Literature competition in Quynh Doi village

(Baonghean)Quynh Doi village in Quynh Luu district has long been renowned as a land of learning. The locals often recite the saying, "Bac Ha – Han Thien; Hoan Dien – Quynh Doi." Every year, the people of Quynh Doi village organize folk festivals, but these celebrations and literary competitions have their own unique and distinctive characteristics.

Quynh Doi became an administrative unit since the year Mau Ngo (1378) with the name Tho Doi Trang, and only in 1528 was it called Quynh Doi village. This area has blacksmithing, carpentry, vermicelli making, and especially silk weaving originating from Ha Dong.

The village of Quỳnh Đôi boasts a large number of successful candidates in the imperial examinations. Since 1449, 557 individuals from 21 families have achieved high academic honors, including 539 Tú Tài (Bachelor's degree), 203 Cử Nhân (Master's degree), 6 Phó Bảng (Associate Bachelor's degree), and 10 Tiến Sỹ (Doctorate). Among them, Hồ Sỹ Dương passed the Third Class Tiến Sỹ examination and rose to the position of Minister of War and Grand Academician of the Eastern Pavilion; Hồ Phi Tích passed the Second Class Tiến Sỹ examination and rose to the position of Minister of Justice; Hồ Sỹ Đống passed the Hoàng Giáp examination and held the position of Tham Sự Đốc Phủ Sứ Tham Tụng (Aide to the Governor-General); and Hồ Xuân Hương, a prominent female poet and a pinnacle figure in Vietnamese Nôm poetry. People explain this tradition of studiousness and academic achievement by attributing it to the auspicious land: "To the east lies Quy Lĩnh, to the west is Tượng Sơn, to the south is Mục Lĩnh, and to the north is Bát Nhã mountain." This refers to the mountainous terrain surrounding Quỳnh Đôi village. At the entrance to the village, the people of Quỳnh Đôi built a temple dedicated to Confucius; the sacred house was constructed on this auspicious land, considered very favorable for learning and examinations. The village of Quỳnh also built a winding road from Bàu Hậu to their village to add to the solemnity and grandeur of the procession of successful candidates returning home to pay respects to their ancestors.

In difficult and challenging circumstances, the people of Quynh village in particular, and Nghe An province in general, had to find their own path, their own profession. Teaching was the profession, a path they chose to follow, believing that "advancement leads to official positions, retreats to teaching." People here might lack food and clothing, but they could not lack education. Even poor families scrimped and saved for their children's education. No matter how hard the work, the wives and mothers diligently supported their children's schooling. Therefore, education became a competitive movement in every household, creating a wave throughout the village, a unique tradition. Besides the spiritual value of its natural geography, the village's policy of promoting education became a powerful driving force, urging the people of Quynh village to study. This is reflected in the village's customary law: "In the 29th year of Canh Hung (1768), on January 7th, the district magistrate of Duc Quang, Ho Phi Quynh, agreed with the village that: Our village is a refined village, with many students. Historically, every household has practiced studying at home, and we are sure we are good and talented, but we cannot find proof. From now on, every year, around the middle of spring, we will choose an auspicious day. The next morning, we will beat the drum three times for the Confucian scholars, students, and pupils to bring their tents and mats to the village's central hall to write essays."

The Quỳnh Đôi village communal house is a magnificent structure, built a long time ago. In the year Bính Tý (1756), it suddenly burned down, forcing the village to rebuild it. In 1860, the village upgraded it again; Mr. Phạm Đình Toái, a scholar and official in the Huế court, contributed 400 quan (Vietnamese currency) for its construction. The communal house was built higher than the Thái Hòa Palace in the capital; when this was discovered, the court ordered it lowered by 5 inches. The carvings inside the communal house are exquisitely detailed, featuring dragons and phoenixes.

Every year, on the 16th day of the first lunar month, the village holds a village examination at the communal hall. Anyone who misses a step is fined 6 coins. Although the "village examination" in Quỳnh Đôi doesn't include a full ritual of offering sacrifices to the gods, the courtyard is adorned with flags representing the five elements, and betel nuts and wine are offered to the gods before officials and candidates enter the hall. A large crowd of villagers gathers to watch their children showcase their writing skills. Three days before the exam, candidates must register at Mr. Câu Đương's house. They must bring a betel nut container with 10 pieces. Early in the morning, the village holds the exam. Scholars and elders of the village meet beforehand to appoint examiners. A drum sounds, and the students bring their mats, boxes, pens, and paper into the hall to claim their places and present their exam papers. The examiners, who also act as supervisors, mark the exam papers with a seal before returning them to the students. Nine drumbeats later, the candidates open their papers. The exam paper is a eulogy to the saint. Sometimes it's a scholarly essay, or a piece about something happening in the village. During the exam, candidates also had to get their "daily stamp" marked. At noon, after a long drum roll, the candidates submitted their papers. The judges graded them right there in Đình Trung. Those papers that met the requirements were admitted to the literary society. Prizes included paper and pens; those whose papers were ranked excellent did not have to pay, those ranked average only paid one-third of the fee, and those ranked below average paid the full fee for admission to the literary society. This literary competition was not only for selecting members of the literary society but also a way to encourage learning and honor those who were literate.

In the 7th year of Minh Mệnh (1826), on May 18th, the village discussed the following: Anyone who passed the imperial examinations and returned home in triumph would be welcomed with ceremonial processions by the village. Those who passed the provincial examinations and achieved the four highest scores would be welcomed back to their homes upon their return to the village market, as a sign of respect. Upon death, those with doctoral degrees would have officials dressed in white robes and hats perform the funeral rites. Every year, the village would offer prayers during the Tet holiday. Quỳnh Đôi village established an early literary society (1600), which actively participated in village activities, playing a key role in establishing agreements and supplementing regulations, especially regarding the promotion of education.

The Springtime Literary Contest is a beautiful cultural tradition of the ancient Quynh village that needs to be preserved and cherished for future generations.

Dr. Phan Xuan Thanh