it is pasted onto a red-cloth-covered text stand in the central bay of the main worship area. When the text is brought out to be read, a person is assigned to carry it, moving from the inner shrine outward and placing it before the altar in the courtyard. The reader has a high, clear voice and chants in rhythm with the gongs and drums. After the ceremony, the ritual text is burned in the relic area, with a ceremony official responsible, and the ashes are scattered into the pond or lake.

* Ritual team: The ceremony team consists of 25 to 30 members: the chief officiant, ceremony officials, the master of ceremonies, and elders who beat the drums, gongs, and cymbals. The chief officiant wears a red robe, winged hat, and shoes. The other participating elders wear dark trousers, long tunics, and turbans. Before the men perform the ceremony on the morning of the 7th day of the 3rd lunar month each year, the ceremony lasts 3 hours in 3 rounds. Trai Temple and Vuon No Temple only hold ceremonies on the birth and death days of the tutelary god. They do not organize palanquin processions or folk games.

* Other commemorative days:

On the seasonal dates of the year such as the 1st and 15th of each lunar month and the lunar New Year holidays every year, the festival board and villagers all prepare offerings to petition the Zen master. Ceremonies are held to worship the Thuong Dien and Ha Dien.

4. General introduction to the scope, scale, and overall layout of the relic, the environmental landscape of the relic area; general assessment of the technical condition of the relic, clearly stating the degree of damage and deterioration of the relic and the status of violations of the relic (if any)

In ancient times, Vuon No Temple was built by former people as a small shrine with sturdy laterite walls and a roof of sturdy fish-scale tiles. Inside the shrine was an altar, and on the altar was a large stone incense bowl. The incense bowl had three legs like the legs of a bronze tripod. In recent years the shrine was moved but remained on the Vuon No land, and the people of Ngoc Phuc Village built it into the temple as it is today.

Vuon No Temple has a Dinh-character layout, including items such as: gate, front ceremony hall, rear shrine, and some other auxiliary works.

075. Detailed description

085.1. Gate

The gate is the first architectural item, built simply with a central path leading into the relic site. It has two square brick pillars with plain tops and square shafts; in the middle, a downward-curving section bears a pair of Chinese-character couplets. Connecting the two ornamental pillars to both sides is the front enclosing wall system of the relic. The wall is decorated with rural themes, including ripe rice fields, rivers, and surrounding mountains.

095.2. Front Ceremonial Hall

From the gate, passing through a courtyard paved with red square bricks 30x30 cm, one reaches the Front Ceremonial Hall. From the courtyard, three brick-paved steps lead up to the veranda. In the central bay in front of the veranda are two concrete columns imitating wood; on both gable sides is a brick wall system; the veranda is wide and airy. In front of the courtyard is a stone incense table with an incense burner.

The Front Ceremonial Hall consists of three bays in the style of a gable wall with closed ends, shoulder arms, and ornamental pillars, roofed with traditional tiles. The ridge is entirely covered with tile, with two ends having decorative finials; the ridge line extends downward in stepped tiers. Connecting to the two shoulder arms are two low walls, decorated with floral and ornamental motifs.

The two ornamental pillars on either side are square; on top of each pillar a pair of nghê are depicted facing each other, with pieces of blue ceramic attached to the nghê bodies. Below, the lantern niche is made in a blank arched style; the square pillar shaft has no couplet decoration.

Passing through the folding door threshold leads inside; the folding door system is made of wood, planed smooth and tightly joined for durability; the upper part of the door has vertical bars and turned balusters, creating openness for the relic; the door leaves are not decorated with patterns.

Inside, the floor is paved with red square bricks and comprises four wooden roof-truss sets: the two trusses of the central bay are uniformly made in the 'upper giá chiêng, lower kẻ ngồi, bẩy hiên' style. On the trusses, planed smooth and tightly joined for durability, floral and ornamental motifs are carved. The two trusses of the gable bays are made in the 'upper cốn, lower cốn, bẩy hiên' style. On the upper cốn panels of the trusses are decorations of a double dragon flanking the moon; the lower part is carved with scroll patterns. On the cốn panels are decorations of fire-breathing dragons and various other ornamental motifs.

