Quan Thanh Sacred Temple

Quan Thanh – the holy Taoist temple

The temple is an absolute must-see for tourists traveling through the West Lake region since it is one of the Four Sacred Temples that were constructed in four directions to guard the historic Imperial Citadel of Thang Long from evil spirits.

From 1618 to 1941, Quan Thanh Temple saw seven renovations during the course of its lengthy existence. Each renovation was memorialized by a monument built on the grounds of the temple, with the first dating back to 1677 and the most recent being created by viceroy Hoang Cao Khai in 1894, during the French colonial era and under the rule of King Thanh Thai.

The Taoist architectural style of Quan Thanh Temple

Visitors are immediately struck by the Quan Thanh Temple's majestic grandeur upon arrival. The three-door gate, courtyard, and three-part main temple of the Quan Thanh Temple, which consists of the pre-worshipping area, the main-worshipping hall, and the prohibited palace, were all constructed in the Chinese Taoist architectural style.

The two-story, three-arched Tam Quan Gate is located in front of the temple. Two smaller ones are on either side of the large arch, which is in the center.

A shrine with a red-tiled roof with embossed serpent and turtle figures on the trusses was constructed in accordance with Taoist Chinese architecture and is located in a courtyard.

The sacred artifacts of Quan Thanh Temple

The largest and most prominent feature of Quan Thanh Temple is a huge statue of the Tran Vu deity that greets tourists as they enter the shrine.

A massive statue of Tran Vu made of black copper, which is still on display inside the temple's main shrine, is said to have been presented to Quan Thanh Temple in 1677, during the reign of King Le Hy Tong, by craftsmen from the adjacent bronze casting hamlet of Ngu Xa.

This statue is 3.96 meters tall and weighs about 3,600 kilos. The statue of the deity has a lengthy beard and a square face. His right hand is grasping the sword's hilt, while his left hand is resting in front of his chest. The sculpture has incredibly intricate and refined lines and details.

It is the second largest bronze statue in Vietnam and is regarded as a masterwork of bronze casting and sculpture. This piece of art is proof of the high technical level of bronze casting and sculpture used by Vietnamese artisans in the seventeenth century.

At Quan Thanh Temple, there is a second, smaller black copper statue. Many people think that Mr. Trum Trong, the master sculptor who oversaw the casting of the Tran Vu statue, is represented by the statue. His students created this statue in honor of their teacher's accomplishments.

A priceless collection of antiquated poems from the 17th and 18th centuries may be found at the main shrine,shrine, in addition to the statues of Tran Vu and Trum Trong. A "Khanh" made of bronze, a type of cast bronze Chinese bell that was manufactured between the 17th and 18th centuries, is another feature of the temple. The bell measures 1.1 meters in height and 1.25 meters in width.