Unique sculptures of the hundreds of years old family church
(Baonghean.vn) - Nguyen Nhu family temple in Dai Dong commune (Thanh Chuong) is not only a historical relic, a sacred place of worship, but also a unique work of sculptural art.
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| The Nguyen Nhu family temple in Dai Dinh village, Dai Dong commune was built in the 17th century, and in the 19th century, its descendants rebuilt it with two worshiping halls and a sanctuary. After many restorations and embellishments, the temple still retains its original architecture. Currently, on the left of the temple, there is a memorial house for Vietnamese Heroic Mother Phan Thi Suu and martyr Nguyen Nhu Dan. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| What is special is that both the worship hall and the sanctuary, on the wooden frame, are elaborately carved and sculpted. The worship hall has 3 compartments made of ironwood and rosewood, designed in the style of "gong rack and chain". The relatively large wooden structures are trimmed with bamboo shoot bark and carved and decorated with unique patterns. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Compared to other family temples in the province, the sculptures on the wooden frame of Nguyen Nhu family temple are relatively bold in terms of density, theme and idea. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| On the supports, the joints of the components are vividly carved with flowers and lotus flowers. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| The worshiping house has only two walls at both ends, the front and back are left open so that you can easily admire the sculptures on the rafters. The themes of "four sacred animals, four seasons" are expressed on the wooden frame of the worshiping house quite vividly and flexibly. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| On the crossbar is a stylized decoration of a phoenix flying with its wings spread wide, its mouth holding a branch, its feet holding a scroll, quite unique. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| The harem house has 3 compartments and 2 ends, the rafters are designed in the style of "upper palace, lower beam", "passing beam". The first two rafters are embossed with stylized tigers in the style of a dragon's body, tiger's face, protruding forehead, big nose, and square mouth. As for the beam, instead of a calf's neck, the artisan carved 2 dragon-shaped heads with long necks, round eyes, and sharp open mouths. The beams are decorated with geometric patterns, octagonal shapes supported by clouds and water waves. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| The porch railings of the rear palace are carved with delicate carvings. The two railings in the middle are decorated quite uniquely. Tiger faces, dragon faces with layers of flower petals. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| At Nguyen Nhu family temple, there are still many ancient sacrificial objects, rich in genre and diverse in design, such as incense altar, altar, eight treasures, dragon throne, large inscription, incense burner, wooden genealogy... Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Nguyen Nhu Family Temple is an ancient architectural work that has existed for hundreds of years, associated with the worship of ancestors and those who have contributed to the people and the country. The work is considered to be relatively large in scale, with beautiful architecture and elaborate decoration. In the photo: Unique pair of wooden unicorns carrying a wish-giving price. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| As one of the oldest historical sites in Thanh Chuong district, the Nguyen Nhu family temple is a witness to many important historical events of the locality. The temple was recognized as a provincial historical and cultural relic in 2011. In the photo: A pair of ancient stone steles in front of the main house are engraved with Chinese characters about the origin of the Nguyen Nhu family. Photo: Huy Thu |
