Van Loc Temple Festival

Van Loc Temple Festival

Van Loc Temple was ranked as a National Historical Relic by the State in 1991. It is a place to worship Thai Uy Quan Cong Nguyen Su Hoi, who had the merit of recruiting people and establishing Van Loc village more than 500 years ago, and to worship a number of gods, Confucian scholars, and scholars of the village.

Van Loc Temple is located in the middle of a majestic and charming mountain and river complex: in front is Bang Nhan Mountain, on the right is Dragon Mountain, on the left is Tuong Son, behind is Lo Son Mountain, to the East and South are Lan Chau Island, Song Ngu Island, Mat Island. The beautiful scenery of Van Loc area has been praised by many writers and poets. Nguyen Su Hoi, the main character worshiped in the temple, is the eldest son of Grand Tutor Cuong Quoc Cong Nguyen Xi, one of the founding fathers of the Later Le Dynasty. Born into a powerful family (from Nghi Hop Commune, Nghi Loc, Nghe An), educated properly, he received heroic blood, early showing his talent in literature and martial arts. As a talented general, Nguyen Su Hoi was married to a princess by the king. He, along with his father and a number of loyal ministers, had the merit of destroying the rebels who usurped the throne, bringing Le Tu Thanh (King Le Thanh Tong) to the throne, contributing to the golden age of the Vietnamese feudal regime (15th century). After Nguyen Xi died (1465), implementing the court's policy and his father's will, Nguyen Su Hoi asked to return to guard the Nghe An estuary to reclaim land and protect the southern border of the country. The king appointed Nguyen Su Hoi as the Governor of the Twelve Sea Gates (guarding 12 seaports from Sam Son to Cua Tung), with the main base at Cua Xa (present-day Cua Lo). History books recorded that Nguyen Su Hoi gathered farmers and fishermen to reclaim land and establish Van Loc village (now Nghi Tan ward). Soon after, Van Loc village expanded, becoming a village with a prosperous life, diverse occupations, and many children passing exams. In 1506, Nguyen Su Hoi passed away, and the royal court granted the village a temple to worship him. The temple to worship Nguyen Su Hoi was completed in 1508 and he was honored as the Supreme God of Fortune.

In the history of imperial examinations, Van Loc is famous in Nghe An with 66 bachelors, 12 village officials, bachelors, 1 deputy master, 1 doctor. In terms of martial arts and medicine, this land also has many talented people, so the ancients concluded "Literature occupies the top of the pen/ Martial arts occupies the top of the sword/ Medicine is unmatched anywhere".

Therefore, besides worshiping Nguyen Su Hoi, people also worship some gods and Confucian scholars at Van Loc Temple.

Every time Tet comes, usually once every three years, the people of Cua Lo river area solemnly organize the Van Loc Temple Festival to commemorate the merits of Thai Uy Quan Cong Nguyen Su Hoi and the gods worshiped in the temple and pray for calm waves, calm seas, and bountiful crops. In order to recall the heroic atmosphere of the past, and at the same time be a bridge connecting the past with the present and the future, the Van Loc Temple Festival will have many exciting activities. Along with the worship of the gods, the people of Van Loc village also organize a royal procession and organize traditional boat racing, cultural exchange, arts, and sports. In addition to meeting the spiritual needs and aspirations of the people of Cua Lo coastal area and tourists from all over, contributing to preserving and promoting the national cultural identity, it is also an opportunity for Cua Lo town to promote and advertise its tourism potential.

According to the plan, the 2008 Van Loc Temple Festival is a town-level festival, held over two days (15th and 16th of the first lunar month). The ceremonies taking place on the 15th include: the opening ceremony and the announcement ceremony; the ceremonies taking place on the 16th include: the worship ceremony, the procession ceremony, the installation ceremony, the great sacrifice ceremony, the blessing ceremony, and the peace ceremony. The festival includes activities such as visiting some historical sites in Van Loc such as Hoang Tam Church, visiting Lo Son Pagoda... and folk games such as boat racing, tug of war, human chess, cockfighting... To bring the atmosphere and breath of the new era to the festival, the Organizing Committee has included activities such as photo exhibition, art festival, football, volleyball, table tennis competitions... Mr. Nguyen Si Hiep, Vice Chairman of Nghi Tan Ward said: "We will try to organize it in accordance with the form and identity of a traditional festival and bring into the festival the atmosphere of today's life, creating for local people and visitors a feeling of respect and a comfortable spirit when participating in the festival".

Cong Kien