Turning off the coastal road in the former La Gi area and traveling a short distance inland, visitors find themselves flanked entirely by dipterocarp forest (rừng dầu). Straight trunks with gray bark rise to a closed canopy that filters the sunlight into streaks. In a clearing amid the trees stands a tile-roofed triple-arched gate, followed by a wide courtyard and a four-roofed hall crowned with two dragons flanking the moon along its ridge. This is Dinh Thầy Thím (Thầy Thím Shrine).
What stands out first is the name itself. Local residents do not know the personal names or surnames of the two figures venerated here, so they call the husband Thầy (Master or Healer) and the wife Thím (Aunt), using the everyday kinship terms addressed to a respected older couple in the neighborhood. Those two plain words have remained unchanged for more than a century without being replaced by any grand title, and that very fact expresses the character of this place.
IThầy and Thím, the two venerated figures
One point should be stated clearly at the outset so visitors are not misled, namely that this belongs to the Vietnamese folk tradition of human deity veneration, not to an institutionalized church religion. Dinh Thầy Thím is not a Buddhist pagoda and has no monks or nuns. It belongs to folk belief, in which real human beings remembered for their service to the people are honored with a shrine after their death and gradually revered as tutelary spirits. Worship here is overseen by a ritual committee (ban tế tự) elected by the local community rather than by ordained clergy.
This pattern of human deity worship is deeply familiar in Vietnamese culture. When a real person performs lasting good for a community, the community preserves that memory by erecting a shrine and making offerings on the death anniversary. From memorial rites, the practice gradually expands into prayers for favorable weather, calm seas, and healing from illness. When the royal court learns of the cult, it confers an imperial decree of investiture (sắc phong). At Dinh Thầy Thím, all three stages are visible, moving from two sand mounds in the forest, to a permanent shrine, and finally to royal investiture.
Local legend relates that Thầy was originally a Taoist adept (đạo sĩ) from Điện Bàn prefecture in Quảng Nam province who lived during the early Gia Long reign. Skilled in spiritual arts, he frequently used his powers to aid poor villagers, once summoning rain to end a drought and once turning a great timber log into a boat for a village. Those very acts brought a heavy sentence against him from the authorities. The story continues that when led to the execution ground, he asked for a strip of red silk, which transformed into a dragon and carried him and his wife southward through the sky. They settled at the coastal village of Tam Tân, earning their livelihood by dispensing herbal medicine and building fishing boats.
When the couple passed away around the middle of the 9th lunar month, villagers discovered two sand graves raised by wild animals in the forest, and legend tells that a pair of white tigers regularly came to keep watch beside them. Later, the royal court reviewed the old case, recognized the injustice, and issued a royal decree conferring upon Thầy the title Chí Đức Tiên Sinh (Master of Supreme Virtue) and upon Thím the title Chí Đức Nương Nương Tôn Thần (Revered Lady Deity of Supreme Virtue), ranking them as Supreme Deities (Thượng đẳng thần). The four Chinese characters displayed at the top of this page are Chí Đức Tiên Sinh from the royal decree, whereas the words Thầy and Thím themselves are native Vietnamese kinship terms with no direct Chinese equivalent.
Regarding which monarch issued the decree, sources differ. Many records state that the exoneration and investiture took place in the 18th year of King Thành Thái, the Bính Ngọ year of 1906, while other accounts state only that it occurred later under the Nguyễn dynasty without specifying a reign title. The library notes both accounts rather than choosing one arbitrarily, as the narrative belongs to local legend.
The first common misconception is that Thầy Thím is the personal name of a single deity. It is not. They are two Vietnamese kinship nouns used to address an older man skilled in a learned profession and his wife. Villagers in Tam Tân used those exact words because no one knew the couple's real names, and that everyday form of address persisted even after the royal decree bestowed formal Chinese titles upon them.
The second misconception involves the word dinh (palace-shrine), which is distinct from đình (village communal house). A đình serves both as the sanctuary of a village's tutelary deity and as its communal administrative hall. In central and southern Vietnamese usage, a dinh refers to a dedicated shrine honoring specific deities without administrative functions. Though the two words sound similar, they denote two distinct types of structures.
IIFrom two graves in the forest to the shrine
The history of this site began not with a decision to build a temple, but with two graves. Even today, veneration remains divided between two locations, the shrine complex and the tomb area, linked together by annual processions.
