Concerns about preserving Khanh Son Temple - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station

The space in front of Khanh Son temple, Na Chuong village, Mai Pha commune, Lang Son city has seriously degraded.

Khanh Son Temple was built in October of the third year of Khai Dinh (1918). The temple worships the four legendary kings, these gods correspond to the gods in folklore and are heroes who have made many contributions to the locality and are respected and worshiped by the people. In addition to worshiping gods, the temple also worships Buddha. Previously, the temple had statues, but due to war, the temple no longer has them.

The temple architecture is in the shape of the Chinese character Nhi, including two main worshiping halls and a sanctuary. On both sides of the temple door are two columns with parallel sentences, above which are lions guarding the roof. A special feature of the temple today is that there are two ancient wells in the grounds, one square well and one round well, built at the same time as the temple was built.

Regarding the relics and artifacts that are still preserved at the temple, there is a plaque indicating the temple's name on wind paper, written in Chinese characters about the worship of the clans in the village. In addition, the temple also preserves a large wooden plaque with a red lacquered surface. The temple also preserves many parallel sentences, all four sides are embossed with letters, above the roof beam is the year the temple was built, however, because the temple has deteriorated, these details are no longer intact.

During the resistance wars against the French and the Americans, Khanh Son Temple was a shelter for soldiers and civilians. After the war, the temple was used as a temporary classroom.

According to Mr. Ngo Gia Thanh, 93 years old, Na Chuong village, in the past, people held a very large temple festival, lasting three days with both a ceremony and a festival, but due to historical events, today these activities are no longer held as before, people in the village only hold the main festival on the 17th day of the third lunar month.

Over time, along with the ups and downs of history, the temple has now seriously degraded, the roof decorated with the image of "Two dragons worshiping the moon" has collapsed, the walls are cracked in many places. The back part of the temple, due to the collapse of the old roof (formerly the yin-yang tile layer), is now covered with a cement roof; some wooden architectural structures are severely damaged, seriously affecting the safety of the relic and the religious needs of the people.

In order to better serve the daily and religious needs of the people, in recent times, the Party Committee, the authorities and the people in Mai Pha commune have mobilized resources to renovate and restore the relic. Mr. Hoang Thach Co, Vice Chairman of Mai Pha Commune People's Committee, said: Every year, the Party Committee, the authorities and the temple management board mobilize people to contribute money and working days to renovate and restore the temple, but they can only do small items such as the kitchen, yard, and roads up and down...

Khanh Son Temple is a relic of important historical and cultural significance to the city. In recent times, relevant units in the area have implemented a number of solutions to promote the value of the relic. Mr. Nguyen Hong Khanh, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture, Science and Information of Lang Son City, said: In recent times, we have actively introduced the relic on media channels, especially on the city's electronic information page. At the same time, we have stepped up propaganda and mobilized people to raise awareness of environmental sanitation and proactively protect the relic from the risk of degradation. In 2024, Khanh Son Temple was granted a land use right certificate, in order to create a solid legal basis for protecting and promoting the value of the relic. Currently, we have conducted a survey, assessed the level of degradation and on that basis, developed restoration plans. These plans will then be submitted to the City People's Committee for consideration and proposal to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism for appraisal, approval and professional support.

Currently, the workload is large, the budget is high while the local capacity is limited, so the restoration of Khanh Son Temple really needs the attention of all levels, sectors, as well as benefactors so that the relic can be restored, in order to preserve and promote the unique cultural values of the locality.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/den-khanh-son-tiem-nang-du-lich-bi-bo-ngo-vi-xuong-cap-5045827.html