Kiến An Cung is an ancient temple dating back nearly a hundred years. The unique architecture, bearing the Chinese style, has created a feature of a Chinese temple in the Mekong Delta. Kiến An Cung temple was built in 1924 and completed in 1927, by a group of Chinese people from Fujian. At that time, there was a businessman named Huỳnh Thuận who mobilized a large number of Fujianese in Sa Đéc to build a temple. The main purpose was to maintain the traditional beliefs of their nation, to have a place to link the community, to meet, to discuss and to exchange information about business…. Kiến An Cung worships many gods meticulously carved, decorated colorfully, but the main deity here is Mr. Quách who believed to protect and support the Fujianese.

Kiến An Cung is a very majestic and splendid temple. It has a large and airy yard. The outside surroundes by a solid fence. The entire yard coveres with cement so it’s very clean. The roof of the pagoda is covered with yin and yang tiles, in the middle of the roof is an image of “two dragons flanking a moon”. On either side of the main entrance, there are two huge green stone unicorns. Beside the stones, there are paintings of two gods standing at the entrance. Stepping into the temple, there  are 12 rows, seperated on both side, of large round columns supporting the roof of the pagoda. Around the column is intricately carved, wood-paneled with counters written in Chinese characters.

Especially around the temple, there are many flexible and sharp “Ink wash paintings”, on the wall, with content promoting good and exorcism, taken from novels including “The Investiture of the Gods”, “Journey to the West”, and “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”….And most of the materials in this temple were transported from China, even builders and painters were also invited from China as well.

Every year, the temple has two ceremonies, the 22nd day of the 8th lunar month, and the 22nd day of the 2nd lunar month. It attracts a large number of tourists from everywhere to worship and expired this unique temple. And with Chinese-style architecture, Kiến An Cung temple was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a national historical-cultural relic on April 27, 1990.

Kiến An Cung Temple