Unique open-air stone temple

black and red — The stone used to build the temple was mainly taken from Kinh Chu mountain ( Hai Phong ), famous for its durability and color.

Masterpiece from blue stone

Canh Son Temple has long been considered a precious gem in the Ngu Linh Tu complex of the old Tien Lang district, now Tan Minh commune, Hai Phong city, including: Canh Son Temple, De Xuyen Temple, Ha Doi Temple, Gam Temple and Cuu Doi Communal House. Each temple worships heroes and heroes who have contributed to the locality; but Canh Son stands out for its rare architectural style.

The temple has an open-air architecture, all the worshiping objects are made of stone such as incense table, throne, tablet, incense bowl, incense tube, flower tube, parallel sentences, mascots... Along with that, the system of large characters and parallel sentences of the temple was composed by Confucian mandarins, high-ranking officials such as district chiefs and district chiefs, and contributed to the temple. With the above special features, in 2003, Canh Son temple was ranked as a city-level historical and cultural relic by the City People's Committee.

After hundreds of years of wind and rain, this ancient structure still retains its majestic and unique appearance, becoming a living testament to the traditional stone carving skills and deep-rooted religious life of the residents of the coastal area.

Mr. Tran Van Bon, a senior in Tan Minh commune, said that in recent years, the restoration and embellishment of the temple has been focused on, contributing to preserving the original value of this "unique" stone relic. The type of stone used is mainly taken from Kinh Chu mountain (Hai Phong) - a stone area famous for its durability and color.

Thanks to the talented hands of ancient artisans, each stone slab weighing hundreds of kilograms was carved, assembled, and placed on top of each other in a solid yet harmonious structure.

What makes the temple special is that it has no roof, nor is it made of any binding material. This creates a strange and unique beauty that makes the temple look like a large stone statue in the sky.

Son Canh 2 (2) — The temple space is clean and beautiful, in harmony with the landscape, bringing a complete experience to people and visitors.

According to the stele and folk legend, the temple originated from the Later Le Dynasty, around the 17th - 18th century. Canh Son Temple (Bi Temple) worships two great kings, the village's tutelary gods, who are very responsive. They are Kim Son Linh Ung Dai Vuong and Ban Canh Tri Minh Dai Vuong, who helped King Hung defeat the Thuc army and expand the territory more than 4,000 years ago.

The temple architecture is simple but unique: the front hall, the sanctuary, and the temple yard are all paved with stone. The carvings on the altars are in traditional style with dragons, phoenixes, rolling clouds, and sea lion patterns.

Long time and harsh climate have caused many details to be worn out, but it is this natural erosion that creates a poetic "time patina", making the temple exude an ancient and sacred look.

Canh Son Temple not only has architectural value but is also an important spiritual part of the people of old Tien Lang. Ngu Linh Tu - a complex of 5 temples - is a place to worship the gods who protect the villagers, bless the crops and the weather. In particular, Canh Son Temple is located in a position considered as "left protector", playing a sacred role in praying for rain, water and peace.

According to Head of the Department of Culture and Society of Tan Minh Commune Hoang Thi Huong, the Ngu Linh festival, which was interrupted for a long time after 1945, was restored in 2013 and recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023.

The festival has two parts: traditional rituals and festivities. The bathing ceremony, the procession from five temples to Cuu Doi communal house (Tien Lang commune) creates a sacred atmosphere, demonstrating the beauty of community solidarity.

The most special is the custom of praying for rain, people carry the saint and hold a ceremony at Bi lagoon near Canh Son temple. The elders carry the decree, people row boats to pray for rain, a custom associated with agricultural life, showing the connection between people and nature.

Join hands to preserve the unique temple

The harshness of time and climate still has a significant impact on the temple’s structure. Many stone items are cracked, sunk, and worn; the temple yard and the walkways have been displaced after hundreds of stormy seasons.

Faced with that situation, the People's Committee of the old Tien Lang district and local people have implemented a project to restore and embellish the Canh Son temple relic. The restoration project in 2023 aims at a dual goal: Preserving the original state of the unique stone architecture, while reinforcing and adding necessary items to make the temple both sustainable and meet the religious and sightseeing needs of local people and tourists.

dark — What makes the temple unique is that it has no roof, nor does it use any binding material.

The restoration process kept the traditional bluestone material intact, minimizing the replacement of original details, only restoring severely damaged parts, based on original traces, respecting the exposed element - a characteristic that creates the distinct value of the temple.

Vice Chairwoman of Tan Minh Commune People's Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Huyen said that after being restored, Canh Son Temple still retains its ancient and solemn appearance but has become more solid. The temple space is clean and beautiful, in harmony with the landscape, bringing a complete experience to the people and tourists.

Proper preservation helps the temple continue to exist as a witness of time, a cultural destination that evokes much contemplation and demonstrates the eternal vitality of the folk culture of the Red River Delta.

Today, standing in front of the centuries-old stone temple, people and tourists not only admire the architectural beauty but also feel the depth of history and culture of the ancient land of Tien. It is the rustic beauty crystallized by nature, the hands of artisans and the spiritual life of generations.

Canh Son Temple is not only an ancient building, but also a place to preserve community memories, local cultural identity and the pride of Tan Minh people. In the current context, these values are even more precious and worth preserving to pass on to future generations.

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