Do Huu Clan Temple

The Đỗ Hữu family shrine is in Giữa hamlet, Ngọc Than village, and was begun in 1925 and completed in 1928. On the upper beam of the central compartment of the Hậu cung, a line of dates is carved in Hán characters:Hoàng triều Bảo Đại tuế thứ Mậu Thìn… (faded characters) (1928).

Since its construction, the shrine has been repaired many times, but only in the nature of patching small damaged areas, such as replacing the roof-supporting frame (purlin, rafter) and the tile roof system. The wooden architectural components have still preserved their original elements.

- Landscape space:

The Đỗ Hữu family shrine is located in the middle of the village, in Giữa hamlet, facing east, on a plot of 2 Northern Vietnamese sào. In front was originally a channel flowing from Sài Sơn mountain down to the Tích River; the channel never dried up. Members of the Đỗ lineage chose the land position where the channel flowed through, a place of water confluence, for their descendants to be illustrious. However, due to the changing course and socio-economic development, the channel is now only a rectangular pond 6 thước wide, with a newly built white stone bank of imposing scale. Surrounding the Đỗ Hữu family shrine is a densely populated residential area.

- Overall layout:

The Đỗ Hữu family shrine is a closed complex: from the pond bank inward, the front is a low wall; on both sides are two bell and drum towers symmetrically placed; behind/connected to the bell and drum towers are the Tả vu and Hữu vu. After a large courtyard is the Tiền tế, with a two-story, eight-roof architecture. Behind the Tiền tế is the Hậu cung. The two buildings lie parallel to each other, forming an overall plan in the shape of the character Nhị, with unique architecture; it is a large shrine and still retains many original elements in Ngọc Than.

The gate of the Đỗ Hữu family shrine is quite narrow, built of brick and covered with mortar; it has two tiers, the upper tier is coated with cement mortar and covered with imitation tiles. On the gable wall—the space between the two front roof tiers—raised Hán characters are molded: “Đỗ thị tộc”. On both sides of the gate is a surrounding wall made of laterite and broken brick to separate it from the village lane and protect the worship space.

The bell tower (left) and drum tower (right) are symmetrical across the shrine courtyard; each has two square-sectioned ornamental pillars, both 6 m high, with a nghê squatting on top of each pillar, and all four sides of the pillar bodies have couplets in raised Hán characters. The architecture of the two bell and drum towers is similar, built of brick and mortar, with two stories: the first story is used as a storehouse, and the second story is used to hang the bell and drum. The second-story structure is wooden, with a roof-frame structure of the chồng rường type; the rường beams stack on each other through đấu kê blocks, and the quá giang rests on the surrounding wall. The second-story roof system is of the one-story, four-roof type, covered with di tiles, and the corner đao are decorated with reliefs of lá lật.

Connecting the rear of the bell tower and drum tower are the two buildings Tả - Hữu vu. Each building has 5 compartments, of which the three outer compartments are left open as a meeting place, while the three inner compartments are for descendants from afar to rest when they return for the death anniversary and to visit the homeland, so they are enclosed with walls, with windows and an entrance opened in the front wall.

The floor of the Tả - Hữu vu is 20 cm higher than the courtyard floor and paved with Bát bricks; the structure is of the vì kèo type, with two main kèo joined by mortise at the top in a yin-yang manner to support the upper beam and connect with the quá giang. The quá giang rests on the surrounding wall; in the middle of the quá giang is a hidden post connected to a horizontal lever to support the kèo. All components have rectangular cross-sections and are smoothly planed and fitted tightly. The roof system consists of one story and two roofs, covered with di tiles. The surrounding enclosure is of the bít đốc gable-wall type, with the front left open.

The Tiền tế has 1 compartment and 2 chái, of large scale. The Tiền tế has an open architecture, left airy, and is the place for ceremonies and meetings of the people whenever there is a death anniversary. Therefore, the Tiền tế is not furnished with much interior; only a set of chấp kích is placed along both sides of the rear main columns and military columns. Above the longitudinal beam of the main columns hang the horizontal plaques “Đỗ thị tổ miếu”; on the row of longitudinal beams of the military columns hangs the great inscription “Hộ quốc tý dân” (Đại Nam Bảo Đại 14 - 1939). On the rows of main columns and rear military columns, couplets in the artistic style of the Nguyễn period are hung.

