History

Located about 200 meters from National Highway 10, in the area of Loc Ha ward, the temple named Dai Thanh Quan Tu, originally built on the ancient foundation of the Fourth Palace, is one of the palaces constructed by the Tran dynasty in the 13th century for princesses, queens, and royal family members to rest. The Dai Nam Unified Gazetteer states: "Dai Thanh Quan Tu temple in De Tu commune, My Loc district, is the fourth imperial palace (De Tu imperial palace) built by the Tran dynasty. After the local residents used the term 'De Tu' as the commune name, a temple was erected here"[1].

However, when examining some ancient poetry in the book "100 Years of Thang Long – Hanoi, Thien Truong – Nam Dinh" (published by the Nam Dinh Literature and Arts Association in 2010), it is noted that De Tu may not be one of the Tran dynasty's palaces but rather belonged to a certain official. Three poems are mentioned:
The first poem by Vu Duy Thien recorded in the Dai An Chronicles is as follows:

到 第 四 闍
相 傳 自 古 有 軍 營
天 屬 爲 名 半 萬 兵
四 隊 時 常 留 不 改
平 分 水 陸 幾 畨 靈
生 防 莫 敢 離 屯 住
死 戰 誰 收 置 石 銘
瓦 礫 人 言 陳 代 事
孤 魂 並 立 望 無更

Transcription:
ĐÁO ĐỆ TỨ ĐÔ[2]
Tương truyền tự cổ hữu quân doanh
Thiên Thuộc vi danh bán vạn binh[3]
Tứ đội thời thường lưu bất cải
Bình phân thuỷ lục kỷ phiên linh
Sinh phòng mạc cảm ly đồn trú
Tử chiến thuỳ thu trí thạch minh
Ngoã lịch nhân ngôn Trần đại sự
Cô hồn tịnh lập vọng vô canh.

Translation:
TO DE TU CITY[2]
According to legend, in ancient times, there was a military base here,
Named Thien Thuoc, renowned for selling ten thousand soldiers[3].
The four units stationed here remained unchanged over time,
Equally dividing the water and land, achieving remarkable victories.
Living in camps, feeling the hardships of garrison life,
Facing death in battle, their determination as solid as rocks.
Beyond the historical records of the Tran dynasty,
The tranquil souls remain, with aspirations boundless.

過 孤 魂 寺
萬 里 風 塵 不 顧 身
孤 魂 四 邑 感 君 恩
佋 來 未 必 真 名 字
付 在 方 官 歲 两 分

Transcription:
QUÁ CÔ HỒN TỰ
Vạn lý phong trần bất cố thân
Cô Hồn tứ ấp cảm quân ân
Chiêu lai vị tất chân danh tự
Phó tại phương quan tuế lưỡng phân.

Translation:
TO THE CO HON TEMPLE
Venturing through myriad miles, dust and wind leave the body unaffected.
Cô Hồn Temple, with its four chapels, feels the gratitude of the soldiers.
In those days, returning home, one would know if their name was correct,
Entrusting it to the local authorities, ceremonies were held twice a year during the spring and autumn equinoxes.

The third poem by Tran Ky, recorded in the National History Encyclopedia and Selected Vocabulary, is as follows:

大 聖 觀 寺
譜 存 光 啟 祀 三 清
立 觀 閒 時 見 有 寕
天 屬 幾 畨 臨 難 死
地 餘 長 壘 聚 民 生
當 間 輝 净 來 修 處
又 得 棃 公 次 室 情
老 少 飽 温傳 故 事
春 秋 思 德 拜 遺 形

Transcription:
ĐẠI THÁNH QUÁN TỰ
Phả tồn Quang Khải tự Tam Thanh
Lập quán nhàn thời kiến hữu ninh
Thiên Thuộc kỷ phiên lâm nạn tử
Địa dư trường luỹ tụ dân sinh
Đương gian Huy Tịnh lai tu xứ
Hựu đắc Lê công thứ thất tình
Lão thiếu bão ôn truyền cố sự
Xuân thu tư đức bái di hình.

Translation:
DAI THANH QUAN TEMPLE[4]
It is recorded that Mr. Quang Khai revered Tam Thanh, hence he established a temple seeking tranquility in leisure.
Here, the soldiers of Thiên Thuộc experienced numerous hardships and deaths. The fortified land extended, gathering the local population.
During that time, Huy Tịnh, a palace maid, came to the temple for spiritual retreat. Later, Lê Tần contributed to the temple's well-being due to his affection for a seventh-rank official.
From the old to the young, the present generation enjoys the warmth and prosperity. Every spring and autumn, they gather to pay homage in front of the statue.

According to the content of the three poems above, First, Second, Third, and Fourth Military Camps were originally the military bases of the four divisions in the army of the state named Thien Thuoc. This army existed since the Tran dynasty, gaining prominence in resisting the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Later, the people established the Co Hon temple to worship the spirits of the fallen soldiers in all four camps. Currently, there is still a stele in the Second Camp that mentions the Thien Thuoc army established during the Mac dynasty.

