Phan Huy Chú Temple

The Phan Huy family temple is located in Thụy Khuê Village, Quốc Oai Commune, Hà Nội City, near the Thầy Pagoda Special National Heritage Site.

The Phan Huy family is a prestigious family with famous notable figures. In particular, the Phan Huy family has two major branches: one main branch in the Nghệ region, and the second branch developed in the Sài Sơn area, also known as the Phan Huy Sài Sơn family. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Tuấn Cường, Director of the Institute of Hán-Nôm Studies, said: “The Phan Huy Sài Sơn family originated from the Phan Huy family famous for academic and examination success in the Nghệ region. By the seventh generation, Mr. Phan Huy Cẩn, also known as Phan Huy Cận (1722–1789), decided to move to Thụy Khuê Commune, Yên Sơn District, Quốc Oai Prefecture, now Sài Sơn Commune, Quốc Oai District, Hà Nội. From then on, a branch of the Phan Huy family formed in Sài Sơn and continued to develop the heroic tradition of the Phan Huy family in the former Nghệ Tĩnh.”

Carrying forward the tradition of a prestigious and noble family, along with contributions to the country, the Phan Huy Sài Sơn family also left many marks through Hán-Nôm heritage at the Thầy Pagoda site, Quốc Oai, Hà Nội, such as: Phan Huy Ích composed the stele inscription “Ngũ Xã thôn Phúc Thần bi” at Ngũ Xã Shrine at the foot of Thầy Mountain, engraved in the 46th year of Cảnh Hưng (1785); he also made great contributions to restoring the bell cast by Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh during the Lý dynasty. This bell was cast through Phan Huy Ích’s patronage in the 5th year of Cảnh Thịnh, i.e. 1797. Besides Phan Huy Ích, many notable figures of the Phan Huy Sài Sơn family across generations contributed to restoring and enriching the Hán-Nôm heritage at Thầy Pagoda, such as Phan Huy Vịnh (1800–1870), who composed quite a few poems and prose about the Thầy Pagoda scenic site, including 7 Chinese-character poems engraved on the cliff at Bối Am Pagoda, Phật Tích Mountain, without titles, engraved in the 8th year of Tự Đức (1855). Another notable figure of the family, Phan Huy Quýnh (1775–1844), also composed an inscription engraved on the bronze khánh of Hoa Phát Pagoda titled “Hoa Phát tự khánh”. And there are many other Hán-Nôm traces involving the Phan Huy Sài Sơn family.

The Phan Huy family temple was built 200 years ago; after several periods of deterioration and restoration, its old traces no longer remain.

The house has a structure of three main bays and two auxiliary bays (each auxiliary bay at the end of the house is about more than one meter wide). The design is quite distinctive: the interior rises nearly one meter higher than the porch roof and is divided into five compartments, of which the central compartment bears four Chinese characters: “Phan Bình Chương Từ” (the temple of Phan Bình Chương, i.e. Phan Huy Cẩn, born in 1733 and died in 1800; he is regarded as the founding examination laureate ancestor of the Phan Huy family; he passed the Giải Nguyên examination in the Đinh Mão year, 1747, and the Hội Nguyên examination in the Giáp Tuất year, 1754; he served as an official up to Bình Chương Sự – Chancellor; later he retired and was again invited to serve as Tham Tụng, Director-General of the National History Office, Tả Thị Lang, and was granted the title Khuê Phong Marquis; he moved to live at the foot of Thầy Mountain and is regarded as the founding ancestor who established the Phan Huy family here). The porch roof descends from the façade wall to the two gable walls, and the trusses rest on four square brick columns for writing Chinese-character couplets. The roof and porch roof are covered with traditional Vietnamese tiles (shoe-nose shape). The temple façade faces a pond and the village road. In front of the veranda is a large courtyard paved with red square bricks. Inside, the central bay is the main hall; the two side bays and two auxiliary bays all have altars displaying thrones, ritual objects, and portraits of outstanding members of the Phan Huy family such as Minister Phan Huy Cẩn, Minister Phan Huy Vịnh, Minister Phan Huy Thực, Minister Phan Huy Ích… along with royal edicts and certificates recognizing the cultural-historical relic… The space of the Phan Huy Chú Temple relic site and the Phan Huy family ancestral hall is airy, solemn, and tranquil, fragrant with incense.