The First Temple received the provincial historical relic certificate.
(Baonghean.vn) - On July 20, 2014, at the First Temple campus in Tan Phong hamlet, Dien Nguyen commune (Dien Chau), a solemn ceremony was held to receive the Provincial Historical Relic certificate organized by the People's Committee of Dien Chau district and the People's Committee of Dien Nguyen commune according to Decision 2697/QD.UBND of the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued on June 16, 2014.
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| The procession of relics from the Commune People's Committee headquarters to the Temple |
The First Temple was built during the Later Le Dynasty to worship King Sat Hai Hoang Ta Thon; The temple was built in a beautiful landscape location - Ancient books recorded: "The two Kien reign, the Bung River surrounds, the Tiger Ridge pays homage, the Golden Turtle, the Phoenix, and the Unicorn face in, the Son, An, Tan, and Muc are brilliantly displayed...".
Initially, the First Temple was just a small thatched temple. After the temple was moved according to the feng shui of Master Ta Ao, the First Temple was gradually built on a large scale, the temple's construction items were built over many years, at many different times. The ancient temple had a campus of about 03 hectares of land, and was located in a complete complex: Temple, pagoda, church... Due to historical changes, currently, the temple campus only has the Upper Palace, the main gate of the Tam Quan, the garden, the well and the Van Hoi stele, with a total area of nearly 3,000m2.2These works are all original and bear the mark of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Currently, in addition to worshiping the Great King Sat Hai, the First Temple also worships Buddhas, Saints, and Gods brought from temples and pagodas in the commune and neighboring communes, such as: Bodhisattva Quan Am, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Dong Phuong Thai Giam, Bac Phuong Thai Giam, Tay Phuong Thai Giam, Nam Phuong Thai Giam, Hung Dao Dai Vuong, Tam Toa Thanh Mau, Confucius, Song Dong Ngoc Nu of Van Vat village (Dien Lien commune), Local Thanh Hoang of Dong Phu village (Dien Nguyen commune), Local Anh Linh of Dong Phu village (Dien Nguyen commune), Ngo Vuong Thuong Dang Chinh Than of Thu Phu village (Dien Thai commune), Local Thong Due Ton Than of Thu Phu village (Dien Thai commune), Local Thanh Hoang Linh Huu of Thu Phu village (Dien Thai commune), Hoa Lang Thai Te Ho Quoc Cong of Ly Trai village (Dien Ky commune)... And more than ten more deities whose names we have not yet determined which village and their specific legends.
Every year, at the First Temple, there are four major festivals: Thuong Nguyen (15/1 lunar calendar), Sat Hai Dai Vuong's death anniversary and Thanh Minh (15/3 lunar calendar), Ky Phuc (15/6 lunar calendar), Ta Cuu Nam (15/12 lunar calendar). In addition, there are traditional festivals and the new and full moon days of each month. These festivals are solemnly held according to traditional customs and have been maintained regularly from the past to the present, with a large number of people attending the festivals and increasing in number.
The First Temple is also a place that witnessed the ups and downs of local history. During the Can Vuong period against the French, the First Temple was the place where the Nguyen Xuan On insurgents operated. During the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, this was the place where documents were printed, revolutionary propaganda was spread, the red hammer and sickle flag was planted, and the First Party cell was established. During the August Revolution of 1945, this was the place where the seals and books of the old regime were handed over to the revolutionary government, the Golden Week was held, the first National Assembly election was held... During the resistance war against the French and the Americans, the First Temple became a place to store weapons, ammunition, and train militia and self-defense forces...
The First Temple is a place for spiritual and cultural activities of the Dien Nguyen people in particular and the whole region in general, serving the needs of visiting and commemorating those who have contributed to the homeland and the country, associated with the Vietnamese people's worship of gods, and praying for favorable weather, good crops, and prosperity. In particular, this is a typical relic of the Three Religions: There is a pagoda to worship Buddha, a temple to worship Gods, and a Holy House to worship the Holy Teacher; demonstrating cultural richness and ideological exchange.
The recognition of the First Temple as a historical relic will create conditions for the construction, restoration and rehabilitation of ceremonies and festivals at the temple relic to preserve and promote tangible and intangible cultural values, promptly meeting the aspirations and spiritual needs of local people.
Tran Canh Yen