- Early 19th centuryThe couple settles in Tam TânAccording to legend, the adept and his wife migrated from Quảng Nam to settle in the coastal village of Tam Tân during the early Gia Long reign. This belongs to oral tradition and is not attested by contemporary documents.
- Date unknownTwo graves in the forestVillagers found two sand graves in the forest clearing where the couple passed away and began making offerings on the spot. Veneration at the tombs preceded the construction of the shrine.
- 1879Construction of the shrineAn ancient Sino-Nom inscription on a wooden tie-beam records that the construction of the shrine in the Bàu Cái dipterocarp forest was completed on the 25th day of the 12th lunar month of the Kỷ Mão year, the 32nd year of King Tự Đức (1879). This on-site epigraphic record is the most certain date in the chronology of the complex.
- 1906Royal decree under King Thành TháiAccording to local tradition and records, in the 18th year of King Thành Thái (1906), the royal court reviewed the old case and issued a decree conferring the titles Chí Đức Tiên Sinh and Chí Đức Nương Nương Tôn Thần, ranked as Supreme Deities. Some sources attribute the decree more generally to the Nguyễn dynasty.
- 20th centurySuccessive restorationsThe shrine underwent multiple restorations while preserving its traditional layout comprising the triple-arched gate, martial opera hall, main sanctuary, Tiger Deity shrine, and halls for the Founding and Successor Ancestors. Most of the timber structural members visible today belong to these restoration phases.
- 1997National heritage siteDinh Thầy Thím was ranked as a national architectural and artistic heritage site under Decision No. 2890-VH/QĐ dated September 27, 1997 by the Ministry of Culture and Information, encompassing both the shrine complex and the forest tombs.
- 2022National intangible cultural heritageThe Dinh Thầy Thím festival was inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage under Decision No. 62/QĐ-BVHTTDL of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, signed on January 12, 2022.
One discrepancy in place names across sources should be noted candidly. The address of the shrine is commonly recorded as the Bàu Cái dipterocarp forest. When describing the tomb complex, however, heritage management documents state that the graves lie in Bàu Thông forest, about three kilometers west of the shrine, whereas several press articles place both the shrine and the tombs within Bàu Cái forest. Most likely these are names for two contiguous tracts of forest, and because the library has not found a definitive cadastral source resolving the distinction, both names are recorded here.
IIIThe shrine complex and the forest tombs
The sacred complex consists of two parts separated by a stretch of forest, namely the shrine precinct and the tomb precinct. The two form the opposite ends of a ritual axis, and all annual processions travel back and forth between them.
The shrine precinct
Entering from the outside, visitors pass through a tile-roofed triple-arched gate (cổng tam quan) and a spirit screen decorated with relief dragons in the familiar style of central and southern Vietnamese temples. Beyond the gate lies a wide courtyard leading to the martial opera hall (võ ca), a theater pavilion of about 81 square meters standing directly in front of the main sanctuary. Placing the theater stage immediately before the deity is a standard custom in southern shrines, reflecting the traditional view that classical opera performances are offerings presented to the spirits rather than mere side entertainment.
Behind the opera hall stands the main sanctuary (chính điện), a four-roofed hall whose ridge bears two dragons flanking the moon, housing the central altar dedicated to Thầy and Thím. Flanking and standing behind the sanctuary are the Founding Ancestors Hall (nhà thờ Tiền hiền) honoring those who first cleared the land, the Successor Ancestors Hall (nhà thờ Hậu hiền) honoring later generations who developed the village, the Tiger Deity Shrine (miếu Ông Hổ), an exhibition room, storehouses, and the offices of the ritual committee.
A theater pavilion of about 81 square meters standing directly before the main sanctuary. During festival days, classical opera (hát bội) troupes perform here facing inward toward the main altar rather than outward toward the courtyard.
A four-roofed hall crowned with two dragons flanking the moon along its ridge. Inside stand the central altar for Thầy and Thím and secondary altars, forming the heart of the complex.
Two halls honoring the pioneers who cleared the land and the subsequent generations who maintained village affairs, alongside the Tiger Deity Shrine in the grounds. The presence of these altars shows that the shrine also serves as a communal worship center for the local settlement.
Located about three kilometers west of the shrine, comprising four mounds heaped from white sand for Thầy, Thím, and the pair of white tigers behind a spirit screen, together with a memorial pavilion and a shrine to the Tutelary Deity in front.
