Vo Canh temple is located in Vo Canh village, in the Vinh Trung commune of Nha Trang city. Vo Cạnh village is situated at the boundary of Nha Trang and South Vietnam. The east and the west of the village are bordered with Vo Cang village and the Dien Khanh district of the Khanh Hoa province. The Vo Canh temple was built to worship the god of the boundary and the village elders. According to the carved content on the gate, the temple was relocated to this place in 1815.
The relics have the following buildings: the gate, the yard, the martyrs’ temple, the wells, the temple of the elders, the main temple, the east house - to organize the activities for the villagers, and the kitchen. The temple is beautifully decorated with the images of natural plants, flowers, birds, holy animals, and mascots on the roof and beams. There are altars, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, drums, gongs, and parasols inside the temple. The columns’ heads are attached with the ancient plates. The main temple has a classic design, which creates the majestic and ancient appearance.
Vo Canh temple has traditional Vietnamese architecture with the typical motifs of carvings and reliefs, such as the 4 sacred animals: the dragon, lion, tortoise and phoenix; and the 4 sacred plants: juniper, bamboo, chrysanthemum and apricot blossom. The images of these mascots are decorated on the gate, the roof and beams of the temple. At present, the temple still preserves the 4 ordinances of the Nguyen Dynasty:
The ordinances of Cao Cac in the 33rd year of the king Tu Duc in 1880.
The ordinances of Cao Cac in the 2nd year of the king Dong Khánh in 1887.
The ordinances of Cao Cac in the 3rd year of the king Duy Tan in 1909.
And the ordinances of Cao Cac Ton Than in the 9th year of the king Khai Dinh in 1924.
Every year, they celebrate the spring and Autumn Festival at the temple. The most significant ceremony is the spring festival, which is held on the 25th of the lunar February. The large or small festival can take place in 1 or 3 days, and can include a classic dramatic play, depending upon the contributions from the villagers. The festival is an opportunity for all of the people to offer sacrifices and show gratitude to the gods, who established, protect and support the village. Vo Canh temple is also a place to celebrate the communal cultural activities of the villagers and to worship the gods and the soldiers, who have sacrificed in the wars to protect the country.