Temple of the Doctors of the Nguyễn Trí Clan

TEMPLE OF THE DOCTORS OF THE NGUYỄN TRÍ CLAN

The Temple of the Doctors of the Nguyễn Trí Clan is located in Đồng Village, Sơn Đồng Commune, Hà Nội.

The Nguyễn Trí clan is famous in feudal history for two Doctors of the Lê dynasty, Nguyễn Trí Cung and Nguyễn Trí Vị. Doctor Nguyễn Trí Cung (1678–1746) passed the highest imperial examination at the age of 26 and once held the post of Supervising Censor; he was renowned for his integrity, always upheld the idea of “taking the people as the root,” and contributed to building the Đan Phượng Temple of Literature. Doctor Nguyễn Trí Vị (1670–1756) passed the examination in 1712 and once held the post of Rector of the Imperial Academy; he was an exemplary educator and the author of an epitaph praising the nurturing of talent.

The clan temple was first built in the Lê period and underwent major restoration in 2004; it features traditional “Nhị” architecture. The complex includes a two-story, eight-roofed gate, a three-bay Front Hall, and a Rear Hall with three main altars. The relic currently preserves many valuable artifacts from the Lê and Nguyễn periods, such as altar shrines, altar beds, incense tables, arched doorways, and finely carved scrolls.

Every year, the clan holds the Ancestor Commemoration on the 16th day of the 12th lunar month, the 24th day of the 4th lunar month, and the 29th day of the 6th lunar month, along with traditional festivals and holidays. The rituals are conducted solemnly with ceremonies of offering incense and wine, recitation of eulogies, and burning of memorial petitions. The temple is not only a place to remember ancestors but also a cultural activity center, helping to educate people in the tradition of studiousness and to connect generations of descendants.

The relic was ranked by the Hà Nội City People's Committee as a historical-cultural relic in the form of a commemorative site for a notable person in 2010.