Special national relic of Gray Temple (Nam Dinh) - A place where traditional art, architecture and culture converge

With its typical values ​​in history, culture, science and architectural art, Xam Temple, Hong Quang Commune, Nam Truc District (Nam Dinh) has been ranked as a special national monument. Along with the historical and architectural art relic of Tran Temple and Pho Minh Pagoda, Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda architectural art relic has been recognized as a special national monument before, up to now, Nam Dinh province has 3 relics recognized as special national monuments.

Xam Temple (also known as Xam Communal House, Hat Communal House) is located in Lac Dao village, Hong Quang commune, Nam Truc district ( Nam Dinh ), about 10km from Nam Dinh city. The temple is a place to worship the General Tran Minh Cong (real name Tran Lam) - who made great contributions to helping Dinh Bo Linh defeat the 12 warlords and unify the country.

The Gray Temple is an architectural work that demonstrates the talent and creativity of the working people, a historical relic bearing the national mark, dating back to feudal dynasties from the Mac Dynasty in the 16th century, the Later Le Dynasty in the 17th and 18th centuries to the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century.

The overall relic site includes: The main temple is built in the shape of the letter "Cong"; on both sides are 2 houses for disarming weapons built in the style of "crossing the bridge truss"; the front hall of the temple consists of 5 compartments with 6 sets of trusses built in the style of "upper overlapping beams, lower beams"; supporting the roof of the front hall are 12 columns, of which 6 main columns are placed on stone bases, on the ends of the beams, rafters, and beams carved with dragons and leaves.

The highlight of the monument's sculpture art is in the front door panels with folk images such as dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns interspersed with motifs such as swords, fire leaves, clouds, and animals such as monkeys, deer, birds, snakes, etc., creating complete reliefs of high artistic value.

Following the front hall is the central hall and the main hall with 3 compartments, the truss system is in the style of "upper mezzanine, lower beam" with many embossed panels, winding channels shaped like clouds, stylized flowers and leaves are decorated at the corners and beam ends in the style of 17th century art.

The doors of the front hall of the Gray Temple are intricately carved.

Through research by the specialized sector, it is shown that in the main structure of the Gray Temple, the carved panels on the rear palace gate with dragon and unicorn carvings are expressed with many characteristics of the artistic style on wooden architecture in the late 16th century. These are the few remaining carved panels of the wood carving art of the Mac Dynasty.

In addition, there are dense traces of mid-17th century architectural art found in both the front hall and the back hall. The dragon and animal carvings on the doors, dragon and sword carvings on the pillars of the middle hall and the two side halls of the front hall represent the 17th century carving style, expressed in the traditional wooden architecture typical of Nam Dinh region.

In addition to its architectural value, on the 17th and 19th of the 8th lunar month every year, local people solemnly organize a traditional festival to commemorate the merits of General Tran Lam, attracting a large number of people and tourists from all over the country to participate. During the festival, the most exciting are the art performances and rowing competitions, folk singing and dancing.

According to local people, the beauty of folk culture through singing and dancing activities at the Gray Temple yard has existed for hundreds of years, imbued with the breath of rural life. Therefore, Gray Temple is also called Hat Temple by local people. Over the years, local people have preserved 10 songs and 10 ancient Tru songs with traditional melodies of "cung, thuong, doc, trang, vu" and folk dances: tu tien, tu linh vu, bo de tam tuc vu...

In addition to the two nights of singing at the naturalization ceremony (entering the funeral) and the lac hanh (leaving the funeral), the singing contest at Den Xam yard featured performances of cheo singing, van singing, cau van singing, ca tru singing, etc. performed by professional art troupes and the masses inside and outside the province, attracting a large number of art lovers to attend.

Comrade Tran Le Doai, Vice Chairman of Nam Dinh Provincial People's Committee, said: The Prime Minister issued Decision No. 152/QD-TTg, dated January 17, 2025, ranking the architectural and artistic relic of Den Xam as a special national relic, bringing joy and great honor to Nam Dinh province, and also a worthy recognition of the efforts of the people here for generations to preserve, conserve and promote the unique and typical values ​​of history, culture, science and architectural art.

Comrade Tran Le Doai also said that in recent times, Nam Dinh province has developed and implemented programs, projects and plans to strengthen the management, preservation and promotion of the values ​​of tangible cultural heritages and intangible cultural heritages of Nam Dinh province. Party committees, authorities and organizations from the province to the grassroots have focused on leading and directing, gradually building the culture and people of Nam Dinh; doing a good job of protecting and promoting the values ​​of cultural heritages, contributing to promoting the socio -economic development of the province.

According to comrade Luu Quang Tuyen, Secretary of Nam Truc District Party Committee (Nam Dinh), in order to do a good job of protecting and promoting the value of the Xam Temple relic, in the coming time, the local government and people will organize the management and protection of the relic according to the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage, the Provincial Decision on decentralization of management of historical-cultural relics in the province; especially the restoration and embellishment of the relic must comply with the provisions of the law.

Along with that is the establishment of regulations and rules to protect and promote the value of the relic, creating favorable conditions for people to visit, study and research at the relic, so that the special national historical relic of Den Xam truly becomes an address for educating the tradition of patriotism, solidarity, national pride, fostering the will and aspiration to build the homeland and country to become more and more beautiful, civilized for generations.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/di-tich-quoc-gia-dac-biet-den-xam-nam-dinh-noi-hoi-tu-nghe-thuat-kien-truc-van-hoa-truyen-thong-post878131.html