The floor of the Tiền tế is 20 cm higher than the courtyard floor, paved with Bát Tràng bricks in a chữ Công pattern. The frame structure consists of 4 rows of columns, but the front row of main columns is hidden, creating hidden columns that bear load onto the quá giang. The columns have square cross-sections and rest on ancient lotus-shaped blue stone bases. The quá giang is mortised from the body of the rear main column to the front military column in order to widen the interior of the building. The roof frame is made in the chồng rường style, with two rường beams stacked through đấu kê; the rường beams in the two side trusses are continuous rường, while the rường beam in the central compartment is a truncated rường. The first-story side truss is made in the kẻ ngồi style. The eaves are supported by diagonal bẩy. On both gable sides, xà đùi are used, one end mortised from the row of main columns and one end resting on the surrounding wall. The gap of the chồng diêm between the first and second stories is filled with wooden boards. The architectural components in the roof truss and side truss emphasize durable technique, mainly planed with raised borders and little carved decoration. Decorative carving is concentrated mainly on the roof fringes, carved with oak-leaf patterns and con triện patterns combined with lá lật using raised and line carving techniques in the artistic style of the Nguyễn period.

The roof system is made in the two-story, eight-roof type; the roof-supporting frame consists of wooden roof purlins with square cross-sections and rectangular rafters, supporting two layers of tiles: lining tiles and roofing tiles made of di tiles. The corner đao are covered with mortar in leaf shapes; the two ends of the roof ridge are molded with con triện patterns in the artistic style of the early 20th century.

The Hậu cung is the building behind the Tiền tế, forming an overall plan in the shape of the character Nhị. It is a large-scale building and contains the most distinctive decorative carvings. The interior arrangement is divided into many different spatial layers; in the central compartment of the front porch is the communal altar, on both sides of the incense table are sets of chấp kích, and above the rear longitudinal beam there are also 3 horizontal plaques and many couplets such as: “Thiên tải lưu quang” (in the central compartment); “Danh thùy vũ trụ” (on the right); “Cần khôn hậu đức” (on the left); on the rows of columns hang couplets in the Nguyễn style. To maintain solemnity at the place of worship of the founding ancestors, it is separated from the outer porch by a system of wooden panel doors at the row of main columns, creating an interior space of the “inner family, outer guest” type. Adjacent to the gable wall of the central compartment is the worship place of the founding ancestors, including: Ngô Công Đạo, Đỗ Cảnh, Đỗ Thời Trung, Đỗ Công Phụ, Đỗ Phúc Cường; Đỗ Huy Khánh. This is the most solemn place, with a horizontal plaque bordered by motifs and four large characters “Minh Đức Vi Kính” (take bright virtue as a mirror); on both sides of the column are two couplets lacquered red and gilded with Hán characters, each line with 12 characters:

“The people’s livelihood and innate nature: Ngô Hải and Đan Điền have recorded deeds,

“Passed down through generations, branching into the Đỗ family at Ngọc Than to this very day.”

(meaning: During his lifetime, the founding ancestor Ngô Công Đạo, a native of Đan Điền commune, performed great meritorious service by establishing a Đỗ Hữu family branch at Ngọc Than and passing down a livelihood through generations).

The right compartment contains a stone stele listing successful examination candidates from the Mậu Thân examination (1608) onward, including the names of Đỗ Cảnh, a giám sinh; Đỗ Thời Trung, a giám sinh; Đỗ Công Phụ, a sỹ vọng; Đỗ Công Dụng, a cử nhân; and Đỗ Hữu Bình (also known as Văn Bình), a tú tài. The left compartment contains an altar with a stone stele recording the names of women awarded the title “Tiết hạnh khả phong” and several worship objects such as an incense bowl, a water stand, and a fruit tray.

The Hậu cung consists of three bays. Its floor is 10 cm higher than that of the Tiền tế and is paved with Bát mạch bricks in the chữ Công pattern. The frame structure includes four rows (two rows of main columns and two rows of auxiliary columns); the columns have rectangular cross-sections and rest on blue stone plinths in the cổ bồng style. To increase the stability of the wooden frame, the craftsmen used beams connecting the auxiliary columns of the Tiền tế to those of the Hậu cung.

The four roof trusses of the Hậu cung are made in the giá chiêng–cốn mê style, with a câu đầu mortised into the tops of the two main columns; above the câu đầu are two square trốn posts, and between the two trốn posts is a rường supporting a mê panel pierced in the middle. On either side of the trốn posts are two mê panels. On the two roof trusses of the central bay, motifs of the longevity character combined with leaves, phoenix-shaped leaves, and lotus flowers are carved using relief and line-carving techniques.

