Admire the ancient temple in the famous carpentry village of Ha Tinh

Thai Yen Temple was built in the 18th century in Thai Yen carpentry village (Thanh Binh Thinh commune, Duc Tho) to worship the Thanh Hoang, the spirit Tam Lang (Snake God) and the twin girls Ngoc Nu.

The temple grounds are nearly 5,000 ^{square meters} wide, structured in a three-story style: upper hall, middle hall, and lower hall. The temple's architecture bears the mark of the talented, skillful hands of many generations in the famous Thai Yen carpentry village.

From the main gate is the main gate with a structure of 2 trusses, 6 columns, the roof is decorated with 4 winding dragons, their heads raised high on the roof top.

Through the main gate is the lower hall made of ironwood with 4 rafters, 14 columns, and a floor paved with red bricks.

The lower hall has large Chinese characters embossed with porcelain pieces on wood, which are attached to the rafters. In the middle room is a large incense table made of gilded wood, elaborately carved, with two large cranes standing on turtle bodies on either side. In the two corners of the lower hall are two stands for dragon swords and two bronze bells.

The central hall is adjacent to and parallel to the lower hall, consisting of 3 rooms and 2 wings. Inside are placed many sacrificial objects such as incense tables, incense burners, candlesticks, wooden vases, and especially 3 massive, elaborately carved, gilded palanquins.

At the back is the upper shrine. In the main shrine, above is the throne and the tablet of the village's tutelary god. Below is the altar with two rows of carved, gilded tablets donated by many generations of villagers...

Outside the corridor of the upper hall, there are two round statues made of jackfruit wood kneeling, arms crossed in front of their chests holding incense pots, in a folk style.

Thai Yen Temple clearly bears the characteristics of traditional temple and communal house architecture, from the spatial layout to the interior decoration. The most unique and valuable feature of the temple is the art of sculpture using openwork and flat carving techniques.

The motifs on the reliefs, palanquins, incense tables, incense burners, tablets, and the carvings on the beams, the ends of the beams, the stones, the boards... are all carved tightly but not confusingly, the lines are strong but not rough, free but not easy, fluttering but not elaborate. With many historical and cultural values, in 1994 Thai Yen Temple was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic.

In front of the temple is a crescent-shaped lake with clear blue water about 15 square ^meters wide.

Mr. Pham Van Minh - Keeper of Thai Yen Temple said: "Every 15th and 30th of the lunar month, people in the area come to the temple to burn incense and pray for luck and fortune. After hundreds of years, some items of the temple have deteriorated, the people have donated money to repair them but still keep the ancient architecture intact."

Every year, from the 7th to the 15th of the first lunar month, Thai Yen Temple organizes cultural and sports festivals such as tug of war, football matches, volleyball, table tennis, chess, art competitions... attracting a large number of people to participate.

Video: Admire the ancient Thai Yen temple.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/chiem-nguong-ngoi-den-co-o-lang-moc-noi-tieng-cua-ha-tinh-post285685.html