Temple of the first-ranked scholar Ho Hung Dat

(Baonghean) - On December 12, 2014, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 4106/QD-BVHTT&DL to rank the National Historical Relic - Temple of the Ancestor of the Ho Family of Vietnam, the First Prize Winner Ho Hung Dat - the tutelary god; worshiping the Ho Kings and the ancestors of the Ho Family of Vietnam. This is the recognition of the state and society for those who have contributed to the people and the country; for a work of great value in terms of spiritual culture, history and architectural art.

Ho family ancestor worship ceremony (Quynh Luu). Photo: Sy Minh

In the year of Quy Mui 1403, King Ho Han Thuong obeyed the order of the Supreme Emperor Ho Quy Ly to build a temple in Bao Dot village (formerly) now Ngoc Son commune, Quynh Luu district to worship the ancestor of the Ho family in Vietnam - the first-ranking scholar Ho Hung Dat. He was a Bai Viet in Zhejiang during the Five Dynasties period, also known as Ngu Quy Hau Han An De, a Confucian scholar who returned to our country during the Later Ngo period and worked as the Governor of Chau Dien (now Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Yen Thanh, Nghia Dan districts). When our country encountered the chaos of the Twelve Warlords, he retired to work as the chief of Huong Bao Dot. His life was a shining example of high virtue and respect when he was in the officialdom, as well as when he retired to be a commoner. He always clearly expressed his thoughts and left his children and grandchildren "Van dai vi dan", meaning forever for the people, forever as the people. Therefore, when he passed away, the people in the area worshiped him as Thanh Hoang God and invited the Ho kings to join the ceremony at the temple, so it is commonly called the Ho King Temple.

The temple is located on the land of Y Sao mountain range, with a solid throne, on the right is Hon Rong, on the left is Hon Ret and Ngoc mountain. Over time and the ups and downs of the world, King Ho temple gradually became ruins. With the wish and sincere gratitude to ancestors, the descendants of Ho family in Vietnam joined hands and determined to restore the family's sacred temple. After nearly 4 years of construction, King Ho temple and the ancestral temple of Ho family in Vietnam were basically restored according to plan.

In the planning area of ​​over 150 hectares approved by the People's Committee of Nghe An province in Decision No. 2697/QDUB dated June 10, 2009, up to now, the main items of the temple have been restored. The auxiliary works such as roads, lighting systems, water supply, drainage, gardens, and ornamental plants are quite complete, creating a majestic and majestic appearance, preserving the ancient features of the ancient temple. The temple is an architectural work made of ironwood, restored on a large, massive scale, elaborately decorated with many delicate and beautiful carvings, harmoniously combining the use value with the aesthetic value, expressing the traditional architectural style of the nation. The documents and artifacts stored and worshiped at the temple help us understand more about the history, culture, beliefs, worship, customs, habits, and traditions of the people towards those who have contributed to the people and the country.

The activities of worshiping ancestors on the 10th and 11th of the first lunar month, the Ho King Temple Festival on Thanh Minh festival (from the 12th to the 15th of the third lunar month) taking place at the restored temple have become a beautiful folk feature, reflecting the feelings, gratitude and admiration of descendants and people towards their ancestors and those with merit; reflecting the beautiful customs in the spiritual and cultural life and cultural identity of the nation. Through that, the spirit of community solidarity is strengthened, traditional education, the morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking" is taught, arousing pride in love for one's family, homeland and country; awareness of protecting and promoting the eternal value of historical and cultural relics.

Ho Tat Thang

(Head of Ho Family Liaison Committee, Nghe An)