Chinh Vi Temple: A historical site at the mouth of the sea.

Chinh Vi Temple is located in Nghi Xuan commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province, 12km east of Vinh city, on the Vinh - Cua Hoi - Cua Lo road.

In 1800, Mr. Ba Hoi, a boat trader, contributed money to build the temple. Chinh Vi Temple is dedicated to the village's tutelary deity and the wandering souls along the riverbank. The temple is situated in a scenic location with boats on the river and a constant breeze year-round. Beyond its spiritual and religious significance, Chinh Vi Temple is also a historical site associated with many significant events in the local area.

Over 500 years ago, Nghi Xuan commune belonged to the "Three Villages and Seven Camps" territory of Duke Nguyen Su Hoi. Nguyen Su Hoi was the eldest son of Grand Tutor and Duke Nguyen Xi. He and his father eliminated rebels to restore the Le dynasty. Nguyen Su Hoi was also appointed Admiral, commanding the defense and garrison at 12 seaports, from Sam Son (Thanh Hoa) to Thuan An (Thua Thien - Hue). He was instrumental in attracting people to settle and establish villages in the Cua Hoi and Cua Lo areas.

Cửa Hội includes the villages of Song Lộc, Tân Hợp, Mỹ Lộc, Nam Sơn, and Hồng Quần, all belonging to the Đặng Xá district. This area boasts numerous cultural architectural structures such as: Hiếu Village Temple, Chính Vị Temple, Phúc Vị Temple, Đồng Trắng Temple, Nam Sơn Temple, Hồng Quần Temple, Hải Yến Temple, etc.

The people here have a long tradition of academic achievement: Mr. Pham Vi Khiem earned the title of Hoang Giap (Imperial Scholar) and held the position of Dong Cac Dai Hoc Sy (Grand Academician) during the Le Canh Hung dynasty; Mr. Truong Van Khang (the Head Teacher) passed the Tam Truong examination; Mr. Le Ke Thuong passed the Cu Nhan examination; Mr. Le Ke Xuan was granted the title of Han Lam (Academician) by the king; Mr. Nguyen Van Minh passed the Cu Nhan examination and held the position of Tham Bien Dai Hoc Sy; Mr. Hoang Quan, Mr. Dinh Duong, Mr. Le Quy Mau, Mr. Le Khac Giai, Mr. Le Khac Tuan, Mr. Le Duc Tinh, Mr. Hoang Duc Doan, Mr. Nguyen Ba Cac… all passed the Cu Nhan, Tu Tai, and Han Hoc examinations.

This land has produced many military commanders whose names are recorded in history, such as General Vu Duc Hau and Grand Admiral Nguyen Ba Loc, both of whom were meritorious officials during the Tay Son dynasty under Nguyen Hue.

In 1885-1896, in response to the Can Vuong (Support the King) decree, many people from Song Loc actively participated and became leaders of the anti-French movement, such as Dinh Van Chat, Dang Thai Than, Ngo Quang, Hoang Van Thai, Dinh Van Phien, Cao Huy Tuan, Nguyen Huu Chinh, and Trinh Xuan Huy. The people cut bamboo to fence off the village to block the enemy's advance, contributed money and rice to supply the resistance fighters, and sheltered and protected the scholars and intellectuals participating in the uprising. At that time, Chinh Vi Temple became a gathering place for young people and intellectuals to discuss national affairs and organize patriotic poetry readings.

Under the oppressive exploitation of the feudal colonialists, the people rose up to fight against the Western officials who seized alcohol and salt, demanded the distribution of communal land, opposed corrupt local officials, and attacked the forest rangers for their oppression and forcing people to collect pine leaves for cooking…

From 1925 onwards, revolutionary organizations such as the Youth and Tan Viet were established in Song Loc. To commemorate the 1929 Russian October Revolution, the Indochinese Communist Party organized a flag-raising ceremony at Chinh Vi Temple.

On February 3, 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam was founded, under the leadership of the Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee, the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, and the Nghi Loc District Party Committee. The first combined Party branch of Nghi Loc district was established, with Comrade Nguyen Duc Binh as its Secretary. Subsequently, mass organizations such as the Red Peasant Association, the Women's Liberation Association, the Communist Youth Union, the Red Self-Defense Force, and the Support Association were established.

Under the leadership of the Party, the people of Song Loc have written glorious chapters in history:
On the morning of May 1, 1930, people from the villages of Song Loc, Tan Hop, An Hau, Duc Hau, etc., joined a demonstration with workers from the Vinh - Ben Thuy factories demanding that the French colonialists increase wages, reduce working hours for workers, and ease or postpone taxes for farmers. The demonstration was brutally suppressed by the French colonialists, resulting in 6 deaths and 18 injuries.

On June 25, 1930, following the directive of Nghi Loc district, the Song-Tan Party branch led the Red Peasant Association sub-groups, mobilizing hundreds of farmers to gather at Cong Ma Nuong (Nghi Truong commune) for a rally.

On September 10, 1930, the people of Song Loc, Tan Hop, My Chiem, and Phuong Cuong (Dang Xa commune) gathered at Con Mo (Co Bai, Phuc Tho) for a rally protesting the imperialist execution of two Red Peasant Association cadres, Phan Van Than and Nguyen Van Dieu. The crowd also forced Bang Yen and Tho Than (Song Loc) to confess their crimes, then proceeded to destroy the Fontaine wine agency and the French signal house, demanding that the military officer in charge of the garrison stop controlling and collecting taxes from the people's boats entering and leaving Cua Hoi.

