Plan to restore and protect 200-year-old temple in Tuong Son soon

Phu Son Temple in Tuong Son Commune (Ha Tinh City) was built around the end of the 18th century. It is an architectural work of art associated with many intangible cultural values ​​of the rice farming community.

Located in a “beautiful landscape”, in front is Rao Cai River (Hoang Ha), behind is Tuong Son Mountain, Phu Son Temple worships the gods Tam Lang and Than Nong, Thanh Mau, who are gods associated with the beliefs of Vietnamese rice farmers since ancient times. (In the photo: Phu Son Temple before being covered with corrugated iron).

Over hundreds of years, the Phu Son Temple has been eroded and cracked. Walls and pillars have rotted and are in danger of collapsing at any moment.

"After a period of struggling with weather and natural disasters, the temple's ancestral house, main hall and main gate were all damaged, cracked and covered with moss and mold. The elaborate carvings and sculptures were completely corroded. Many layers of bricks and mortar in the main hall were broken, sunk and gouged deep inside," said Mr. Bui Kim Tinh - Phu Son temple's security guard.

Facing the risk of collapse due to the temple's deterioration, in 2022, the local government coordinated with a philanthropist to build a corrugated iron roof to cover the temple's items and build a system of surrounding miniature landscapes. On January 13, 2023, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province decided to recognize Phu Son temple as a provincial-level architectural and artistic relic.

The purpose of the surrounding corrugated iron is to protect the ancient temple, preventing the relic from becoming a ruin. However, this is only a temporary solution. In the long run, it will destroy the solemnity and beauty of the hundreds of years old temple.

After being "covered" with corrugated iron, the altar system for offering incense to the gods at the temple was restored to serve the spiritual beliefs of local people.

According to locals, without the corrugated iron covering, after just a few heavy rains, the temple would only be left with traces.

Mr. Duong Kim Huy - Chairman of Tuong Son Commune People's Committee said: "The method of building a corrugated iron roof to cover the temple is only a temporary solution to protect the relic from the impact of the weather. The local government has met and submitted a report to the superiors and cultural heritage protection agencies to find funding sources to support the restoration, reconstruction and conservation of this architectural relic cluster".

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/som-co-phuong-an-ton-tao-bao-ve-ngoi-den-co-200-nam-tuoi-o-tuong-son-post284572.html