The four front side trusses of the Hậu cung are quite distinctive, all of the vì vỏ cua type, with a curved form; their upper parts are hollowed out to directly support the square-section roof purlins. The most remarkable feature of the Trung tế architecture is the carvings on the side trusses, with themes of con rơi symbolizing the five blessings, combined with longevity-character motifs, con triện patterns, and leaves using relief, line carving, and in some places openwork. The gaps between the overlapping rows on the side trusses and roof trusses were sealed with wooden boards, intended as hiding places for troops during the two resistance wars against the French and the Americans. The four rear side trusses are of two types: cốn mê and vì kèo. Among them, the two side trusses of the central bay are made in the cốn mê style, carved with con triện patterns combined with leaves and the four seasons (pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo, and apricot) using relief and line carving in the artistic style of the early 20th century.

The two gable ends are enclosed by brick walls covered with mortar; the front and rear are left open to connect with the Tiền tế and are separated from the Tiền tế by a system of wooden doors. Each door leaf is divided into two parts: the lower part is carved with the four seasons (pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo, and apricot), and the upper part has openwork carvings of con triện patterns in the artistic style of the early 20th century. The roof is of the one-tier, two-roof type and is covered with di tiles.

Ngọc Than is one of the villages of the former Ngọc Mỹ commune and the current Kiều Phú commune with a high number and density of religious and spiritual relics. In addition to the communal house and pagoda, there are many large clan temples such as those of the Đỗ Hữu, Đỗ Duy, Nguyễn Quý, Nguyễn Văn, and Bùi families. These religious and spiritual works have been recognized by the State as valuable historical relics. Located in a land with a long history and cultural depth, the Bùi clan temple contains representative historical and cultural values.

The Đỗ Hữu clan temple, like other clans in the village, worships the clan’s founding ancestors, who made contributions to the village, community, and country during feudal times. The worship of the founding ancestors expresses the reverence of clan members. The worship facility was built under King Bảo Đại, and its technical condition remains relatively good; only the decorative components are damaged, without affecting the load-bearing structure of the work.

Before and during the resistance wars against the French and the Americans, the Đỗ Hữu clan temple was in a remote location, so the Hậu cung served as a shelter and meeting place for local guerrillas. The Đỗ Hữu clan also contributed greatly to the revolutionary cause of the village and commune; several families with meritorious service to the revolution were awarded honorable gold plaques.

The Đỗ Hữu clan temple has a main plan in the shape of the character Nhị, including three main structures: the Tiền tế and Hậu cung, rebuilt during the Nguyễn dynasty, combined with auxiliary works (gate, bell tower, drum tower, and Tả-Hữu vu) built at the same time with a similar overall layout. This is evidence of the development of Ngọc Than village in general and the Đỗ Hữu clan temple in particular in the early 20th century. The temple is large in scale and has an open landscape, surrounded by prosperous villages, creating a harmonious and solemn architectural environment for the relic. The works are reasonably distributed and stand out above the village’s civil architecture. Since its founding, the temple has undergone many repairs but still retains many original values.

The decorative carvings on the architectural components of the temple are concentrated mainly in the Tiền tế and Hậu cung. This is a work that still preserves many original elements, especially decorative carvings with rich themes characteristic of early 20th-century artistic style. The components in the Hậu cung are densely carved on both sides, creating a vivid picture reflecting the prosperous life of the people of the time. The carved panels on the wooden architecture are expressed quite richly and diversely with various themes such as the four seasons (pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo, and apricot) and the con rơi image symbolizing the five blessings. Although the decorative carvings on the architecture still carry the artistic style of the Nguyễn dynasty, they are very rich in imagery, carving technique, and carving position; all of this creates a unique beauty for the Đỗ Hữu clan temple.

The temple still preserves many valuable relics such as stone steles, sắc phong, a system of đại tự, incense tables, worship thrones, and tablets. These relics are all beautifully decorated and carved and have artistic value from the Nguyễn dynasty.

By worshiping the founding ancestors who originally came from the Ngô family and later changed their surname to Đỗ Hữu, it shows that the origin of the Đỗ Hữu clan in Ngọc Than dates back quite early. From the past to the present, the Đỗ Hữu clan temple has been a sacred place where clan members reverently worship the founding ancestors and send wishes for health, prosperity, and happiness. The worship rituals, death anniversaries of the founding ancestors and people with meritorious service to the country, and many other cultural activities here all carry beautiful meanings.

The existence of the Đỗ Hữu clan along with other clans in the village has contributed to the history of the formation of Ngọc Than village. Research on the Đỗ Hữu clan and the formation of the temple needs to be studied more deeply, and measures should be taken to preserve and promote its values.