Description

Vinh Xuong temple of literature is located at 123 Phuong Sai Street, Phuong Son Ward[1], Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province.
* Historical background to form the monument

During the feudal period, Han Nom was very important because it was considered "the word of Thanh Hien" and people used it as a measure in exams to select talents for the country. In the past, the Temple of Literature was not only a place to worship Confucius and his disciples, but also a school, a place of activities for Confucian scholars, academics and honorees of the region.

In Vietnam, the Temple of Literature started from the Ly - Tran dynasties with the Temple of Literature Quoc Tu Giam in the capital Thang Long. In the 15th century, the Temple of Literature was only available in some localities, but it was not until the Nguyen Dynasty that the Temple of Literature really flourished. In Khanh Hoa, Thai Khang Temple of Literature (later changed to Phuoc An) was established before the Nguyen Dynasty. After ascending the throne, King Gia Long moved the headquarters of Binh Khang Palace (Ninh Hoa) to Dien Khanh and renamed the palace Binh Hoa town. This is the precursor of the National Monument of Dien Khanh Temple of Literature in Dien Khanh town today.

In 1948, the French army stationed at the Temple of Literature and intended to build it into a garrison. Not allowing the enemy to take advantage of it, the pro-revolutionary trenches carried out the "destroying resistance war". In October 1949, in order to facilitate the sacrifices as well as the activities of the Vanguard, the dignitaries, celebrities and intellectuals moved to work at Van Chi Vinh Xuong (Nha Trang). But because this place has a district-level architectural scale, the small and narrow temple does not meet the needs of children's learning. For that reason, in 1964-1967, nobles, celebrities, intellectuals and teachers in the Khanh Hoa Confucian Association donated money to build the Khanh Hoa Temple of Literature at the location of the People's Committee of Phuoc Hai Ward today. at the provincial level. The Vinh Xuong literature returns to the inherent function of a district-level "dao-learning" place of worship.

In terms of chronology, in 1849, according to the decree of King Tu Duc Van, Vinh Xuong was established in Ngoc Hoi village, Vinh Diem, Vinh Xuong district[2]. Due to the low starting location, frequent floods and many years of students failing to pass the exam, therefore, in 1889 (Thanh Thai 1st year) Confucian scholars, nobles, relatives, and intellectuals donated money. and the effort to move Van to its present location. After the construction was completed, Nha Trang students passed the exam for 3 consecutive years, learning in Nha Trang developed.

Experiencing its existence, Vinh Xuong Van Chi has undergone many renovations: 1964, 1971, 2010.

* Architecture of Vinh Xuong Literature

In terms of land position, in front of Van is only Kim Bong river (the element of "ming road"), behind is Trai Thuy hill (the "post-occipital element"), which according to feng shui theory, this is the "Tien Thuy post-son" land. “Very good for building houses, especially for religious works.

Vinh Xuong Literature was built in an area of 272.1m2. From the outside to the inside, Van only has the following overall layout: Nghi Mon, courtyard, money, and main hall.

Architectural structure truss 

Overall, Vinh Xuong Van Chi is a building with the "best" typeface layout with the money in front and the main hall in the back. Van's main bearing system is just the pillars, the foot of the column standing on the rock both creates a solid position and protects the wooden column over time. Although the wooden frame structure is characterized by the local architectural style, there are many variations: From the column to the beam, the levers are elegant, which is beautiful in smooth, sharp edges, so it does not feel heavy. resort to excessive sculpting; In addition to the spirals on the outside "on", "shrimp[3]" and "press fruit", artisans pay attention to the decoration of some trusses; At the top of some trusses carved with texture like a row of thorns on the back of a dragon and especially save pictures of the 17th century architecture in the North, each side of the rafter has a spark of fire crossed up, the end of the rafter is both. All faces are carved with stylized dragons.

Every year, at Van Chi Vinh Xuong, there are two main worshiping ceremonies: Confucius's birthday (Saint's birthday) on the 27th day of the 8th lunar month and Confucius's death day (Thu Chung or Thanh Huy) on the 18th day of the 4th lunar month. . Today, the sacrifice is carried out by the Association of the Elderly and the elders, teachers, intellectuals and local authorities in Phuong Son ward.

In order to affirm the cultural and intangible cultural values of Vinh Xuong Van Chi, and also help the conservation and promotion work more effectively, on November 20, 2012, Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee issued a statement Decision No. 2890/QD-UBND ranked Vinh Xuong Van Chi as a provincial historical-cultural relic.

[1] Phuong Son ward and Phuong Sai ward were formerly one and belonged to Phuong Cui village.
[2] Now is Vinh Ngoc commune, Nha Trang city.
[3] It can be considered as a unique component, first appearing in Khanh Hoa.