Dong Hai Temple (Co Bai Temple)
During the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement leading up to the August Revolution of 1945, Dong Hai Temple was chosen as a location for secret meetings of party members from the Dong Hai - Song Loc branch, such as Nguyen Duy Trinh, Hoang Don, etc., preserving the heroic traditions of the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement of 1930-1931.
Dong Hai Temple was built in the former Dong Hai commune to worship deities who contributed to the nation and its people. The temple is also known as Co Bai, because originally the site was called Co Bai hamlet, later changed to Co Bai village in Dong Hai commune, hence the name refers to the place name. Currently, the site is located in Hamlet 2, Phuc Tho commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province.
Dong Hai Temple is located about 10km east of Vinh City and 12km southeast of Nghi Loc District. Visitors can use various means of transportation to reach the site. Starting from Vinh City, head towards Vinh – Cua Hoi until you reach Dong Muc Bridge. Continue for 1.5km to a crossroads, turn right, and continue for another 2km until you see a sign for "Dong Hai Temple." Turn right again and go about 100m to reach the site.
Dong Hai Temple is a historical relic, a place of worship for many national heroes who contributed to the country and its people, such as Yet Kieu (a general under Hung Dao King Tran Quoc Tuan, bestowed the title "First Commander-in-Chief of the Tran Dynasty's Navy"), Hoang Ta Thon (appointed "Great General of the Sea" by King Tran Nhan Tong, posthumously honored by the people as "Great General of the Sea, Commander-in-Chief of Thien Bong"), Pham Huy (an upright and honest official during the Nguyen Dynasty), Nguyen Ngoc (a "Compiler" during the Nguyen Dynasty), Nguyen Huu Chinh (an "Architect of the Historical Archives" during the Nguyen Dynasty, who participated in the Can Vuong movement and died in battle in 1887), Hoang Phan Thai (one of the "Four Tigers" of Nghi Loc district who rallied militia to raise the banner of rebellion against feudalism and expel the French during the Nguyen Dynasty)...
The main deity of Dong Hai Temple is Pham Huy, while other figures are worshipped alongside him. The temple is not only a place of cultural and spiritual activity for the people of Dong Hai commune, Dang Xa district, and the surrounding areas, but also the site of many historical events of the locality and the nation.
During the Văn Thân movement against the French, many patriots such as Hoàng Phan Thái, Hoàng Giáp Chính, Đặng Thái Thân… chose Đông Hải Temple, a place with dense trees and close to the river for easy escape, as their base of operations.
Following the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam on February 3, 1930, and in accordance with the resolution of the Party's founding conference, Comrade Nguyen Phong Sac (a member of the Provisional Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam) established the Central Party Branch in Central Vietnam in Vinh City to direct the establishment of Party committees at all levels in the region. The Vinh Provincial Party Committee, encompassing Vinh City - Ben Thuy and the two districts of Hung Nguyen and Nghi Loc, was quickly established.
Under the direction of the Central Branch and the Vinh Provincial Party Committee, comrades Pham Duy Thanh and Nguyen Huu Co, together with comrade Nguyen Thuc Man (Secretary of the Tan Viet Party Committee of Nghe An province), convened a meeting of Tan Viet party members with communist leanings in Nghi Loc district to discuss the plan to establish the Communist Party of Vietnam and the appeal of comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc on the occasion of the Party's founding. The meeting elected the provisional District Party Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Nghi Loc, consisting of comrades: Nguyen Thuc Man, Nguyen Huu Co, Nguyen Dinh Xuan, Hoang Van Tam… Comrade Nguyen Thuc Man was elected Secretary.
Thanks to the direct guidance of the Central Party Branch, the Vinh Provincial Party Committee, and the active work of the Provisional District Party Committee, the Party's grassroots organizations and revolutionary mass organizations in Nghi Loc district developed rapidly. The merged Party branches established early in the Nghi Loc district Party committee included: An Hau, Duc Hau, Kim Khe, Phan Thon, Dong Chu, Long Trao, Lo, My, Van Trung, Co Dan, Song Loc, Van Trinh…
During the Soviet-Nghe Tinh movement leading up to the August Revolution of 1945, the temple continued to be chosen as a location for secret meetings and activities of party members from the Dong Hai - Song Loc branch, such as Nguyen Duy Trinh and Hoang Don.
During the revolutionary upsurge of 1930-1931, the movement in Nghi Loc district developed strongly and continuously from May 1930 to May 1931. Faced with this situation, the French colonialists tried every means to suppress the movement. A series of raids, hunts for cadres, and destruction of villages occurred. Hundreds of cadres and revolutionary masses were arrested, imprisoned, and killed. Many villages were harassed and burned by soldiers.
On September 13, 1931, local militia and laborers surrounded the Nghi Loc District Party Committee office. Comrade Nguyen Dinh Dien, along with several other cadres from the provincial and district Party committees, were captured by the enemy. This was a heavy loss for the Nghi Loc Party Committee. At this time, Comrade Nguyen Duy Trinh, who had participated in the revolutionary movement in Southern Vietnam and had been deported back to his hometown by the French colonialists since the beginning of 1931, was secretly operating in the locality. He contacted comrades who had just escaped the enemy's encirclement, organized a conference to establish the District Party Committee, and continued the Party Committee's activities. Comrade Nguyen Duy Trinh was elected Secretary.
The Party organization had just been restored, the movement had just begun to flourish, but it hadn't been active for long before it was subjected to intense repression by the enemy. By November 1931, the Party branches at all levels in Nghi Loc district had disintegrated; most Party members and cadres were arrested by the enemy. Comrade Nguyen Duy Trinh was one of the last people arrested during the repression on December 18, 1932. The Dong Hai Temple relic is one of the meeting places for Party members in Nghi Loc, including Comrade Nguyen Duy Trinh and many others…
From 1946-1947, Dong Hai Temple served as a gathering place, a site for oath-taking ceremonies, and a departure point for troops heading south and to other battlefields.