In the Front Ceremonial Hall, worship objects are arranged as follows: on the beam hangs a bronze bell along with a horizontal inscription board hung in the central bay, and flat couplets hang on both side walls ...

5.3. Rear Sanctuary:

Connecting from the central bay of the Front Ceremonial Hall is the Rear Sanctuary, consisting of one longitudinal bay built in the style of a gable wall with closed ends, roofed with traditional tiles; the rear gable end has decorative finials; the floor is paved with red square bricks.

The trusses are made in the 'vì kèo, hạ kẻ' style, resting on the two ends of the wall. Components such as kèo, kẻ, hoành, and rui are planed smooth and tightly joined for durability, without ornamental carving.

In the Rear Sanctuary, worship objects are arranged as follows:

The Rear Sanctuary is small and narrow, so a main altar is arranged in the center, including: 01 incense table, lacquered and gilded, with a flat top; the four corners are carved higher than the incense table surface, and the four corners bear symbols of coiling dragons. Below, it is divided into three small rectangular panels; the two side panels show two dragons facing the sun in the central panel. Continuing down the middle of the front face of the incense table are two long rectangular panels and three square panels carved with flowers and leaves. At the very bottom is the image of double dragons flanking the moon. Here the artisans have carved the motifs very exquisitely.

On the incense table, a pair of incense tubes is placed at the two front square corners; the incense tubes are made of wood, with wide flared mouths and slender lower parts carved with simple patterns. Connecting the body to the base is a bottle-neck constriction; the round base makes the incense tubes stable. In the center of the incense table is a ceramic incense bowl with enamel color, round mouth 21 cm in diameter, 19 cm high; the body is decorated with dragons flanking the sun; from body to base it is constricted like a bottle neck, with a solid white round base; on both sides is a large set of water vessels comprising 2 stands, painted red, with lids, decorated with patterns around them; a pair of wooden lamp stands, painted red, made in turned-baluster style, with a wide canopy in the middle and round bases; behind the incense bowl is a round tray, painted brown, flat-topped, with a small round base, used to place worship objects on; next is a niche, lacquered and gilded, with the theme of double dragons flanking the moon above, and below in the form of swinging curved wings, carved with floral and ornamental motifs. Inside the niche is a bronze incense bowl, yellow, round mouth 17 cm in diameter, the middle decorated with double dragons flanking the moon, with a solid three-legged base; 18 cm high; a bronze ding made of yellow bronze, with a lid, the lid is decorated with a nghê, the lower part decorated with dragon images and ornamental motifs, with two dragon-shaped handles on both sides, exquisitely carved and detailed. On both sides are two dragons; below the base are three legs in the kneeling-fish style. Next is a Thổ Hà ceramic incense bowl with a brownish-red color, cylindrical in shape, with finely incised and relief patterns such as: dragon flanking the sun, four sacred animals (dragon, unicorn, turtle, phoenix), the character 'longevity', lotus, clouds, bodhi leaves, T-shaped fretwork, apricot blossom transforming into phoenix, dragon. The incense bowl is attached firmly to the altar, creating solidity and solemnity. The long throne and spirit tablet are placed at the innermost part of the altar, lacquered and gilded; in the center is the spirit tablet, and the two arms of the throne are two dragon heads. The long throne is a sacred worship object, including the long throne (a seat symbolizing the seat of ancestors and deities) and the spirit tablet (a tablet recording information about the deceased, used in place of a worship photograph); the long throne is exquisitely carved in wood, and the spirit tablet is also made of wood to express reverence and preserve the presence of the deceased.

106. Values of Vườn Nở Shrine

Vườn Nở Shrine is a historical and cultural relic located in a land with a rich history and traditions of patriotism and revolution. This place has become a center for the village's cultural and spiritual activities, educating generations living today in the spirit of love for the homeland. Over time, the relic has gathered profound historical, cultural, scientific, and aesthetic values, bearing the characteristics of the ancient and present Đoài region.

This place has become a center for the cultural and spiritual activities of the people of Đồng Bụt village, educating generations living today in the spirit of love for the homeland. The relic always gathers and radiates the authentic values of the nation, contributing to preserving traditional cultural values and protecting fine customs and traditions in the spirit of Central Resolution 05 (Term VIII) and the Conclusion of the 10th Central Conference (Term IX) on building and continuing to build and develop an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national cultural identity.

