Tien Y Temple (also known as Y Temple of the Nguyen Dynasty) is a relic in the system of Nguyen Dynasty relics, a place to worship the most famous doctors in Vietnam. Under the Nguyen Dynasty, Tien Y Temple belonged to the National Temple class, was ordained "Royal Court of Oriental medicine, superior to Luong y Nhat deity" and was managed by the court; rituals every year were performed in the spring and winter periods by an official of the Third rank, obedient to the Emperor's orders, and the officials of the Institute and the royal doctors were on guard.

Experiencing the same changes at the same time, although it has been changed architecturally, Tien Y Temple is still located in the same location and still retains its function (place of worship of the Divine Healer and Doctors) as under the Nguyen Dynasty.

On November 26, 2015, Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2739/QD-UBND on classifying Tien Y Temple relic as a provincial historical relic.

Tien Y Temple was built in the 6th year of Minh Mang (1825) on the side of Thien Mu Temple, in the land of high and low security (now in Huong Long Commune, Ho Chi Minh City). Hue).

When Emperor Tu Duc ascended the throne, he said: "The temple was built on the left side of Thien Mu pagoda, where the soil was wet, the model was narrow, and the sacrifice was also lacking and insufficient. Now, it is advisable to amend and re-determine the rules and rituals, to expand the religion, make the river last a long time, and keep the people healthy". Then instruct the Ministry of Public Works to select high land to establish a shrine and assign the Ministry of Ceremony to study and determine the worship and sacrifice. In 1850 (ie 01 year later), Tien Y Temple was newly built in Thuong Du Ward in the citadel (now in Thuan Loi Ward, Ho Chi Minh City). Hue) with an architecture of 1 building, 9 compartments. Worship and sacrifice here are clearly regulated and conducted very solemnly. Tien Y Temple worshipped Divine Healers and Doctors, or famous talented healers in the past. First of all, the Tien Y Temple worshipped Phuc Hy, Than Nong and the Emperor, 3 typical talents of Oriental medicine.

Since then, this temple has changed its location a few times, but in the time of Thanh Thai in 1903, Tien Y Temple returned to its old location and remains there to this day (currently the temple is located at Luong Y Street, Thuan Loc Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Hue).

Due to many fluctuations in time and history, Tien Y Temple was degraded and rarely mentioned for a long time. It was not until 2002, that the Provincial People's Committee allocated funds to restore this relic. 

In 2015, Hue Monuments Conservation Center prepared a dossier to request a provincial ranking for Tien Y Temple. On that basis, on November 26, 2015, the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province issued Decision No. 2739/QD-UBND classifying the Tien Y Temple relic as a provincial historical relic.

Received the certificate of recognition of Tien Y Temple as a provincial historical relic (Photo: Huu An)

Under the Nguyen Dynasty, Tien Y Temple was one of the shrines of special importance. The temple is ranked in the ranks of the masses, every year there are third rank mandarin and the Thai Medical Institute comes to do the ritual.

According to the "Đại Nam Nhất Thống Chí" in 1909, the National History of Duy Tan Dynasty recorded about Tien Y Temple as follows: "In Thuong Du ward on the left side in the citadel, the 6th year of Minh Mang (1825) was built on the left side of Thien Mu pagoda, the 2nd year of Tu Duc (1849) moved here. It is the main building of 3 compartments 2 wings, worshiping Phuc Hy, Than Nong, the Emperor and the Medical Prophets. In two important months of spring and autumn, Medical Institute came to hold the ritual. Year Thanh Thai 15 (1903) built two more houses on the left and right” (Translation by Tu Trai Nguyen Tao, page 45)(1)

Tien Y Temple in the time of Tu Duc, worshipped a total of 40 tablets, including two tablets about the country's doctors, the tablets about the previous medical names of Vietnam, and the tablets about the previous medical names of Nguyen dynasty. Thus, along with Van Mieu, Vo Mieu, Y Mieu were also important cultural institutions of the Nguyen Dynasty.

After the end of the Nguyen Dynasty, the temple was abandoned until 1991, the local elders voluntarily contributed to the construction of a small three-room shrine made of reinforced cement with a length of 3,5 m, a width of 1,1 m and a height of 2,3 m.

In 2002, the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province allocated funds for restoration and renovation. Although it has been changed architecturally (Tien Y Temple was rebuilt spaciously in the style of Hue's traditional shrine on an area of 300m2), Tien Y Temple is still located in the old location and still retains its function (place of worship of the Divine Healer and Doctors) as under the Nguyen Dynasty.

In recent years, the Council of Oriental Medicine of Thua Thien Hue has embellished the temple and set up more tablets of Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac and Tue Tinh Zen masters, two famous doctors of the country, and restored the Vietnamese medical ceremony and commemorate the death of Hai Thuong Lan Ong at Tien Y temple on the occasion of the full moon of January, to commemorate the Vietnamese doctors and consider this is also a traditional holiday of Oriental Medicine.

Tien Y Temple is a special relic, which shows the tradition of "respect teachers and value education" to remember the sources of medical workers. Under the Nguyen Dynasty, Tien Y Temple belonged to the National Temple class, was ordained "Royal Court of Oriental medicine, superior to Luong y Nhat deity" and was managed by the court; rituals every year were performed in the spring and winter periods by an official of the Third rank, obedient to the Emperor's orders, and the officials of the Institute and the royal doctors were on guard.

Today, along with the relics of the Complex of Hue Monuments, Tien Y Temple contributes to enriching and diversifying attractions in Hue Citadel, not only the destination of medical workers in Hue but also many people in all parts of the country. At the same time, the relic is also a source of historical documents to learn the policy of the ancient Eastern Y Nguyen Dynasty for the medical examination and treatment of the royal family, mandarins, soldiers and people when there is an epidemic.

Currently, this place is usually closed and only open on the occasion of worshiping famous doctors and the Full Moon in January (Lunar calendar).

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Information for comparison and reference:

-(1) Time of building Tien Y temple in Hue through the history of the Nguyen Dynasty, Nguyen Thi Duong, Han Nom Research Institute, Hanoi, 2022