The Temple of Bạch Mã Thái Giám in Phú Mỹ Village is a vernacular architectural relic of the Vietnamese people, built in the late 18th century. It is closely associated with the migration of communities from the Central Coast of Vietnam to Phú Quý Island, where they reclaimed land and established new settlements. The temple serves as a place of worship dedicated to the deity Bạch Mã Thái Giám and the village’s founding ancestors. It also fulfills the spiritual and cultural needs of the local community.
The architectural complex of the temple was constructed using traditional materials of the time, such as wood, brick, stone, and mortar mixed with traditional techniques to create a durable bond. The most remarkable feature is that all the temple’s main structures were assembled using the traditional architectural style of tứ trụ (four pillars) with layered roofs. The meticulously crafted joinery techniques were used to connect wooden components into a solid structural frame. Artistic decoration is also prominent, with ornamental motifs and embossed reliefs on the rooftop, roof corners, and intricate carvings on beams, rafters, altar cabinets, screens, and horizontal plaques.
The temple still preserves many valuable artifacts, relics, and historical Hán-Nôm documents, including five royal decrees from the Nguyễn Dynasty bestowed upon the deity Bạch Mã Thái Giám. Numerous couplets, horizontal lacquered boards, and ancestral tablets reflect the history of migration, village formation, and community development in Phú Mỹ Village over the centuries.
In addition, the temple hosts two main annual ceremonial festivals: the Spring Ceremony in the middle of the first lunar month and the Autumn Ceremony held between the 8th and 10th lunar months. These rituals serve as a spiritual bridge between the people and their deity, expressing the Vietnamese moral tradition of gratitude to one’s roots. They also represent the transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to the next, embodying the unique cultural identity of the people of Phú Quý Island in particular and Bình Thuận Province in general.
In recognition of its outstanding cultural and historical value, the Temple of Bạch Mã Thái Giám in Phú Mỹ Village was officially designated as a provincial-level relic by Decision No. 3380/QĐ-UBND issued on December 6, 2018, by the Chairman of the Bình Thuận Provincial People’s Committee. This designation is a source of great pride and honor for the people of Phú Mỹ Village.
