Introduction

 

      The population around market area has gradually increased, Mr. Mai Tu Thua asked for permission to separate from Binh Luong Tay village and to establish new village Binh Thanh. He also donated a piece of land to build village temple – the precusor of Vinh Phong temple today. Legend has it that, Mr. Mai Tu Thua contributed a lot in the dredge of Tra Cu canal in 1892 and took part in Le Van Khoi rising up and then disappeared. Therefore, his property including the market and land was confiscated and his wife and children were exiled. Binh Thanh village was also changed as Vinh Phong village and the communal house in the village was also moved. Until the French colonialism had occupyed the South and Nguyen dynasty did not have power in the South, the people around Thu Thua market decided to raise money to build Vinh Phong communal house in 1886 and brought the votive table of Mai Tu Thua to worship with 7 Chinese characters: ''ancient sage Mai Tu Thua-Chu Thi''.

       After many times of restoration, most recently in 1998, Vinh Phong temple still reserved architectural style of late Nguyen dynasty. Currently, Vinh Phong temple is located in 1132m² area with 3 layers: stage for classical drama art, stage for practicing martial art, and central chamber facing Thu Thua canal. The central chamber was built in ancient style with 4 pillars structure, double tiled-roof, a pair of glazed terra-cotta dragons (in the position of two dragons fighting over a pearl) located on roof-top. Inside the central chamber, decoration is solemn with 2 layers of balcony, 3 altars, Long Dinh and Lo Bo. External balcony is the masterpiece of Thu Dau Mot craftsmen group dated back to Mau Ngo year (1918). Craftsmen expressed traditional themes on this balcony such as the four supernatural creatures (dragon, unicorn, tortoise and phoenix), four flowers (apricot, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo) and Eagle back to its nest. Above the balcony, there are wood frames structured in carved style with many patterns (Dragon and Horses, Apricot and Deer, Scrolling book, Fish becoming Dragon and Bat …very sophisticated. In front of the main altar is an ancient balcony dated Binh Tuat (1886). With the same theme of four flowers, yet details on this balcony was formed in strong lines and shapes with style of late 19^th century. The special thing about this balcony is the skillful art of vermilion and gilt. Over more than a century, yet this balcony has still been splendid as the early day. The central chamber of Vinh Phong has 2 ancient precious vermilion lacquered and gilded wood horizontal panels and 8 pairs of vertical wood panels dated Binh Tuat (1886) and Binh Thin (1916). Most of parallel sentences are written by the way that 2 first words of 2 parallel sentences are combined as name of Dinh or Thu Thua. Especially, the parallel sentences in the altar of Mai Tu Thua: