Inauguration of Dien Co Temple in Nghi Truong Commune

(Baonghean.vn) -After a year of restoration and renovation, this morning, August 31st, the Party Committee and People's Committee of Nghi Truong commune held the inauguration ceremony for Dien Co Temple.

The Dien Co Temple is located on a plot of land approximately 4 acres in size, in the Mo Ung rice field area of ​​Nghi Truong commune (Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province). The temple is dedicated to Cao Son, Cao Cac, and the elders Do Van Si, Le Van Van, Dinh Van Sung, and Le Van Tan – deities who contributed to the village and the country; they helped the villagers cure many illnesses, especially eye diseases. Many stories about the deities of Dien Co Temple curing the villagers of Dong Chu are still passed down to this day.

The temple was built sometime before the 18th century; originally, it had three buildings: the upper hall, the middle hall, and the lower hall. Although small in scale, the temple was extremely sacred and was once bestowed the title of "Upper-Class Deity" by several Vietnamese emperors. Seven royal decrees from the reigns of Emperors Canh Hung, Canh Thinh, and Khai Dinh are still preserved. Thus, the historical influence of Dien Co Temple extended beyond the boundaries of Dong Chu village; it was managed by the feudal state and received royal decrees from Vietnamese emperors on important anniversaries.

The Dien Co Temple festival is held every two years on the 20th and 21st of the first lunar month. On those days, villagers prepare offerings and bring them to the temple as sacrifices. The Dien Co Temple festival holds significant cultural and spiritual value in the hearts of the people of Nghi Truong.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the temple.



People light incense and pray.



A panoramic view of the temple.



Presenting certificates of merit to benefactors.

With the approval of relevant departments and levels of government, the People's Committee of Nghi Truong commune organized the restoration and renovation of Dien Co Temple with a total cost of tens of billions of dong, mainly funded by the efforts and donations of the Nguyen Dang Can - Nguyen Thi Sinh family, their children and grandchildren, and other benefactors. Particularly commendable is that all eight of their sons were soldiers of Ho Chi Minh; some were martyrs, some were labor heroes during the đổi mới (renovation) period, and some were wounded veterans. They dedicated their youth and sacrificed their lives for the independence of the nation, and today they voluntarily contribute money and effort to the restoration and renovation of Dien Co Temple for their homeland.

Thanks to this, the Dien Co Temple was rebuilt on the foundation of the old temple, on a much larger and more magnificent scale than before. As Professor and Teacher Nguyen Dinh Chu remarked: Having such a structure is "a joy! A great blessing" for the people of Dong Chu and Nghi Truong.

Sy Minh - Hoang Anh Tai