Ancient architecture is still preserved at spiritual destinations in Cua Lo.
(Baonghean.vn) - Besides its blue sea, white sand, and golden sunshine, Cua Lo also boasts cultural and spiritual tourist destinations with historical stories and ancient cultural and architectural features that are being preserved.
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| Van Loc Temple is a place of worship dedicated to Thái úy Quận công Nguyễn Sư Hồi (1444-1506) - the eldest son of Thái sư Cương quốc công Nguyễn Xí and the person who contributed to attracting people to settle and establish the village of Van Loc. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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The temple is built in three sections in the shape of the Chinese character "三" (three), each with three bays, tiled roofs, and a ridge adorned with two dragons flanking the sun. The central hall was built earliest, during the Le Dynasty. After several renovations, this temple overlooking the Cam River is now quite imposing, preserving on its beams, rafters, and religious artifacts the distinctive carving art of the coastal regions from the Le and Nguyen Dynasties. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| With its ancient architecture and grand scale, having withstood countless historical events, the temple still retains many architectural values and preserves many precious artifacts. The horizontal plaque "Hong An Dai Vuong" (Great King's Grace) in front of the main hall commemorates the merits of Grand Marshal and Duke Nguyen Su Hoi towards the people of Van Loc village. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| The Lang Hieu Temple, built during the Le Dynasty, is a place where the coastal residents of Cua Hoi choose to worship deities such as Cao Son, Cao Cac, Duc Thanh Mau, and Sat Hai Dai Vuong Hoang Ta Thon. Notably, it also worships the whale, considered the god of the local fishermen. (Photo: Thanh Cuong) |
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| To the right of the Lang Hieu temple lies a burial ground containing the remains of 85 whales. Each tomb is associated with a story about fishermen who encountered the whale carcass at sea and brought it back to the temple for burial and offerings. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| According to the elders in the village, Mai Bang Temple was built in 1780, initially as a single thatched-roof structure. During the Nguyen dynasty, Mai Bang Temple was renovated on a large scale, comprising an upper, middle, and lower hall, with a floor plan in the shape of the Chinese character "三" (three), covering an area of approximately 2,500 square meters.2The temple is filled with many ritual objects and is carefully guarded. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| Before each fishing trip, local fishermen respectfully pray to the gods at Mai Bang Temple, hoping they will bless their boats with safe journeys and abundant catches of shrimp and fish. (Photo: Thanh Cuong) |
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| In 2015, the temple was classified as a National Historical Monument by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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Besides Van Loc Temple, Mai Bang Temple, and Lang Hieu Temple, Cua Lo also has many other classified historical sites. Mr. Vo Van Tho, Head of the Town's Culture Department, said that Cua Lo currently has more than 30 historical and cultural sites that have been demarcated, including 11 classified sites. All of them are spiritual destinations chosen by locals and tourists when visiting Cua Lo. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
