Lean Chinese architecture at That Phu Temple

The Mekong Delta’s Vinh Long Province is famous for its endless orchards of grapefruit, mango, orange, longan, rambutan, durian and its many cultural and historical sites, of which That Phu Temple is a striking example of Chinese architecture that is worth a visit.
That Phu Temple is located on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street in Vinh Long Township. The site was built in the early nineteenth century by a group of Chinese architects from Fujian. The temple features seven sections named after seven Chinese cities.
The temple covers 800 square meters and is bounded by solid red bricks, highlighted with its curved roof with leaf shaped bricks at the edges.
The tranquility here is supplemented by old-fashioned lanterns and paintings depicting Chinese history. The royal design includes five doors, two windows and walls and pillars carved meticulously into works of art.
The temple is habitually filled with a haze of incense that drifts by the horizontal lacquer boards, the parallel sentences and the paintings.
Locals gather on the thirteenth day of lunar January to celebrate a traditional festival to pray for good health and good luck. The temple was recognized as a national architectural relic on January 25, 1994.