Khanh Lac, simple countryside features

(Baonghean) - The Seo Quan mountain range shields the East, the Giai Canh river winds in front, Khanh Lac village, Thanh Ha commune (Thanh Chuong) has always had a simple countryside style, associated with temples, wells and many humane traditions.

Temple well, Khanh Lac village (Thanh Ha commune, Thanh Chuong).

The village has 5 small hamlets: Giai Canh, Cho Phuong, Sieu Quan, Dap Boi, and Luong Tri. The hamlets are often clustered on high mounds, surrounded by rice fields. The center of the village is Khanh Lac communal house. The communal house is a 5-room jackfruit wood house with large pillars, located on high and dry communal land.

After the revolution, the communal house was the place where “popular education” classes were opened and became the village school. The people here still remember the days of land reform, when the big communal house pillar was where the horse of the person who brought the “postponement of the trial” order from above was tied to the village. Unfortunately, that day, the order did not arrive in time… During the subsidy years, the village communal house was dismantled and used as a cooperative warehouse, then as a market house when the commune “married” Rong market. The old communal house no longer exists, but the memories of the familiar communal house still remain with the villagers.

Giai Canh hamlet is a beautiful land, once mentioned in the immortal song of Mr. Cong Ca Nghi, which generations of Khanh Lac people still pass on to each other:

"Tung tung, cac cac, to he"

The mandarin went first, the mandarin went after.

Go then go quickly

Go to Nuong Cau, Nha Vang”

Nuong Cau is the land bordering the village, where there are many revolutionary activists, the French once came to massacre, arrest, and burn down the village. Nha Vang is located in Giai Canh hamlet - the stopping place for processions every time the village organizes festivals, including drums, gongs, trumpets, flutes, and also respect for the village's "education".

The village has two ancient wells: the well near the Sen temple is called the Sen well; the well near the Dau temple and Giai Canh river is called the Den well. Villagers often gather at the Den well to get water. The old well has a stone bridge, more than 1m long, carried on 2 ironwood poles. Every year, in the 5th and 6th lunar months, the village gathers young men and boys to draw water from the well once. Next to the well is a piece of incense field; every year, people are assigned to plow; each time the well is drawn, the plowman must carry 7kg of sticky rice and boil 20 duck eggs for the person drawing water to eat...

The village well existed until the 70s of the last century and after many years of neglect, in 2012, the villagers restored it. The well is wide, 6m in diameter, built of blue stone from the bottom up, red bricks on top, the surrounding area is paved with a clean floor and a banyan tree is planted. Restoring the village well, for the people here, is to rekindle the source of the dragon vein; to continue to preserve the meeting place, the exchange of village love; to return to the ancient beauty of the rural landscape.

On Dong Truoc Mountain, hidden behind ancient trees, is Dau Temple, worshiping Duke Dau Ba Toan (1720 - 1798) - a man with great merit in "protecting the country and bringing peace to the people". The temple faces the Giai Canh River, and has undergone many restorations and embellishments. The temple has been conferred many times by the Nguyen Dynasty, and currently still preserves three conferments from the Thanh Thai and Khai Dinh Dynasties. Every year, the temple holds important ceremonies such as the peace-praying ceremony, the Duke's death anniversary, and the New Year's Eve ceremony.

During its long existence, Dau Temple has been closely associated with the revolutionary struggle of the homeland. In the years 1930-1931, Dau Temple was the place to store documents of Thanh Chuong District Party Committee, Vo Liet General Department and Kim Bang Party Cell; the place where revolutionary cadres often gathered to discuss plans for the struggle; the gathering and training place of Hoang Xa Self-Defense Force in purging the evil tyrants, taking rice to distribute to the poor; the place to organize popular education classes; the place to gather and recruit soldiers to serve the battlefields...

From ancient times to the present, Dau Temple has been a place for spiritual and cultural activities of the village; a place for people to visit and commemorate; a place to educate generations about history and traditions of the homeland. In recent years, the relic management board and local people have made great efforts to restore the temple, gradually restoring the old festival. Nghe An Provincial People's Committee recognized Dau Temple as a Historical - Architectural Relic in 2014.

Coming to Khanh Lac, visit Dau temple to commemorate the ancients, go up to Seo Quan peak to see the whole view of fields, gardens and villages. Giai Canh river has been blocked, but many ancient stories of the village still flow forever. Looking at the bright yellow color of the new village hall, in the middle of the green fields, one can see the rising strength of a countryside.

Huy Thu