From 1965-1967, due to its advantageous location, Dong Hai Temple continued to be chosen as a hiding place for weapons, military equipment, supplies, and ammunition of the Vietnam People's Navy. After being discovered by the enemy, and not knowing the exact location of the depot, they repeatedly bombed the area near the temple, causing casualties and property damage.
Besides being a historical site commemorating many events, Dong Hai Temple is also a place of cultural and religious activity for the people.
In the past, the temple hosted many important ceremonies, most notably three festivals. The ceremonial part included the Opening Ceremony held on the 7th day of the first lunar month, the Prayer for Peace Ceremony held from the 14th to the 16th day of the first lunar month, and the Welcome Ceremony held from the 14th to the 16th day of the third lunar month.
The festival takes place from the 8th to the 16th of January. At the temple, many traditional folk games are organized to celebrate the New Year, such as wrestling, chess, swinging, and boat races between villages. The festival is held after the ceremonial part. In addition to these folk games, the commune also organizes competitions in traditional opera, folk singing, spinning tops, and human chess, attracting a large number of participants.
Dong Hai Temple is situated on a flat piece of land, facing east. About 1km in front is the clear blue Lam River, flanked by residential areas, and behind the temple are lush green rice fields…
The temple covers an area of 1,832 square meters.2The complex consists of two buildings, arranged in the shape of the Chinese character "二" (two), including: a triple-arched gate; a courtyard and temple garden; a worship hall; and a sanctuary.
The triple-arched gate was restored in 1998, in the style of a two-tiered roof made of brick and mortar. The gate is bordered by four pillars dividing it into three entrances to the temple. The central entrance is 3.4m high, formed by two pillars, with a pair of Chinese couplets on the outside that read:
The phoenix carries a letter, paying homage to the heroes.
The dragon's markings are auspicious, the East Sea is a sacred land.
(Temporary translation)The red phoenix holds a book in its beak; Mount Bai gives birth to outstanding individuals.
The green dragon hangs the seal; the East Sea is a sacred land.
Connected to the triple-arched gate is a wall adorned with two bas-reliefs depicting two horses standing and bowing towards the temple entrance. Following this is a system of walls surrounding the monument.
The temple courtyard has an area of 92.4 square meters.2Immediately after the entrance gate, a kneeling elephant and a standing horse are placed. These two stone statues stand guard at the temple entrance, their majestic demeanor serving as a reminder to visitors entering this sacred place.
Next is the Tắc Môn gate, built in the style of a scroll, with a relief of a tiger facing outwards on the front. Behind the Tắc Môn gate are a statue of a lion and a seated tiger, very unique and eye-catching. To the left of the Tắc Môn gate is an ancient stone stele crafted during the Later Lê Dynasty, with Chinese characters inscribed on both sides, but the content is no longer legible. In addition, in the middle of the courtyard is a stone incense burner, with a cylindrical body and two dragons raised on either side.
The temple garden covers an area of 1000 square meters.2The garden is planted with many ornamental and fruit trees such as mango, betel nut, and fig trees, providing shade and creating a solemn atmosphere for the temple.
The main hall has an area of 181.72 square meters, consisting of 5 bays, with walls on two sides and an open space at the back connecting to the sanctuary.
The main hall is arranged with three sections for worship. The central section is for communal worship and includes a set of ceremonial weapons, an altar, an incense burner, a tea tray, two candlesticks, and five offering trays. Behind the altar is an ancient palanquin with its sides and base decorated with "four mythical creatures and four auspicious symbols" using openwork carving, creating sharp and exquisite details. On either side are two headless and armless stone statues in a kneeling position, wearing loincloths with belts tied around their waists; these are ancient artifacts recovered from the river. The right and left sections are for worshipping the spirits of heroic martyrs, arranged similarly. In addition, on the right side of the main hall are an ancient palanquin, a drum, and two parasols. Three couplets in Chinese characters hang on each of the pillars of the main hall…
The inner chambers have an area of 67.77 square meters.2The main hall consists of two bays and two wings, with walls on three sides. The front connects to the main hall and features three doors in the "upper window, lower panel" style. The roof is covered with yin-yang tiles, consisting of two layers forming a system of overlapping eaves, supported by a concrete frame without a roof truss structure. The side trusses are formed from the central frame, serving both to support the roof on the lower level and to expand the interior space on both sides, making it wider and easier to arrange furniture. The rear hall has four columns, all placed on square stone blocks, with a tiled floor.
The architectural decoration of the rear hall's roof resembles that of the main hall. The rear hall is a solemn place for worshipping the deities of the temple. The central section is where Yết Kiêu, Hoàng Tá Thốn, and Tiến sĩ Phạm Huy are worshipped, while the innermost section contains a three-tiered altar…
The left side is dedicated to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc and Nguyen Huu Chinh, with a two-tiered altar at the back. The right side is dedicated to Hoang Phan Thai, arranged similarly to the left side, the only difference being that the outermost altar has a single incense burner…
Dong Hai Temple is a historical, cultural, scientific, and aesthetic site that serves as a unifying force for the people of Phuc Tho, surrounding areas, and visitors from all over.
Along with other historical sites in neighboring communes such as Tria Temple, Uong family church, Tran Quy Khoang temple, etc., Dong Hai Temple has become an attractive cultural and spiritual center with educational value in terms of patriotic and revolutionary traditions, contributing to the preservation of traditional cultural values and the development of local tourism both now and in the future.
