Dau An Temple and Festival

Dau An Temple, also called An Xa Temple or Thuy Ung Hall, is located in An Xa village, An Vien commune, Tien Lu district. The temple is dedicated to Five Old Fairies and Heaven and Earth Spirits who help local people reclaim farm land, kill ferocious tigers and protect crops.

Dau An Temple has unique terra - cotta relics, such as the Tran dynasty - dated altar and the 17^th century - dated tower. The altar is 2.7m long, 1.3m wide and 0.8m high. It is divided into three parts. The highest part is decorated with lotus petals. The small lotus petals are mainstreamed into the bigger ones. The middle part of altar's body is divided into three parts. Each part is embossed with the picture of two dragons flanking banyan trees. The two dragons have supple nine - section bodies. Kneeling legs of the altar's base are carved with water wave shapes.

About 20m from the main gate of Dau An Temple, there is a terra - cotta tower dating back to the fifth year of Canh Tri Period (1667). The 4.5m - high tower is made of terra - cotta bricks with the size of 0.3m x 0.3m. It consists of nine storeys (Called cuu trung) and has a square platform with the size of 2m x 2m. The platform has four kneeling legs, on each of which is the picture of a dancing girl carrying the lotus throne on her head. Every storey has a narrow roof made of tube tiles. Many patterns such as lotus petals, Gurada preternatural birds, dragon - bodied horses, elephants, crocodiles and dragon playing with the cloud… are embossed on the tower. The decorative patterns are stylized by fire - edge and lance - edge knives shapes around them.

The traditional festival of An Xa Temple falls from 6^th to 12nd April (In lunar year). Local people make the 5m - high effigies of the Heaven and Earth Spirits from bamboo, which are then taken in the procession around the village. On April 8^th, the legend of a poor woman and her children fighting with a ferocious tiger is staged. The drama tells the story of three athletes ordered by the King of Heaven to come to the earth in order to help villagers kill a ferocious tiger. It also features the strength of a poor woman who tried her best to fight the tiger to protect her children.

The festival lasts until 11p.m on April 12nd. Before the ending, the tiger fighting is re-performed at the temple's front yard and then the triet dang ceremony (Light turning - off ceremony) is held. During the ceremony, all lights in the temple and surrounding areas are turned off and some local people imitate the voice of amphibians.