The historical record "Lich Lich Di Tich – Archaeology of the Fourth Temple in Loc Ha Commune, Nam Dinh Province" also mentions a stele related to the Thien Thuoc army, but it does not provide specific details about the content of that stele. Particularly, the poem "Dai Thanh Quan Tu" by Tran Ky clearly states that the Fourth Temple worships Tran Quang Khai, originally founded as Tinh Tam Quan, changed to Dai Thanh Quan during the Le dynasty, and later, during the Le Trinh period, the word "Tu" was added after the word "Quan" to become Dai Thanh Quan Tu.

The authors of the three poems all lived during the Le period: Vu Duy Thien from An Cu village, Thien Ban district; Vu Triet Vu from Dao Lang village, Dai An district; and Tran Ky from An Thai village, Thien Ban district. They achieved academic success and served in various official positions during the Le Thanh Tong dynasty.

"Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi" only mentions the Fourth Camp as a residence of the Tran family. This geographical record was compiled during the Nguyen dynasty, much later than the three mentioned poems. Documents closer to the events are generally more reliable than those produced long after the events. Therefore, the three poems by the three scholars are valuable historical documents. Thus, there is not enough convincing evidence to claim that the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Camps were the external residences of the Tran family.

An archaeological excavation conducted by the Vietnam History Museum in collaboration with the Southern Cultural Research Center from January 23, 1976, to March 18, 1976, within the temple's premises, revealed artifacts such as pottery fragments, tiles, terracotta dragon heads, and pottery kiln tools. These findings likely represent the remains of Tinh Tam Quan, founded by Tran Quang Khai, rather than the residences of the Tran family.

The architecture of the Fourth Temple is not only a repository of archaeological value but also an architectural structure with artistic value. Situated facing west, surrounded by ancient trees and the peaceful rural scenery, the temple is constructed in the form of a word "Cong" (工), combined with supporting structures like wells, gardens, ancestral halls, monk's quarters, and guesthouses, creating a sacred, intimate, and tranquil space.

The front hall consists of five sections with two roofs, renovated in the eighth year of Thanh Thai (1898), bearing the artistic style of the Nguyen era. The entire front hall includes six ranges, constructed with stacked girder structure, seven front pillars, and seven rear pillars. The decorative elements on the vertical columns and crossbeams feature subtle patterns of dragons, phoenixes, and folding leaves. The support for the front hall roof consists of 24 evenly sized cylindrical pillars with a diameter of 0.30m.

The Three Jewels (Tam Bao) hall, connected to the front hall through interlocking roof techniques, comprises four longitudinal sections arranged in four rows following a transmitting structure. The columns, beams, and rafters are planed smooth with double parallel lines. The Tam Bao houses 15 statues in the Nguyen style, arranged in five layers.

The Upper Sanctuary has three crosswise sections, connected to the Tam Bao using interlocking roof techniques. Here, wooden components are also delicately adorned, creating a spacious and airy environment.

Surrounding the temple are seven ranges of monk's quarters, seven ranges of guesthouses, three ranges of ancestral halls, and five ranges of monk's rooms. All these structures are made of ironwood and covered with southern-style roof tiles. Over time, due to the care of local authorities and the community, these constructions have maintained their durability and traditional architectural styles.

Similar to many other temples built on the ancient land of Thien Truong, besides worshiping Buddha, the Fourth Temple also venerates Tran family heroes such as Tran Nhat Duat and Pham Ngoc Lao. Together with other cultural and historical relics like Thien Truong Temple, Pho Minh Pagoda, and Bao Loc Temple, the Fourth Temple contributes to the cultural heritage of the Tran dynasty in Nam Dinh. Pilgrims visiting this place have the opportunity to explore the prosperous land of the Tran dynasty and relive a glorious period in the nation's history.

Footnotes:
[1] Quoc Su Quan Trieu Nguyen, Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, Volume 3, Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2006, p. 416.
[2] De Tu Capital: The current name of De Tu Temple. The word "capital" also means a tower built on top of a wall.
[3] Original note by the author (Vu Duy Thien): "The four Thien Thuoc military camps had an estimated 5,000 troops, with the Fourth Camp usually having 2,000, of which 1,000 were naval troops. During the resistance against the Yuan and Ming dynasties, they were fully organized but often faced destruction. Today, they are the four temples in the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Camps."
[4] The temple is located in De Tu Village, Loc Ha Commune, Loco Ha Ward, Nam Dinh City today, worshipping Tran Quang Khai and Buddha. Original note by the author (Tran Ky): "Lord Chieu Minh Dai Vuong was very knowledgeable about divine principles, and his descendants had many works such as Unfaithful Speech, South Man South God, Mustard Work and Suffering... Initially, Mr. Quang Khai established Tinh Tam Quan, changed to Dai Thanh Quan during the Le dynasty, and later, during the Le Trinh period, added the word 'Tu' (temple) after the word 'Quan'."
References:
Quoc Su Quan Trieu Nguyen (2006), Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, Volume 3, Thuan Hoa Publishing House.
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