Unique architecture and sculpture of the ancient temple "upper temple, lower tomb"

According to existing documents, the temple was built in the early 16th century to worship Vinh Phuc Ba Le Duc Tuy - a mandarin who had the merit of "protecting the country and bringing peace to the people" under the Later Le Dynasty, a mandarin who devoted himself to the people and the country, and was awarded the title "Duc Bao Trung Hung, Linh Phu Ton Than" by King Le Thanh Tong. The temple consists of a three-door gate, lower, middle, and upper halls... located next to the Ta Lam dike, reflecting on the majestic and ancient Lotus pond. Photo: Huy Thu

The three-entrance gate of Le Duc Tuy temple is quite massive. The main gate is bordered by two tall pillars decorated with reliefs, parallel sentences, and statues of lions... On both sides of the pillars are two curved chicken wings decorated with horses, generals, and two side gates with overlapping roofs and many curved roofs. Photo: Huy Thu

The ancient, vivid beauty of the reliefs on both sides of the gate of Le Duc Tuy temple. Photo: Huy Thu

On the large and small pillars of the three-entrance gate, there are sculptures of chimeras sitting with their legs together facing the middle of the gate. The images of the chimeras holding their heads high are both majestic and solemn, and also have a simple and familiar beauty. Photo: Huy Thu

The lower hall of the temple is a 3-room, 2-wing house, designed in the traditional "stacked beams and beams" style. The wooden frame of the lower hall is elaborately carved and sculpted, creating unique works of art. Photo: Huy Thu

On the rafters, especially the middle rafters, wooden structures such as beams, braces, pillars... are all carved and engraved with vivid images of flowers, leaves, and stylized tiger faces. Photo: Huy Thu

The joints between the outer columns and the lower house are also decorated with sharp phoenix images. Especially the image of a phoenix flying on the lower house with its head turned outward, its wings spread wide showing off its feathers, which are sculpted in a soft and delicate way. Photo: Huy Thu

On the eaves of the lower palace are vivid two-sided sculptures of traditional themes such as "four sacred animals", "four seasons"... Photo: Huy Thu

The two main halls and the upper hall of Le Duc Tuy temple were built in the style of "upper temple, lower tomb". There are 4 tombs in the two halls (1 in the central hall, 3 in the upper hall), with an altar above. Photo: Huy Thu

The temple still preserves many rare ancient artifacts such as: genealogy, wooden parallel sentences, large characters, signboards, eight treasures, dragon palanquin... In 2003, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee ranked the Le Duc Tuy Temple and Tomb as a Provincial Historical Relic. In December 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism upgraded this temple to a National Historical Relic. Photo: Huy Thu