Trung Can Temple

Trung Can communal house was started in the spring of 1781 and inaugurated in the summer of 1782. It is now located in Hamlet 8, Nam Trung commune, Nam Dan district. The structure of the communal house consists of two buildings: the main hall and the sanctuary, built on a garden area of ​​1,750 m2 entirely of ironwood.

Trung Can communal house is considered one of the communal houses with rich sculptural artistic value, from decorative themes to interior design, roof ridges, and eaves. Regarding the interior, on the gong stand, the horizontal beams are sculpted into the face of a tiger with complete eyes, nose, mouth, and hands.

The phoenix is ​​carved in a graceful pose with its wings spread wide, soaring forward. The image of a mother dragon and her offspring intertwined is also depicted. On the 24 beams are 24 bas-reliefs, 14 of which depict Chinese historical events such as Emperor Shun planting rice, Emperor Yao abdicating the throne, recruiting talented people, and returning home in glory... or scenes of daily life and entertainment such as playing chess, drinking wine, archery, building houses, and sailing on the river... Ten bas-reliefs depict the four mythical creatures, the four auspicious symbols, and the three friends. Regarding the house's decoration, the ridges of the four roofs are covered with yin-yang tiles, with the two ends of the ridge featuring two dragon figures. The four eaves and four corners of the roof are adorned with stylized dragon heads.

Trung Can communal house is a place of worship for the village's tutelary deity, dating back to the time of Doctor Tong Tat Thang. It also serves as a cultural center for the people. In the past, the communal house was a meeting place, a workplace, a tax collection point for local officials, and a reception center for high-ranking dignitaries visiting the villages of Nam Kim district.

Sixty meters south of the temple gate lies the tomb of General Tong Tat Thang - an intelligent and courageous man who passed the doctoral examination at the age of 18, served as Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and achieved many victories in fighting invaders and defending the country's borders during the late Le Dynasty.

Trung Can communal house and the tomb of Tong Tat Thang were recognized as National Historical and Cultural Monuments by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in 1996. Visiting Trung Can communal house, tourists will be able to admire one of the few remaining typical architectural and artistic works of Nam Dan district.

It is also an opportunity for tourists to visit a region with a strong tradition of scholarship and academic achievement, considered one of the best in the district. According to historical documents, out of the 25 people who passed the highest level of classical Chinese studies in the entire district during the feudal era, Nam Trung had 8, and out of the 122 people who passed the middle level of classical Chinese studies, Nam Trung had 21.

Thanh Hien