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Sophisticated and unique hundred-year-old palanquin in Nghe An

Huy Thu • March 26, 2025 17:02

Having existed for a long time, Cao Son Temple in Minh Tien Commune (Thanh Chuong District, Nghe An) is preserving an ancient palanquin with elaborate carvings, which has many cultural, historical and artistic values.

Cao Son Temple next to Linh O Pagoda is located in the middle of Hamlet 3, Minh Tien Commune (Chua Hamlet, old Thanh Luong Commune) and was built by local people long ago to worship Cao Son God. The temple consists of a lower hall and an upper hall. The wooden frame of the upper hall is beautifully carved. Every year on the 10th day of the first lunar month, local people often hold a big ceremony at the temple, praying for health, peace, and a good harvest. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_1..jpg — When visiting Cao Son Temple, visitors cannot help but be impressed by the unique ancient palanquin, worshiped in the middle of the temple as a sacred object. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_2..jpg — Mr. Nguyen Chi Tu - head of hamlet 3, Minh Tien commune, said: The ancient palanquin has a majestic and rare beauty. Previously, during the war, when Cao Son temple was demolished to make way for civil works, the palanquin was kept at the Bui family temple in the hamlet for a while, then brought back to Linh O pagoda for storage. When Cao Son temple was restored (2013), the upper hall was moved back to its original place, the ancient palanquin was worshiped right in the middle of the temple. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_3(1).jpg — The palanquin is designed like a special throne, placed on top of the palanquin poles, with a backrest and armrests, decorated with sophisticated carvings of traditional themes such as dragons, unicorns, turtles, phoenixes, tiger faces... On both sides, the armrests are decorated with sharp, curving dragons. The bottom is decorated with phoenixes and tiger faces. The four corners of the palanquin legs are carved with four dragon heads facing four directions. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_4(1).jpg — On this palanquin, dragons are decorated everywhere from the palanquin poles to the palanquin's arms, each position has a different dragon style (dragon face, dragon head, full body dragon). The image of the dragon on the palanquin's armrest is most distinctively shown with the dragon's head raised high, the dragon's mouth "holding a pearl". Photo: Huy Thu

bna_5..jpg — Mr. Bui Van Suu (87 years old), an elderly person in Hamlet 3, Minh Tien Commune, said: The ancient palanquin was used to carry the gods in the village festival. In the past, every 3 years, the villagers (formerly Xuan Bang village) held a traditional festival with a procession of gods including palanquins, elephant statues, horses, flags, and parasols moving from Cao Son Temple through Bau O, to O Temple. Young men in the village were selected, dressed in "si lap" costumes, to carry the palanquin very majestically. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_6..jpg — The back of the altar is decorated with the most concentrated image of the "four sacred animals". The upper part of the altar is the image of a dragon winding in the clouds, its head protruding from the middle of the altar. The dragon's head is carved in openwork, with sharp carvings. On both sides are images of unicorns and phoenixes facing the middle. Below are images of turtles and carps swimming on the waves. With sophisticated carvings, a vivid and unique picture has been created. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_7..jpg — The palanquin poles include vertical poles, horizontal poles and carrying poles. Vertical poles: Consists of 2 bars, the first part forms a dragon's head and the last part forms a dragon's tail. The horizontal poles also have 2 bars, each bar forms 2 dragon heads placed perpendicular to the first and last parts of the 2 vertical poles. Carrying poles: Consists of 4 bars placed at the 4 corners of the palanquin, under the horizontal poles also form dragon heads. The front palanquin poles have 10 dragon heads, both big and small. Photo: Huy Thu

Between the front and rear crossbars, on the wide wooden part, are carved tiger faces, phoenixes and unicorns, painted black to stand out against a red background. Photo: Huy Thu

The back of the vertical and carrying poles form dragon tails. In total, the back of the palanquin has 8 dragon heads facing forward and to the sides. Photo: Huy Thu

Having existed for a long time, closely linked to the ups and downs of the ancient temple as well as the tradition of the ancient Xuan Bang village, the palanquin has more or less peeled paint, cracked and broken in some places. Although the specific date of its birth has not been determined, local people affirm that the palanquin has existed for hundreds of years. In recent times, the palanquin has been considered by local people as a precious heritage left by their ancestors, and has been carefully preserved by everyone. Photo: Huy Thu

The unique beauty of the ancient palanquin. Video: Huy Thu

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