Thuong Temple and New Year Festival
Thuong Temple (Quynh Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An) was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic in 1996. Since then, the relic site has been restored and embellished to become a place that attracts people in the commune and many tourists from all over to visit.
(Baonghean) -Thuong Temple (Quynh Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An) was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic in 1996. Since then, the relic site has been restored and embellished to become a place that attracts people in the commune and many tourists from all over to visit.
The Upper Temple of Phu Nghia village was built in the 40th year of the Canh Hung era in the late 18th century. The majestic temple consists of three buildings: a singing and dancing house, an incense-collecting house, and a harem. The direction of the land was chosen by a Chinese geomancer. Standing on Chan Gia land, looking to the west, he saw Long Lich mountain, resembling a winding dragon, its tail embracing the Quen creek gate, its head reaching out to the East Sea; looking to the northwest, he saw Chan Gia forest with lush green trees resembling a dragon's beard. He thought of building on this dragon's beard, a land of talented people. Therefore, the congratulatory text on the first day of the spring festival has the following sentence: "The Upper Temple has a vast dragon/ Standing on the altar, the sky is high and the peak of the mandarin's head is high."
Thuong Temple has trees as big as two or three people can hug, such as the driftwood tree, mango tree, galangal tree, star apple tree, choy tree, banyan tree, boi loi tree... hidden in the Chan Gia forest. Due to its location, on April 1, 1931, the revolutionary organization chose Thuong Temple to hold the ceremony to admit party members and establish the Phu Nghia party cell, including Mr. Ho Hanh, To Bon, Ho Thuong and Ho Nong, with Mr. Ho Hanh as secretary. In 1935, Thuong Temple was chosen as the place to hold a meeting to re-establish the Quynh Luu District Party Committee, appointing Mr. Phan Huu Khiem as secretary. In mid-1945, also here, the Quynh Luu District Party Committee (with Mr. Nguyen Huu Mai as secretary) met and decided to establish the Viet Minh Front to prepare all conditions to mobilize the people of the entire district to rise up and seize power. On August 16, 1945, the people of Phu Nghia village rose up to crush the local tyrants, seize power and establish a Provisional Revolutionary Committee, consisting of 11 members (Mr. Ho Huu Loi as chairman, Mr. Ho Thuong as vice chairman). This was the earliest locality to seize power in Quynh Luu district.
Since its construction, the Upper Temple has been conferred four titles:
-Edict of the Song Emperor in 1032
-Edict of King Hien Tong in 1740
-Edict of King Minh Mang in 1840
- Decree of the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1996 (No. 1460 dated June 28, 1996)
And it was renovated and embellished 4 times: The first renovation was in the 17th year of Tu Duc (1865); the second renovation was in the 18th year of Bao Dai (1944); the third renovation was in 1987 and the fourth rebuilding of the incense house and the surrounding wall to protect the temple. However, through 2 wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, the old temple and the long-standing statues were damaged, some houses were dismantled to make fighting tunnels, so the sacrificial objects and royal decrees were almost all lost and damaged.
In 1996, Thuong Temple was recognized by the State as a National Historical and Cultural Relic. The commune assigned the Elderly Association to take care of the protection, organize annual ceremonies, and assign a village to take care of the temple, opening it on the first and fifteenth day of every month for villagers and people from other communes to come to the temple to offer incense.
The annual Pray for Peace ceremony at the Upper Temple is held on the 11th and 12th of the first lunar month and the Pray for Fishermen ceremony at the fishing wharf on the 12th and 13th of the first lunar month has been held for decades. The Tro Le festival (the last year of the Mau Ty year 1948) was approved to be held by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).
The Thuong Temple Festival is held every five years. Now the Government has decided that communal houses, temples, and pagodas recognized by the State as historical relics nationwide will hold the festival every ten years. Thus, the Thuong Temple will hold the festival in 2015.
Tu An
