Chu Van An’s temple is located on Phuong Hoang mountain, in the territory of Van An ward, Chi Linh town, Hai Duong province. This place with beautiful scenery, is also the place where many people come to ask for letters every time the New Year comes in the spring, wishing for a new year of good luck, studying and passing exams.
Master Chu Van An’s name is Tieu An – self-titled Linh Triet, Thuy Van Trinh. Born on August 25, Nham Thin year, the 2nd year of Trung Hung year (1292) in Van village, Quang Liet commune, Thanh Tri district (now part of Hanoi). He was the first person with great merit in spreading and educating Confucian moral thought in Vietnam. He was invited by King Tran Minh Tong (1314 – 1329) to be a private citizen of Quoc Tu Giam to teach the Crown Prince. During the reign of King Tran Du Tong (1341 – 1369), because he could not stand the evil spirits, he gave his seal from the mandarin to hide on Phuong Hoang mountain, specializing in teaching, writing books, writing poetry, and studying medicine. medicine until death.
After Master Chu Van An died (1370), where he worked as a teacher, a temple was built to worship him. After 2 stages of restoration, in 2008 Chu Van An temple became a dignified architectural complex including: three inner courtyards, three outer courtyards, lower courtyard, middle courtyard, terrace, garden, two houses. Vue Vu, two stele houses, the main temple with reliefs carved with Long Phuong playing with clouds and 112 stone steps leading to the main temple. The temple was ranked as a national historical relic by the State in 1998.
The main temple is located on the high and wide earth, according to feng shui, this is the eye of the phoenix bird. In front of the temple, there is Ngoc mountain as a criminal record, behind is Phuong mountain as a post-tram, on both sides are Ky Lan mountain and Phuong Hoang mountain. The temple was built in the shape of the word Nhi (二), a match stacking style with 2 floors, 8 roofs, tiled with 8 curved corners, including 5 sacrifices and 1 harem. Decorative art in the temple follows the theme of four spirits (Long, Ly, Quy, Phuong), and four quarters (Tung, Cuc, Truc, Mai). The medical paintings are painted with gilded lacquer and are decorated with art in the image of “a dragon adoring chrysanthemum blossoming”. In front of the temple is a pair of stone dragons with architectural style of the Tran Dynasty…
Every year, at Chu Van An temple, the opening ceremony of the first spring pen takes place on January 6 with 4 Han-Nom calligraphy characters: Chinh – Hoc – Thuan – Hanh, and 10 Quoc Ngu characters: Tam – Duc – Chi – Nghia – Middle – Talent – Minh – Tri – Thanh – Vinh. This is a cultural beauty that has been preserved since Mr. Chu Van An came here to open a teaching class. The autumn Chu Van An temple festival takes place from the 1st to the 25th of the 8th lunar month (the main festival on the 25th).