Quan Thanh Temple is also known as Tran Vu Quan, Tran Bac – one of the ancient Thang Long Tu Tran. This sacred temple worships Huyen Thien Tran Vu – the Northern god who many times helped Vietnam fight off invaders. After more than 10 centuries with changes in the times, Quan Thanh Temple still retains the ancient beauty of a sacred temple and historical imprints. Until now, the temple is one of the attractive destinations of the capital. The following article A brief introduction to Quan Thanh Temple in Hanoi will give you a broader view of one of the four towns of ancient Thang Long.
Quan Thanh Temple is now located on Thanh Nien Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
The temple is located at the intersection between Thanh Nien and Quan Thanh streets, close to the North Gate of Hanoi and right next to West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda. Therefore, if you visit Quan Thanh Temple , you will have the opportunity to admire more nearby.
It is not known exactly when Quan Thanh temple was built. However, according to many documents, the temple was built by King Ly Thai To in 1010. Ancient legends say that King Ly Cong Uan (Ly Thai To) after moving the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long went to Sai mountain to bridge Huyen Thien. and gave birth to a prince.
Since then, the King ordered to build Tran Vu temple (the old name of Quan Thanh temple) to bring Huyen Thien descendant to worship.
Quan Thanh Temple became the Bac Tran of the ancient land and together with Bach Ma Temple, Voi Phuc Temple and Kim Lien Temple, formed the Four Towns of Thang Long Citadel.
Through many dynasties as well as many events of the country, the temple has also been repaired and changed more or less. However, to this day, the temple is still considered as one of the sacred temples with historical imprints of old Hanoi.
Quan Thanh Temple through old paintings
Architectural beauty of Quan Thanh Temple
The temple has gone through 10 centuries with many ups and downs in history. Therefore, the architecture of the temple is no longer the same as before. However, the temple is one of the beautiful tourist attractions in Hanoi with impressive architecture.
In the early period, the temple was built Quan Thanh temple was built in the Buddhist style with the influences of Confucian and Taoist architecture (in the Ly dynasty Buddhism was the most influential religion, but besides that, there Confucianism and Taoism).
However, over time, many times the temple architecture has undergone many changes. The remaining architectural features of Quan Thanh Temple today bear many characteristics of the architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The space of Quan Thanh temple is divided into several layers. This is a fairly common layout in feudal spaces – influenced by Buddhist architecture and Eastern architecture in general. Behind the three gates is the temple yard and three layers of houses, including the emperor, the middle emperor, and the harem.
The whole space is well decorated with many unique and sophisticated details such as statues, mascot carvings, patterns… The wooden details in the temple space are also quite impressive with very fine carved lines. economic.
The most impressive in the architecture of Quan Thanh temple is the black bronze statue of Huyen Thien Tran Vu. History records that this statue was built during the reign of King Le Hy Tong. Tran Vu statue is a sophisticated work of art of the ancient Vietnamese.
Next to it is a bronze bell on the attic of the temple, which is 1.5 meters high and weighs 1 ton. The bell of Tran Vu temple has long been associated with the lives of the people of Thang Long – Ke Cho. Ancient poetry also recorded the sound of temple bells as something sacred and lyrical:
“The wind brings the bamboo branch to the la da”
The sound of Tran Vu bells with Tho Xuong chicken soupβ
In addition, a special feature in the architecture of Quan Thanh temple is the floating statue of the Indian deity – Rahu on the three-door gate. However, many temples in ancient Hanoi have this vestige. This may be the interference of culture – religion – beliefs of Vietnam at that time.
Ancient architecture of Quan Thanh temple
According to the sharing, Quan Thanh Temple today is still a sacred cultural and spiritual activity spot of Hanoians. Many people come to Quan Thanh Temple as a peaceful place in their souls. Besides, travelers from far away also come to the temple to pray for good things for lifeβ¦
Source: Collected internet.