The challenging project of preserving and restoring the Temple of Literature in Nghe An.

(Baonghean) - According to scientists and researchers, the Nghe An Confucian Temple, also known as Vinh Confucian Temple, was built in 1803 in Yen Dung, Yen Truong commune, now Hong Son ward, Vinh City, on an area of ​​22,000 square meters; it is a place to worship Confucius, Chu Van An, and to honor the scholars of Nghe An.

"From its construction until the first half of the 20th century, the Temple of Literature in Nghe An was closely associated with many historical and cultural events of the homeland. It was one of the traditional cultural centers, a meeting place for scholars, poets, and literati in the literary society, a place for lecturing, literary criticism, provincial examinations for candidates, and ceremonies for praying for academic success, wealth, and prosperity. The Temple of Literature was also the birthplace and headquarters of the "Hoan Chau School," a branch of the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc (Eastern Capital School) in Nghe An in the early years of the 20th century."

Previously, the Temple of Literature consisted of an upper hall, a lower hall, and side buildings (left and right), surrounded by a fish pond, a tranquil well, a pavilion, ornamental gardens, and a surrounding forest. Around 1945, the bronze statues inside the Temple of Literature were stolen, and the buildings were demolished. Fortunately, the bronze bell, the large inscription "Van Tai Tu" (Literature at Home), the horizontal plaque with the four characters "Van Thanh Linh Tu" (Temple of Ten Thousand Saints), and some other ritual objects were preserved by the local people at the nearby Hong Son Temple. The space of the Temple of Literature was later destroyed by urban planning. The original 22,000 square meters of the Temple of Literature are now reduced to only 7,000 square meters, under the ownership of a printing company since 1960.

The remains of the Vinh Confucius Temple are a row of dilapidated single-story buildings used as warehouses.

Today, the only remaining traces of the Vinh Confucius Temple are a dilapidated row of single-story buildings used as warehouses. Outside, only remnants of curved roof tiles and laterite stones are left, overgrown with weeds. Faced with the gradual loss of the historical site, in 1999, the Department of Culture and Information (now the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) proposed to the Provincial People's Committee the restoration of the Vinh Confucius Temple and the creation of a protection plan. However, the proposed budget was too high, making implementation impossible. In 2004, the Provincial People's Committee again assigned relevant agencies, including the Department of Culture and Information and the Department of Construction, to advise on the restoration of the Confucius Temple. The project, planned for an area of ​​3.5 hectares, could not be implemented due to the need to relocate the Vinh City General Hospital and more than 10 households.

In 2007, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized a scientific workshop to find a suitable location and plan for the restoration and rehabilitation of the Vinh Confucius Temple. On May 10, 2012, the Provincial People's Committee approved the detailed plan for the restoration and rehabilitation of the Vinh Confucius Temple on an area of ​​9,000 square meters, assigning the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism as the investor. However, due to the enormous cost of relocating the printing company and local residents, the project's implementation remained only on paper.

On January 11, 2013, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 152/QD.UBND-DTXD assigning the Vinh City People's Committee as the investor for the project to restore and renovate the Nghe An Confucius Temple. After hearing the report on the implementation status, proposed solutions, and project plan from the Vinh City People's Committee, on June 10, 2013, the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Notice No. 768-TB/TU. The notice clearly stated: The principle of restoring and renovating the Nghe An Confucius Temple at its former location (Hong Son Ward, Vinh City) was approved; a compensation and support plan should be urgently developed and the 15 affected households relocated to the city's resettlement area.

For the Printing Joint Stock Company: research the possibility of relocating the company's product showroom to the land of the Nghe An Publishing House; agree on the basic contents of the plan, but note the following: the building should be beautifully designed, reflecting a tranquil and sacred space with exquisite architecture; the left and right side buildings should fulfill their functions as traditional houses and reception areas; the Thien Quang lake should be a maximum of 200m2, designed with a soft shape; the festival grounds should be larger; the grounds should have more greenery; the management office and restrooms should be moved to the front; regarding funding: initially, consider allocating sufficient funds to cover investment preparation costs (compensation, support, resettlement and land clearance for the project, planning, project development, and design).

On June 14th, the Provincial People's Committee also issued a notice to the Vinh City People's Committee urging them to promptly complete the planning documents in accordance with the conclusions of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, and submit them to the competent authority for appraisal and approval as prescribed, as a basis for implementing the next step.

According to Mr. Nguyen Sy Dieu, Head of the Investment and Construction Project Management Board of Vinh City: Currently, the board has advised the Vinh City People's Committee to complete the project in accordance with the provincial directives. To date, the planning and design documents have been basically revised and submitted to the city level and the Department of Construction. By the end of 2013, if sufficient funding of 67 billion VND is allocated, the Vinh City People's Committee will complete the approval of the planning, project approval, and compensation assessment, striving for the project to be completed in 2016 (the total investment for the entire project is approximately over 160 billion VND).

Despite remaining challenges, it is hoped that the implementation of the Nghe An Temple of Literature Conservation and Restoration Project will no longer encounter obstacles, so that Nghe An can soon have another cultural landmark with significant educational value, instilling a tradition of studiousness in future generations.

Pham Ngan