Nghe Le Chan Temple

$Nghe Temple$ ( $Den Nghe$ ), officially known by its classical name $An Bien Co Mieu$ ( $The Ancient Temple of An Bien$ ), is one of the most important historical and spiritual landmarks in $Hai Phong$ City. It is dedicated to $Lady General Le Chan$ ( $Nu Tuong Le Chan$ ), a national heroine credited with founding the ancient settlement of $An Bien$ ( $Trang An Bien$ ), which eventually grew into modern $Hai Phong$ City. She is regarded as the City God ( $Thanh Hoang$ ) of $Hai Phong$ .

History and Significance

Founder of the City: $Le Chan$ was a talented female general who served the $Trung Sisters$ in their $1 st$ century revolt against Chinese rule. After the defeat, she retreated and established $An Bien$ , a strategic village that utilized the local waterways and became the root of $Hai Phong$ ‘s identity as a port city.

National Monument: The temple was first built as a small shrine but was significantly reconstructed and expanded between $1924$ and $1927$ and later restored. It is currently recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Monument ( $Di tich cap quoc gia$ ).

Treasures: Among the valuable artifacts stored at the temple are decorative stone slabs, a large stone gong ( $Khanh Da$ ), and a stone couch ( $Sap Da$ ). A set of golden ritual objects ( $kim pham$ ) presented to $Saint Mother Le Chan$ ( $Thanh mau Le Chan$ ) was recently recognized as a National Treasure ( $Bao vat quoc gia$ ).

Architecture and Design

$Den Nghe$ showcases the architectural style of the $Nguyen Dynasty$ from the $20 th$ century, with intricate stonework and detailed carvings.

Layout: The temple complex includes the $Tam Quan$ ( $Three-arched Gate$ ), the $Tien Te$ ( $Front Sanctuary$ ), the $Thieu Huong$ ( $Incense Burning House$ ), the $Giai Vu$ ( $Corridors$ ), and the $Hau Cung$ ( $Rear Sanctuary$ ).
Intricate Art: The architecture is distinguished by exquisite carvings on wood and stone, depicting spiritual creatures like the Dragon ( $Long$ ), Lion ( $Ly$ ), Tortoise ( $Quy$ ), and Phoenix ( $Phuong$ ), often in dynamic postures.
The Main Hall: The roof of the $Tien Te$ is prominently decorated with large Sino-Vietnamese characters reading “ $An Bien Co Mieu$ ” in a display of shimmering blue ceramic pieces.

Culture and Festivals

The $Le Chan$ festival is one of the most important cultural events in $Hai Phong$ , celebrating the city’s identity.

Main Festival: The annual $Le Chan$ Festival is held during the $2 nd$ $lunar$ $month$ (typically around March) and features solemn rituals, cultural performances, and games. It is a source of great pride for the local people.

Practical Visitor Information

Feature	Details
Location	Located on Le Chan Street, Me Linh Ward, Le Chan District, Hai Phong City. It is about 600 meters southwest of the Municipal Theatre.
How to Get There	Easily accessible from Hai Phong city center by taxi, motorbike, or on foot.
Opening Hours	Generally open daily year-round, from morning until late afternoon.
Entrance Fee	Free (Donations are welcome, as it is a place of worship).
Contact Information	Inquiries can be made to the Le Chan District People's Committee or the local Hai Phong Tourism Office.

TuanTiep Nguyen (DSNGUYEN P.

12:15 17 May 25

Supper for all travellers at Lê chân Street
Opening from 18:00 .

Perio N.

13:03 04 May 25

A tourist destination that is not very popular in the Hai Phong tourism community, but I think it should be known more. The temple worships female general Le Chan, the campus is small and clean. Send the motorbike in advance and pay 5k.

Tùng B.

15:23 31 Jan 25

Nghe Temple worships female general Le Chan, a brave and talented female general in the Hai Ba Trung uprising who was appointed by Trung Vuong as "Chief of internal military power".

Mạnh Hùng N.

01:12 31 Jan 25

Nghe Temple in Hai Phong is the place to worship female general Le Chan. Her hometown is in An Bien village (now Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh). She came to the land at the confluence of Tam Bac River and Cam River to establish a village and develop the profession of growing mulberry, raising silkworms, and catching seafood. The female general named this land An Bien (now Le Chan district) to remember her roots. Le Chan was a talented and excellent female general in the uprising against the invading Eastern Han army of Hai Ba Trung. She fought bravely, achieved many resounding victories and was appointed by Trung Vuong as "Chapter of the Internal Military Authority", guarding the Hai Tan region (now Hai Phong).

Hiệp L.

10:45 16 Feb 24

The temple worships the famous female general Le Chan. Small temple, normal scenery. The temple only has historical value and nothing else. Outside there are enough shops selling necessary things.

Embassy Info

My Bookmarks (0)

Destination

Food

Festival

Embassy

Nghe Le Chan Temple

History and Significance

Architecture and Design

Culture and Festivals

Practical Visitor Information