Nguyen Canh Hoan Temple Festival

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of April 13th, in Trang Son commune, the People's Committee of Do Luong district and the Nguyen Canh family clan held the opening ceremony of the temple festival dedicated to Grand Tutor and Duke Nguyen Canh Hoan. Representatives from provincial departments and agencies, leaders of the People's Committee of Do Luong district, Trang Son commune, along with descendants of the Nguyen Canh family and a large number of local people attended the festival.

Nguyễn Cảnh Hoan (1521 – 1576) had a father, Phúc Khánh Quận công Nguyễn Cảnh Huy, from Ngọc Sơn village (Thanh Chương). He was a general of the Lê Dynasty, holding the position of Minister of War and the rank of Thái phó (Grand Tutor), and was later posthumously granted the title of Tấn Quốc công (Duke of Tấn).

During the early stages of the Le-Mac conflict, the Le Dynasty repeatedly sent General Nguyen Canh Hoan with troops to defend the Nghe An region. In September 1576, Nguyen Canh Hoan was captured by Mac forces and killed shortly after in Thang Long citadel. After restoration, the Le Dynasty posthumously bestowed upon him the title of Tan Quoc Cong, classifying him as a mid-level deity and ordering the construction of a temple in his honor. In 1602, his main temple was built in what is now Trang Son commune, and in 1991, it was classified as a Cultural and Historical Monument. Besides the main temple in Trang Son, there are also temples dedicated to Nguyen Canh Hoan in Luu Son commune (Do Luong district) and in several localities in Nam Dan and Thanh Chuong districts. His tomb is currently located on Cam hill in Trang Son commune.

Representatives from various departments offered incense.

Thai ethnic girls from Con Cuong (whose ancestry is from the Nguyen Canh lineage) in Con Cuong district come to Nguyen Canh Hoan Temple to attend the festival.

The festival at the Temple of Thái Phó Tấn Quốc Công has existed for over 400 years and has the unique characteristic of being held once every 10 years on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of the 3rd lunar month of the "Giáp" years (the first year of each celestial stem) such as 1944, 1994, 2004, 2014... called the "ten-year festival" at the main temple in Tràng Sơn commune (Đô Lương).

It is known that after three festivals (1954, 1964, 1974) were canceled due to wartime circumstances, the Nguyen Canh family decided to revive them in 1984. This year, the "Decade Anniversary Celebration" is being held in 2014, following the events of 1994 and 2004. This is an opportunity for descendants of the Nguyen Canh family to express gratitude to their ancestors and encourage each other to contribute to the development of their homeland.

Viet Long