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1. Temple Nghe (Hai Phong) – Historical and cultural symbol of the port city
Den Nghe (Hai Phong) is a famous spiritual tourist destination. (Source: Collected)
Den Nghe (Hai Phong) is a typical cultural - historical symbol of the port city, attracting tourists thanks to its convenient central location and unique classical architecture. This place not only marks historical milestones but also worships the female general Le Chan, a testament to the heroic spirit and resilient determination of the people of the Port Land.
1.1. Location and geographical significance of Den Nghe (Hai Phong)
Address: No. 53 Le Chan Street, Hai Phong City
Hai Phong is not only famous for landmarks such as Trang Kenh Historical Site, Hon Dau Tourist Area, Cat Ba Island but also possesses many attractive spiritual tourist destinations, among which Den Nghe Hai Phong stands out. This is one of the important spiritual attractions that cannot be missed when planning to explore the port city.
Den Nghe is located in the city center, carrying long-standing cultural and historical values, also known by other names such as Den Ngan or An Bien Co Mieu. Located in the Me Linh sub-area, the temple borders Le Chan Street and Me Linh Street, facilitating visits and worship. When visiting, tourists will admire the classical architecture bearing the imprint of the Nguyen Dynasty in the early 20th century, showing the sophistication and unique cultural value of the relic.
1.2. Female General Le Chan – The heroic spirit of the Port Land associated with Den Nghe
Den Nghe Hai Phong is where the female general Le Chan is worshipped, a famous historical figure associated with the heroic spirit of the port land. She was born in An Bien village, but later came to the area of the Tam Bac river confluence to develop mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming, contributing to improving the local economy.
Le Chan was a talented female general, prominent in the uprising against the invading Dong Han army. She demonstrated courage and excellent strategy on many fronts, achieving many resounding victories. Thanks to her great contributions, the Trung Queens appointed her as Chuong Quan, internal peacekeeper, guarding the Hai Tan region, strengthening security and stability for the local population.
2. Unique Architecture of Den Nghe (Hai Phong)
Den Nghe Hai Phong has unique architecture. (Source: Collected)
Den Nghe Hai Phong impresses with its majestic overall architecture, harmoniously combining the three-gate entrance, worship hall, inner sanctuary, and four palaces structures, bearing the strong imprint of Vietnamese classical style. The exquisite carved details and symbolic mascots not only highlight artistic value but also deeply reflect the culture, beliefs, and history of the Port Land.
2.1. Overall Architecture
Den Nghe Hai Phong was built with a traditional classical architectural layout, including a three-gate entrance, incense house, worship hall, side halls, inner sanctuary, stele house, along with areas for stone horse and stone elephant statues. Later, people also built the four palaces structure, creating an overall majestic and harmonious complex.
The worship hall consists of 5 bays supported by 16 ironwood pillars, placed on 16 meticulously carved stone blocks, demonstrating the meticulous craftsmanship and exquisite architectural techniques of the Nguyen Dynasty. In the center of the worship hall's roof ridge are the prominently embossed Han characters "An Bien Co Mieu", attracting the gaze of all visitors upon entering.
The inner sanctuary consists of 3 bays built higher than the worship hall, with a 2-tiered roof design, creating a majestic and imposing feel, demonstrating solemnity befitting the historical and spiritual value of the temple.
2.2. Exquisite Carving Art and Symbolic Mascots
The carved details at Den Nghe are very rich, from dragons, qilin, turtles, phoenixes to motifs of pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo, apricot, executed using alternating bas-relief, intaglio, and openwork carving, creating exquisite and unique works. On the roof ridges and eaves, there are also images of flying dragons, dancing phoenixes, scenes of the Trung Sisters commanding troops, along with vivid depictions of Yen Tu mountain scenery.
Den Nghe still preserves many valuable stone sculptures, such as a large stone stele recording the biography of the female general Le Chan from the Nguyen Dynasty. In the worship hall, stone reliefs depict graceful dragon and cloud dances; in the incense house, elaborate stone slabs carved with images of birds, animals, and flowers are crafted from single stone blocks, reflecting the exquisite carving skills of ancient artisans.
3. Cultural and Festival Values at Den Nghe (Hai Phong)
The Nghe Temple Festival is an occasion to commemorate the female general Le Chan. (Source: Collected)
The Nghe Temple Festival is one of the famous traditional festivals of Hai Phong city, imbued with cultural, historical, and spiritual values. The festival is held annually from the 7th to the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month, at the Le Chan Female General Historical Site complex, attracting a large number of local people and visitors from all directions.
The festival is divided into two main parts: the ceremony and the festival activities. The ceremony part includes solemn rituals such as: the announcement ceremony, incense offering, procession, opening ceremony, and thanksgiving ceremony, expressing the respect and worship traditions of the people of Hai Phong. The festival part brings a vibrant atmosphere with many entertainment and cultural activities, including: a rural market, ornamental creature exhibition, orchid display, along with folk games and traditional martial arts performances, creating an experience that is both cultural and entertaining for visitors.
Thanks to the harmonious combination of spiritual rituals and cultural-entertainment activities, the Hai Phong Nghe Temple Festival is not only an occasion to commemorate the female general Le Chan but also contributes to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the Hai Phong port region.
4. National treasure set “kim pham of Nghe Temple”
National treasure set "Kim Pham Den Nghe" at Hai Phong Museum. (Source: Collected)
The national treasure set "Kim Pham Den Nghe" is a collection of rare, unique artifacts bearing profound cultural, artistic, and spiritual values of Vietnam. Visiting the "kim phẩm" set at Hai Phong Museum, visitors can not only admire the exquisite craftsmanship but also learn more about the worship of Saint Mother Le Chan and the unique cultural history of the Port region.
