Lanh Giang Temple: imbued with the majestic spirit of extraordinary individuals in Ha Nam

The Sino-Vietnamese name of temple is “Lảnh Giang linh từ” (the Sacred Lanh Giang). It also has folk names: “Lanh Giang Temple”, “Lanh Temple”, and “the Temple of the Third Venerable Mandarin”. This ancient sacred temple is on a vast ground adorned with a verdant canopy, harmonizing with the lotus ponds and the river wharf by the right bank of the all-year-round bountiful Red River. It is located in Yen Lac Village, Moc Nam Commune, Duy Tien Town, Ha Nam Province. Hagiography has it that Lanh Giang Temple worships the Three Water Gods during the reign of the 18th Hung King (King Hung Due Vuong) and the couple of Princess Tien Dung – Chu Dong Tu…

Undergoing numerous renovations and embellishments, the temple architecture presently comprises the Lake, the Main Gate, and the Main Temple. The lake is adorned with red water lilies and has a “Phương du” (water pavilion) at the center. The pavilion features a three-compartment and double-deck architectural design, having eight roofs and two bridges on both sides spanning the lake. The Main Gate is a double-deck structure featuring eight double-eaved roofs. Its upturned eaves are embossed with stylized dragon head, sun head, and foliage patterns. The Main Temple is laid out in the shape of the character “工”. It consists of three buildings with fourteen compartments of different sizes and with reception and altar halls on both sides, all surrounded by brick walls. The most outstanding building is the Central Hall – a double-deck structure featuring eight upturned double-eaved roofs.

Lanh Giang Temple not only features an original architecture but also houses a collection of valuable worship items and artifacts made of bronze, wood, and paper, including statues, a bell, a dragon edicula, a hagiography, records of ordination, eight-carrier palanquins, altar tables, horizontal lacquered boards with printed antithetical couplets, and an incense altar among others.

During the patriotic war, Lanh Temple acted as the hub for revolutionary activities in Moc Nam Commune. As early as in 1931, the hammer and sickle flag hung by Nguyen Huu Tien, a resident of Lung Xuyen Village (who later created the national flag of Vietnam), on the banyan tree of the Yen Lac communal house motivated his countrymen to fight for liberation. From then on, countless bright men and women from the area chose to devote their lives to the revolutionary cause of the nation. In July 1945, local people gathered in the temple yard and were briefed on an uprising. On 20 August 1945, thousands of armed patriots mustered in the yard of Lanh Giang Temple with the national flag held high and marched towards different districts in an effort to unseat the incumbent government. On 24 August 1945, also in the yard of Lanh Giang Temple, the locals celebrated the establishment of the revolutionary government of Ha Nam Province.

Lanh Giang Temple hosts two festivals in the annual Sixth and Eighth lunisolar months. In addition to rituals, water processions, and palanquin processions, there are many other exciting events, including cockfighting, stick fighting, human chess, card games (tổ tôm điếm), lion dances, competitions of rice cooking in bamboo baskets, and battle re-enactments.

Given its unique traditional, historical and cultural values, social significance, people centricity, and profound impact on local spiritual practices, on 5 November, 1996, Lanh Giang Temple was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as a National Historical and Cultural Relic. The performance of Chau Van singing in Lanh Giang Temple as well as Vietnam was recognized as a National Non-tangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Lanh Giang Temple is among the religious sites where the Mother Goddesses of the Three Palaces are worshiped – a practice inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 01 December 2016. Most recently, in June 2017, Lanh Giang Temple Festival was named the National Non-tangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.