Regarding construction materials, local records note that the shrine was built from locally sourced materials, primarily timber, with traditional mortar compounded from ô dước tree resin, sand, lime, and sugar. This mortar recipe was widely used across central and southern Vietnam prior to the introduction of modern cement.
One detail often overlooked is that the tomb area is the original root of veneration here, while the shrine was built later. Chronologically, villagers went into the forest to worship at the two sand graves long before the shrine existed. For that reason, the largest annual festival does not take place solely within the shrine walls, but must begin with a procession up to the tombs to invite the royal decree back to the sanctuary.
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
This section presents the library's reading through the lens of traditional geomancy, not content transcribed from steles or heritage dossiers. The library states this clearly so visitors can distinguish documentary records from interpretation.
First, one must recognize the nature of the terrain here. This is a coastal sandy plain, without mountains to serve as a rear pillow (hậu chẩm) and without a major river to form the bright hall (minh đường). Instead, there are only low sand stretches, natural freshwater ponds that locals call bàu, and dipterocarp forest growing atop the sand. Because classical geomancy was formulated for landscapes of mountains and rivers, applying its rules mechanically to a coastal sand plain would miss the mark. Here one must read by adaptation, asking what performs the role of mountains and what performs the role of water.
What performs the role of the mountain is the dipterocarp forest. In traditional thought, a place where dense old-growth trees thrive is a place where vital energy gathers (tụ khí), because trees flourish only on good ground and their canopy prevents the wind from scattering the qi. Coastal sand plains are buffeted by sea winds year-round, so a tract of tall forest standing firm amid the sand is itself evidence of favorable ground. The forest here plays a dual role, acting both as a windbreak wall and as a backing support in place of an absent mountain.
What performs the role of water are the ponds (bàu). The forest tract housing the shrine is named Bàu Cái, and the tract housing the tombs is named Bàu Thông, both carrying the word bàu. In geomantic theory, still water gathers qi while moving water guides qi, so a landscape dotted with ponds provides multiple small points of water gathering (thủy tụ). Further to the south lies the open sea, which traditional geomancy views as unsentimental water (thủy vô tình), water too vast and turbulent to hold qi. Consequently, coastal sanctuaries usually sit several kilometers inland rather than right on the surf line, and the placement of Dinh Thầy Thím follows that pattern.
Regarding spatial layout, the most compelling feature is the axis linking the shrine and the tombs. In traditional terms, the grave represents the yin aspect while the shrine represents the yang aspect, so preserving both ends and connecting them through periodic processions keeps the two halves from severing. Whereas many human deity shrines retain only the temple while the original grave has been lost, here both ends endure.
Finally, there is orientation. Because heritage dossiers do not record a compass bearing for the shrine, the library does not cite a specific degree figure. One general observation about this coastal strip suffices, namely that the terrain slopes gently southward toward the sea, so traditional sanctuaries in the area generally face the lower ground while resting their backs against the higher ground and the forest.
VThe tomb-sweeping rite and the ninth lunar month festival
Two major festivals take place each year, both following the lunar calendar, namely the tomb-sweeping rite (lễ tảo mộ) on the 5th day of the 1st lunar month, and the 9th lunar month festival, the death anniversary commemoration held over three days from the 14th to the 16th day of the 9th lunar month. The latter was inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022.
| Lunar date | Rite | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5th day of the 1st lunar month | Tomb-sweeping rite | The ritual committee and local residents travel to the tombs in the forest to sweep the sand mounds and present offerings. According to local legend, this is also the day the pair of white tigers returned to tend the graves. |
| 14th day of the 9th lunar month | Welcoming the Deities | At dawn, the ritual committee proceeds to the forest tombs to invite the royal decree and incense bowl, carrying them in procession to be enthroned at the shrine (lễ nghinh Thần và nhập điện an vị), linking the tomb complex with the shrine. |
| 14th to 16th day of the 9th lunar month | Offering cake towers | Community groups present elaborate trays of traditional cakes arranged into decorative towers (cộ bánh) carried in procession into the shrine, accompanied by the Noon Offering (lễ Cúng Ngọ) and rites for the Founding and Successor Ancestors. |
| During the three festival days | Presenting the sacrificial animal | A traditional rite (lễ Thỉnh sanh or Tĩnh sanh) presenting a sacrificial animal, specifically an unblemished, entirely white boar, conducted according to ancient custom prior to the main sacrificial ceremony. |
| 15th and 16th days of the 9th lunar month | Main sacrificial rite, troop offering, and farewell rite | The principal sacrificial ceremony (chánh tế) presided over by the ritual committee with ceremonial orations and incense offerings, followed by offerings to unseen soldiers (cúng binh gia), alms distribution (thí thực), and the farewell rite (tống na) concluding the festival. |
Alongside the solemn rites, the three days in the 9th lunar month feature classical opera (hát bội) in the martial opera hall, dramatic reenactments of the legend of Thầy and Thím, and folk games rooted in coastal life such as net-weaving contests, fish-carrying races, basket-boat carrying, and tug-of-war. This program clearly reflects a seafaring community, as the skills tested in competition are the very tasks residents perform in their daily lives.