4.1. The Kim Pham Den Nghe Set
The Kim Pham Den Nghe set are rare, unique artifacts bearing profound cultural, artistic, and spiritual values, originating entirely from Vietnam. The collection includes 16 groups of special artifacts such as: a golden betel leaf, a golden betel nut cluster, 4 golden cards, 1 plain gold leaf, 1 golden fan, 3 pairs of golden earrings, 2 golden lipstick cases, a pair of golden bracelets, a golden necklace, and a set of golden buttons.
Each artifact demonstrates exquisite craftsmanship, unique aesthetic thinking, and decorative art characteristic of the Nguyen Dynasty. The people of Hai Phong dedicatedly commissioned custom creations, engraving the auspicious characters of Saint Mother Le Chan, offering them to Den Nghe Temple, demonstrating their reverence and worship of the Saint Mother.
Notably, one golden card bears the Sino-Vietnamese characters: 甘润芝 (Cam Nhuận Chi). According to research from the stele commemorating the temple's renovation during the Bao Dai era, the second year of Dinh Mao (1927), October 10th, the card records the names of families and devotees who contributed to the renovation, including "Cam Nhuận hiệu nhị thập nguyên" (Cam Nhuận, the twenty-first generation), providing valuable information about the owner and the place where the "kim phẩm" offerings were crafted for Den Nghe Temple.
4.2. Exhibition Location and How to Visit the Kim Pham Set
After more than 65 years of safekeeping, the "kim phẩm" set was preserved at the State Bank of Vietnam (now the State Bank of Vietnam, Hai Phong Branch). In 2024, the artifact set was handed over to the Hai Phong Museum for safekeeping, preservation, and promotion of its cultural and historical value.
Visitors to the Hai Phong Museum can admire this precious "kim phẩm" set, learn about the history, craftsmanship, and worship of Saint Mother Le Chan, contributing to an enhanced cultural and spiritual tourism experience in Hai Phong.
5. Visiting Den Nghe Temple (Hai Phong) in 2025
Moving to Cat Ba Island is easy by Sun World cable car. (Source: Collected)
Visiting Den Nghe Hai Phong Temple in 2025 promises a spiritual and cultural experience, helping visitors learn about the history and beliefs associated with General Le Chan. Besides worshipping at the temple, the itinerary can include visiting museums and exploring the city center, creating a complete and diverse trip.
5.1. Convenient ways to get to Den Nghe Temple (Hai Phong)
To visit Den Nghe Hai Phong Temple, visitors can easily travel from the city center in about 30 minutes. Here is a suggested route for the most convenient way to reach the temple:
Starting from Hai Phong city center, go north for about 650m.
Turn right and continue straight for about 1.8km.
Turn left onto Cong Rong street, go straight for another 750m.
Turn right onto Luong Khanh Thien street, then turn right onto Hoang Thiet Tam street, continue straight to Hoang Quoc Viet street.
Turn right and follow provincial road 360 for about 3.1km.
At the roundabout, turn left at the 4th exit onto Truong Chinh street, continue straight across Niem bridge.
Go straight on Tran Nguyen Han street for about 1.8km, then turn right onto Tran Duc Canh street.
Go straight for 1km, turn right onto Me Linh street, continue to turn right onto Le Chan street, go another 28m to reach Den Nghe Hai Phong Temple.
This route ensures visitors travel quickly, safely, and conveniently, while also allowing for visits to prominent landmarks around Hai Phong city center within the same trip.
5.2. Visiting hours and notes for worshipping at Den Nghe Temple
The ideal times to visit Den Nghe Temple are early morning from 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM or late afternoon from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. These times avoid crowds, making it convenient for check-ins, photos, and experiencing the peaceful and solemn atmosphere of the temple.
When visiting the temple, visitors must adhere to the code of conduct:
Maintain order, speak softly, do not make noise or run around the worship area.
Dress politely and neatly, avoid revealing or overly casual clothing, showing respect for the sacred place.
Perform the customs of offering incense and worship correctly, following the guidance of locals or signs at the temple.
Additionally, visitors should prepare sufficient offerings if they wish to make a donation, while respecting local rituals and spiritual culture, to ensure the visit is meaningful, safe, and provides a complete spiritual tourism experience at Den Nghe Hai Phong Temple.
5.3. Suggested combined experiences: Visiting the museum – strolling around Hai Phong city center
When visiting Den Nghe Hai Phong Temple, visitors can combine it with a visit to Hai Phong Museum to admire the precious artifacts offered at the temple, and to learn more about the history, culture, and beliefs related to General Le Chan. This itinerary is both spiritual and educational, enriching the trip.
After visiting the temple and museum, you can stroll around Hai Phong city center, exploring notable sites such as the Grand Theatre, the city museum, Cat Bi Market… and enjoying characteristic local cuisine.
If you have more time, visitors can also extend their journey to Cat Ba Island, easily accessible by Sun World cable car, participating in activities like kayaking, exploring Cat Ba National Park, swimming, and experiencing eco-tourism. This is an ideal choice for those who want to combine spiritual tourism with nature exploration in Hai Phong within a single trip.
With its ancient architecture, long-standing historical value, and rare treasures, Den Nghe Temple is an ideal destination to explore the culture and heritage of the port city. Visitors can admire the unique architecture, learn about historical stories, and enjoy the sacred atmosphere. Add Den Nghe (Hai Phong) Temple to your 2025 travel itinerary to fully experience the cultural and historical beauty and capture memorable moments.
