Co Le Temple

Co Le Temple is a historical relic called by its kind. The formal name of the historical site is “Cố Lê Temple”. The relic is also known as Co Le Tiet Nghia Tu, which means the Temple of Worship for the Loyalists of the Le Dynasty.
As one of the eight wards in Tay Ho District, the land of Thuy Khue used to belong to Vinh Thuan District and consisted of the Thuy Khue, Ho Khau, and Yen Thai wards during the Le Dynasty. Before the August Revolution in 1945, it included the two streets of Vuon Uom (Cong vien Company) and Giay Village, which were part of the Ho Khau ward. According to historical records, Thuy Khue ward was part of Ba Dinh District after 1954. Since 1996, it has belonged to Tay Ho District in Hanoi city.
Visitors may access the historical monument by following Trang Thi and Dien Bien Phu streets from the city center, passing past the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, continuing on Hung Vuong Street, and turning left at the Quan Thanh crossroads into Thuy Khue Street. The relic is roughly a kilometer away, at No. 3, alley 124, Thuy Khue Street.
According to the elderly’s memories and Han-Nom documents preserved at the relic, such as a plaque chronicling loyalist devotion by author Phuong Dinh Nguyen Van Sieu, Co Le temple is now a place of worship for the loyalists and dignitaries of the Le Dynasty.
Towards the end of the Le Dynasty, Lord Trinh usurped the throne of the Le Dynasty and plunged the people into misery. Under the banner of “Phu Le diet Trinh,” Nguyen Hue led his army to Thang Long to expel the Trinh army and reestablish the Le Dynasty's authority.
After the Tay Son army led by Nguyen Hue retreated to Phu Xuan at night, the Trinh force reorganized and returned to Thang Long. Trinh Bong declared himself Commander-in-Chief, once again usurping the Le Dynasty's power and causing turmoil in the court. In response to this predicament, Nguyen Hue once again marched his army to the north to restore order in the Le Dynasty before returning with his army.
Observing the Tay Son Dynasty’s gaining power, King Le Chieu Tong sought asylum with the Qing Dynasty. As the Tay Son army marched north to destroy the Qing army in 1789, Le Chieu Tong and the Le Dynasty’s nobles and kin fled to seek refuge with the Qing Dynasty. The Le Dynasty’s historical role came to an end. Among the courtiers who fled to China with Le Chieu Thong, many kept their integrity and allegiance, according to the moral precepts of Confucianism, “Quan tu”. These were courtiers who fled the country in seek of safety.
Notwithstanding the king's advice and pressure from the Qing Dynasty in both spiritual and material terms, Le Quynh and a group of four persons refused to be assimilated by the Qing Dynasty. They did not adopt a Chinese appearance, did not cut their hair, refused to accept official titles, and were imprisoned for thirteen years. They demonstrated their commitment by only serving Le Dynasty. Even while imprisoned, they grieved for their nation and left behind a journal titled “Bac Ha tung ky,” which chronicled the unchanging ideals of a loyalist who fled the country for refuge but was detained by the Qing dynasty owing to concerns about a diplomatic conflict with Quang Trung.
In August 1804, Le Quynh and all surviving loyalists returned to the North of Thang Long citadel, bringing with them the remains of King Le Chieu Thong (following the king's desires when he was alive), his mother and son, and the remains of other deceased loyalists. Of the returning loyalists, a few chose to become officials in the Nguyen dynasty, while the majority returned to their hometowns or, like Le Quynh, resided in temples, citing their refusal to worship two kings.
According to the temple inscriptions, there are 23 loyalists and 10 subordinate deities (tong tu) worshipped at the Co Le temple, of which Le Quynh is considered the most exemplary in terms of temperament and is a most typical figure among the virtuous officials of the Le family; therefore, Le Quynh’s altar is placed in the middle, with the 22 loyalists and 10 subordinate deities worshipped on both sides.
As a result, the Co Le temple worships a total of 33 figures. The altars are set under the commentary on the rites and ceremonies of the Le and Nguyen dynasties.
The Co Le temple is located facing north, surrounded by residential houses, and the total area of the monument is 319.9m2. The temple is constructed on a “二” shaped architectural design consisting of worshipping and apse, as well as a gate. The relic still retains its architectural style since its construction with few traces of subsequent renovations.
The old temple was a magnificent and historic structure. Co Le temple still retained two stone steles that indicated it was commenced on lunar May 10 of the 14th Tu Duc year (1861) by the Viceroy of Ha Ninh (Hoanh Chu) in May 1861: “The temple was in the western part of Thang Long Citadel, in Thuy Chương Ward, Vinh Thuận District (which was a part of Tay Quach, the former capital of the Le dynasty). The temple's rear was adjacent to the To Lich River, facing the West Lake, providing spacious and beautiful natural scenery with sufficient water, birds, fish, and landscape” (the survey records preserved from 1984). According to the Chronicles of the last reign of the Le dynasty, the architecture of the Co Le temple during the period consisted of a forecourt and a central chamber comprising seven pieces that form a single edifice; on either side were two halls, each with seven sections. There were fringes at the front and rear, and three circular entrances beneath the fringes that were at right angles to the surrounding wall. A tiled-roof structure with two timber walls at either end and a brick wall at the back stood on the left side.
It is unknown when the temple was used for other purposes, especially when it was leased and operated by the Hoa Sen Cooperative. In 2009, the People’s Committee of Hanoi city issued a decision to revoke the land of the Hoa Sen Cooperative and return it to Thuy Khue Ward for management to restore the function of worship here.
In 2017, the People’s Committee of Tay Ho district, in collaboration with local authorities and the residents of Thuy Khue Ward, invested in upgrading the temple with a system of iron pillars to sustain the architectural framework, as well as reinstating the worship function at the monument.
The Co Le Temple preserves traditional Vietnamese architectural style with the dominating Nguyen dynasty style, including the worshipping and apse, with some typical carved details and architectural styles that convey the court’s artistic flair. The survey reveals, in particular, that the temple still contains typical artifacts such as 23 tablets with characteristic Nguyen-style carved decorations, and a horizontal lacquered board going back to the Nguyen era. These artifacts confirm the historical period of the relic’s founding and the long-standing devotion to the primary loyalists. At the same time, these items contribute to explaining and enhancing the monument's worth as a valuable destination for historical and cultural inquiry and exploration.