116.1. Historical value of the relic

Vườn Nở Shrine was founded in a land with a long history and longstanding cultural tradition. The land lies in the Red River Delta region, so the people here have a high level of spiritual and cultural life and strong community cohesion.

The presence of the shrine is closely tied to the village community and has become a source of pride, a symbol of the community. From a spiritual perspective, the shrine and the deity worshipped there always protect the village community.

Set in such a geo-cultural space, the presence of Vườn Nở Shrine at its current location serves as a historical testimony, marking the formation and development of a homeland rich in revolutionary tradition in the past, present, and future, contributing to promoting the cause of building an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national cultural identity in the spirit of Central Resolution 05, Term VIII, and the Conclusion of the 10th Central Conference, Term IV, on building and continuing to build and develop an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national cultural identity.

126.2. Cultural and scientific value of the relic

Vườn Nở Shrine is reflected through religious practices tied to the deity worshipped, and it is also connected with other relics in Ngọc Phúc village. Vườn Nở Shrine worships Từ Đạo Hạnh, a deity credited in many fields, especially medicine, agriculture, culture, and art. He taught the people to cure illnesses with herbal medicine, helped them have more favorable harvests, and is considered the founder of chèo singing because he developed chèo art and trained the first professional artists, showing that the religious consciousness of the people here is very strong.

That consciousness has been preserved and transmitted through many generations to form the common cultural spirit of the Vietnamese people, contributing to the cultural depth and religious life of this land. Spiritual and cultural activities have partly reflected the cohesion of the village community here. Through rituals during festivals and religious-cultural activities at the relic, these are occasions to bind the village community, preserve and inherit the village's cultural identity tradition, and contribute to preserving and passing on cultural values to younger generations.

136.3. Aesthetic value of the relic

The aesthetic value of the relic is an intrinsic value, encompassing aspects such as technical-aesthetic value, value in plastic arts, and thinking in the arrangement of artifacts... The presence of Vườn Nở Shrine has to some extent gathered such similarities. The architecture of Vườn Nở Shrine, its traditional materials, the arrangement of artifacts, and the spatial landscape... are contained in this relic, creating a relic of traditional character.

Although Vườn Nở Shrine has been restored in this land, the local authorities and people built a shrine with the current architectural style in recent years. The shrine still preserves a number of valuable artifacts and worship objects such as Thổ Hà ceramic incense bowls and a pair of couplets..., and the artifacts and objects are decorated and carved with exquisite patterns.

Vuon No Temple

Introduction

More Other places

Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)

Story

012. Characteristics of the relic

023. Cultural and religious activities related to the relic

03* Preparations for opening the festival

04* Moc Duc ceremony

05* Offerings

06* Ritual oration

075. Detailed description

085.1. Gate

095.2. Front Ceremonial Hall

106. Values of Vườn Nở Shrine

116.1. Historical value of the relic

126.2. Cultural and scientific value of the relic

136.3. Aesthetic value of the relic

Hai Giac Pagoda

Phuong Bang Pagoda (Hung Long)

Sung An Pagoda, also known as Sung Khang Pagoda (Dong Ba Pagoda)

Introduction

More Other places

Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)

Story

01|2. Characteristics of the relic

02|3. Cultural and religious activities related to the relic

03|* Preparations for opening the festival

04|* Moc Duc ceremony

05|* Offerings

06|* Ritual oration

07|5. Detailed description

08|5.1. Gate

09|5.2. Front Ceremonial Hall

10|6. Values of Vườn Nở Shrine

11|6.1. Historical value of the relic

12|6.2. Cultural and scientific value of the relic

13|6.3. Aesthetic value of the relic

Hai Giac Pagoda

Phuong Bang Pagoda (Hung Long)

Sung An Pagoda, also known as Sung Khang Pagoda (Dong Ba Pagoda)

012. Characteristics of the relic

023. Cultural and religious activities related to the relic

03* Preparations for opening the festival

04* Moc Duc ceremony

05* Offerings

06* Ritual oration

075. Detailed description

085.1. Gate

095.2. Front Ceremonial Hall

106. Values of Vườn Nở Shrine

116.1. Historical value of the relic

126.2. Cultural and scientific value of the relic

136.3. Aesthetic value of the relic