Located in Dai Hoang commune (Ninh Binh province), Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple (also known as Thanh Nguyen Temple) is a place to worship Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong - a real figure in history, honored as a saint in folk religious life.
He was born in 1065, his real name is Nguyen Chi Thanh, famous for his talent and contributions in many fields.
In Buddhism, he traveled everywhere to build pagodas and cast statues, contributing to the development of Buddhism during the Ly Dynasty. In the field of medicine, history books recorded his cure of a strange disease for King Ly Than Tong, from which time he was conferred the title of National Master.
He is also honored as the ancestor of the bronze casting profession in Vietnam, an important milestone in economic and cultural life at that time.
After his death, people built a temple to worship him on the foundation of Vien Quang Pagoda built by him himself before that. Over many centuries, the work still retains the typical wooden architecture of the Later Le and Nguyen dynasties. The entire temple area is arranged in the style of "nội công ngoại quốc", including items such as nghi môn, dragon courtyard, tiền đường, chính tẩm and incense burning.
The interior space stands out with exquisite wood carving art, and the four sacred animals and four precious animals are vividly expressed. The statue of Saint Nguyen is placed in the main shrine, carved with precious wood, representing the image of a high monk in a state of stillness. In addition, the temple also preserves many imperial decrees, steles and valuable ancient artifacts.
Every year, the Saint Nguyen Temple festival takes place from March 8th to 10th of the lunar calendar, attracting a large number of people and tourists. The water procession ritual from the Hoang Long River and folk performances contribute to recreating historical imprints and traditional cultural life.
Today, Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple is both a place for religious activities and a relic of historical and architectural value. In 1989, the temple was ranked as a National Historical - Architectural and Art Relic and is currently located in the buffer zone of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.