On September 28, 1930, people gathered at Dong Rao (Nghi Xuan commune) to protest and punish Do Toan, the tax collector at Son market, for his arrogance and oppression of the people. They then stormed his house, vandalized his belongings, and dragged him out to Son market to confront him. A young man lit a match and burned off his whiskers. Do Toan was terrified and promised that from now on he would "not dare report to the authorities and would no longer collect market taxes."

On February 28, 1930, the people of Song Loc - Tan Hop, Phuong Cuong, My Chiem, Hai Con, Co Bai, An Hau, Duc Hau (Nghi Loc) joined the workers and peasants of Vinh - Ben Thuy, Yen Dung… in holding a memorial service for the soldiers who died in the struggle on September 12, 1930 in Thai Lao (Hung Nguyen).

In early 1931, the people punished District Chief Ton That Hoan and his henchmen at Chinh Vi Temple. This event shocked public opinion nationwide and in both Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. Ton That Hoan, who had been District Chief of Nghi Loc since 1930, belonged to the Nguyen Gia Long (Ton That) lineage and was considered one of the most wicked district chiefs in the region.

On the morning of January 2, 1931, District Chief Ton That Hoan, riding a chestnut horse with five soldiers, went to Song Loc village to hunt down Party cadres. Upon hearing the news, the General Committee member Dang Xa immediately gathered the people to protest, demanding that the district chief release those arrested. The drums beat in unison, and the Red Guard and the masses, led by Comrade Truong Van Thanh, rushed forward armed with spears, sticks, sickles, knives, etc. The district chief ordered his soldiers to shoot, wounding one person. Immediately, the crowd shouted and rushed forward, causing the soldiers to flee. They attempted to escape by boat to Chinh Vi Temple (Nghi Xuan), but the people caught up with them. The district chief, along with Deputy General Dang Xa, the deputy village head, the head of the Song Loc group, and the five soldiers, were punished by the people.

Following the assassination of the district chief, the Southern feudal regime intensified its brutal repression in Nghi Loc. They established the Chinh Vi outpost (right next to the Chinh Vi temple) and deployed the notoriously cruel "Rang" along with 40 French colonial soldiers to relentlessly hunt, arrest, and suppress the people day and night. This period of terror lasted for months. At the Chinh Vi banyan tree, the French colonialists and feudalists executed 22 communist fighters, including Comrade Nguyen Phong Sac - Secretary of the Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee, and burned down 320 houses belonging to the people of Song Loc - Tan Hop.

Despite the enemy's insidious tactics, the revolutionary spirit of the people remained undiminished. The revolutionary movement continued to flourish until 1945.

On February 23, 1937, Godard, an envoy of the French Popular Front government, traveled from Hanoi to Vinh to investigate the situation in Indochina. Hundreds of farmers and fishermen from Song Loc and Tan Hop flocked to Vinh to present their demands and aspirations to Godard, asking for "food, jobs, freedom and democracy, the abolition of poll tax, a reduction in land tax, and the general amnesty of political prisoners..."

In 1945, the Viet Minh Front was established, using the Chinh Vi Temple as its headquarters and a gathering place for mass organizations. The National Salvation Army was formed, creating a new force for the uprising to seize power in the August 1945 Revolution.

The Chinh Vi Temple is located right on the banks of the Lam River, facing east towards Cua Hoi. The temple has two buildings: the Upper Hall and the Lower Hall. Over time, natural disasters and wars have caused significant deterioration to the monument. Currently, only the Upper Hall, with its three bays and two wings, remains.

In front of the entrance gate are two 4-meter-high pillars, each topped with a kneeling mythical creature (Nghê). Two couplets in Chinese characters are inscribed on the pillars: “Lam Thủy Phong Vân Bồi Vương Khí Chính Thiên Tuế Nguyệt Tụ Dư Linh,” praising the temple's unparalleled natural beauty. Between the two pillars is a gate adorned with a tiger-shaped ornament, flanked by two kneeling stone elephants. Next is a courtyard measuring 10 meters long and 7 meters wide. The main hall has three bays and two side wings with curved eaves shaped like cranes, and two gable ends. The front facade features six doors made of ironwood. The main longitudinal beams are carved with stylized dragon, phoenix, and floral motifs. The temple also has a large gilded plaque bearing the four characters “Chính Vị Linh Từ” (Chính Vị Sacred Temple).

The Chính Vị Temple used to be dedicated to the village's tutelary deity. In 1996, the local people added an altar to Comrade Nguyễn Phong Sắc and the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Nghệ Tĩnh Soviet movement of 1930-1931.

Every year, the local people organize many festivals such as: praying for peace, worshipping the water god, worshipping the river god; boat races on the Lam River, lion dance performances, human chess games, etc.

Chinh Vi Temple is not only a place of spiritual and cultural activity for the local community but also a memorial site commemorating Comrade Nguyen Phong Sac – Secretary of the Central Vietnam Party Committee – and other fallen compatriots, as well as significant events in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement. With this significance, on January 24, 1998, the Ministry of Culture and Information issued Decision No. 95 recognizing Chinh Vi Temple as a national historical and cultural relic.