One frequent conflation is worth clarifying. Because the 9th lunar month festival is nowadays often promoted under the label of a culture and tourism festival, some visitors assume it is a newly invented event. Documentary records show that the core of the festival, comprising welcoming the Deities, presenting the sacrificial animal, offering cake towers, and the main sacrificial rite, is the traditional death anniversary observance of Tam Tân village practiced for generations, whereas the recreational and promotional activities are later additions. The two layers coexist within the same festival period but do not share the same age.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Khu rừng dầu Bàu Cái, xã Tân Hải (xã Tân Tiến, thị xã La Gi cũ), tỉnh Lâm Đồng
- Getting there
- The shrine stands in the Bàu Cái dipterocarp forest in Tân Hải commune (formerly Tân Tiến commune, La Gi town), Lâm Đồng province, a few kilometers inland from the coast. The Thầy Thím tomb complex lies deeper in the forest about three kilometers west of the shrine and can be visited along the same route.
- Coordinates
- 10.7069, 107.835
Visitors should observe several local customs, including dressing modestly, removing hats before entering the main sanctuary, placing donations into the merit box rather than onto the altars, and refraining from touching the royal decree or carved wooden artifacts. The tomb complex in the forest is a place of veneration rather than a picnic ground, so visitors are asked to maintain quiet and avoid breaking branches or picking plants. During the three festival days in the 9th lunar month, numerous processions cross the courtyard, so please give way to the palanquins and cake-tower trays.
Nearby places in the library
VIIContribute To This Page
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?Quick Questions
Who is worshipped at Dinh Thầy Thím
The shrine honors a married couple whom residents of the Tam Tân area call Thầy (Master) and Thím (Aunt). According to legend, they were a Taoist adept from Quảng Nam and his wife who settled here and practiced herbal medicine and boat-building. A royal decree issued in the 18th year of King Thành Thái (1906) conferred upon them the titles Chí Đức Tiên Sinh and Chí Đức Nương Nương Tôn Thần, ranked as Supreme Deities. No one knows their actual personal names.
What religion does Dinh Thầy Thím belong to
It does not belong to any institutionalized religion with a church hierarchy. It represents the Vietnamese folk tradition of human deity veneration, honoring real individuals of merit as tutelary spirits. The shrine is not a Buddhist pagoda and has no monks or nuns, and worship is managed by an elected community ritual committee rather than ordained clergy.
Where are the tombs of Thầy and Thím located
The tomb complex lies in the forest about three kilometers west of the shrine, comprising four white-sand mounds for Thầy, Thím, and the pair of white tigers, along with a small memorial shrine. Sources differ on the name of the forest tract containing the graves, with some recording Bàu Thông forest and others recording Bàu Cái forest.
When does the Dinh Thầy Thím festival take place
Two major observances take place each year according to the lunar calendar. The tomb-sweeping rite is held on the 5th day of the 1st lunar month at the forest graves. The main festival, marking the death anniversary, takes place over three days from the 14th to the 16th day of the 9th lunar month, featuring the procession welcoming the Deities, cake-tower offerings, the sacrificial animal rite, and the main sacrificial ceremony.
Which province does Dinh Thầy Thím belong to today
The shrine is located in the new Tân Hải commune, formed by merging former Tân Tiến and Tân Hải communes of former La Gi town. Following the 2025 administrative reorganization, this area belongs to Lâm Đồng province, although the former provincial name Bình Thuận still appears in most earlier publications.