Chu Van An Temple is located in Phoenix Mountain Range, Chi Linh Town, Hai Duong province, over 80km east of Hanoi. The site has charming landscape with pine tree forests, streams and many historical relics associated with Teacher Chu Van An (1292 – 1370).
Teacher Chu Van An
Chu Van An played an important role in propagating, educating Confucianism’s moral and ideology in Vietnam. He was also the vice-rector of Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam’s first national university. After resigning mandarin, he lived in seclusion in Phoenix Mountain where he continued teaching, writing books, poems, doing research on medicine and pharmacy until he died in 1370.
Chu Van An Temple
Chu Van An Temple was built according to Nguyen Dynasty’s architecture style which consists of 5-compartment front shrine and back shrine. The 100kg weigh bronze statue of Teacher Chu Van An is located in the back shrine.
Several important events are held at the temple such as the pen-opening ceremony on the 6th day of the first lunar month, Autumn Festival from the 1st to the 25th days of the eighth lunar month, Vietnamese Teachers’ Day Celebration on 20 November, festival of “Returning to the roots” from the 24th to 26th days of the eleventh lunar month.
Luu Quang Temple
Located about 100m to the west of Chu Van An Temple, Luu Quang Temple is the architecture work in the shape of (Dinh) Han character 丁. Legend has it that, this was the place where Chu Van An taught when he lived in Phoenix Mountain. The temple has Chu Van An Statue and horizontal lacquered board “Van the su bieu” (Eternal Great Teacher).
Chu Van An’s tomb
Chu Van An’s tomb is situated at a beautiful location on the eastern peak of Phoenix Mountain, about 600m from Chu Van An Temple. Decorative motifs in the tomb inscribe the image of book and two brush pens representing Teacher Chu Van An’s noble soul and great devotion for education.
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