Sacred Bach Ma Temple Festival

(Baonghean) - As one of the four most sacred temples in Nghe An province, the Bach Ma Temple Festival (Thanh Chuong district), held on the 9th and 10th days of the 2nd lunar month, is one of the spiritual activities that attracts the attention of tourists and locals alike.

Nghe An Newspaper conducted an interview with Comrade Trinh Van Nha - Vice Chairman of Thanh Chuong District People's Committee, Head of the Festival Organizing Committee.

"Father Nguyen Dinh Thuc incites parishioners."

Procession of the deity at the Bach Ma Temple Festival. Photo: Duy Hung

PV:For a long time, there has been a folk saying, "First Cờn, second Quả, third Bạch Mã, fourth Chiêu Trưng," referring to the four most sacred temples in Nghe An province. Could you tell us about the Bạch Mã Temple relic located in Thanh Chương district?

Comrade Trinh Van Nha:The Bach Ma Temple is located in Tan Ha village, Vo Liet commune, Thanh Chuong district. According to legend and temple records, the Bach Ma Temple was established to worship the famous general Phan Da from Chi Linh village, Vo Liet commune.

The name Bach Ma (White Horse) is derived from the white horse that General Phan Da often rode into battle. Even as a young boy, Phan Da was intelligent, handsome, and skilled in martial arts, earning the trust and admiration of the people and his friends. In 1418, when King Le Loi of Binh Dinh returned to Nghe An, Phan Da joined Le Loi's rebel army with his troops and achieved many great feats before sacrificing his life in battle at the young age of 24.

In recognition of his merits, King Lê Thái Tổ (Lê Lợi) later posthumously bestowed upon him the title "Great Emperor Bạch Mã Thượng đẳng phúc thần" (Supreme Blessed Deity of the White Horse), erected a temple in his honor, and included him in the "National Ceremony," meaning that state-level rituals were performed with court officials as the chief officiants. Later, various feudal dynasties continued to issue over 100 imperial decrees, further elevating him to the title of Supreme and Most Sacred Deity.

Since ancient times, the Bach Ma Temple has been renowned for its sacredness; passersby, including officials, would stop, remove their hats, and bow in reverence. The temple's deity has also helped the people of Vo Liet in particular, and the people of the region in general, overcome many natural disasters and wars.

Here, there's still a story passed down that it will rain on the anniversary of the temple's deity (June 13th of the lunar calendar), even though it might be sunny and hot before and after.

Bach Ma Temple (Thanh Chuong). Photo: PV

The Bach Ma Temple also marks many important historical events associated with the conquest of the South by various feudal dynasties. Many kings and emperors have visited the temple to offer incense and stay there. During the revolutionary upheaval of 1930-1931, the Bach Ma Temple was used to organize secret activities of the Vo Liet Commune Farmers' Association; in 1945, the people of Vo Liet commune gathered at the temple before going to the district headquarters to overthrow the colonial and feudal government, and many other important events took place there.

Not only is it renowned for its sacredness, but Bach Ma Temple is also an architectural work of historical and cultural value. As a memorial to a famous general, built by royal decree, it was constructed with meticulous care and investment.

The complex includes the triple gate, ceremonial gate, upper hall, middle hall, lower hall, left wing, and right wing, with many unique architectural features. Notably, after more than 500 years, the paint on the doors remains vibrant and clear. The temple also preserves many rare and valuable artifacts and ritual objects…

With such values, on March 24, 1994, the Ministry of Culture and Information issued a decision classifying Bach Ma Temple as a "National-level historical, cultural, and architectural monument". Since being classified as a national monument, Bach Ma Temple has consistently received attention from the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Culture and Information, and the Management Board of Monuments and Scenic Spots, which have provided financial support for repairs and restoration to protect and promote the value of the monument.

Wrestling at the Bach Ma Temple Festival (Vo Liet commune, Thanh Chuong district). Photo: Cao Dong

PV:In addition to managing, preserving, and upgrading historical sites, Thanh Chuong district is known to have successfully organized the Bach Ma Temple Festival. Could you please tell us about the scale of this festival?

Comrade Trinh Van Nha:The Bach Ma Temple Festival has a long history. Previously, two events were held annually at the temple. These were the joint sacrificial ceremony, held at the beginning of spring, to worship the White Horse deity and the local guardian spirits.

The ceremonial offering is held on the 13th day of the 6th lunar month, the anniversary of General Phan Đà's death, to honor the White Horse deity and those worshipped in the temple, including his lieutenants and soldiers who fought alongside Phan Đà.

Since the August Revolution, due to various reasons, these activities have not been organized regularly. After the temple was classified as a historical site, the district and commune began gradually restoring the activities, and from 2001 to the present, the Department of Culture and Sports... has worked with the district to revive the festival.

Every year, the festival is organized on a large scale, attracting increasing attention from officials, the public, and tourists. Along with organizing the festival, through social mobilization efforts, the district leaders have solicited assistance and investment from people across the country, philanthropists, and contributions from officials and the public, totaling billions of dong, to further expand the festival grounds and facilities.

Prior to this year's festival season, over 1.7 billion VND was invested in restoring and renovating the Upper and Middle Halls; purchasing tables, chairs, utensils, ceremonial objects, and incense burning pavilions; constructing a management office and reception area, a ceremonial preparation house, a warehouse, a parking lot, a fence system, reinforcing the embankment and retaining walls in front of the temple; building a drainage system; and constructing a system of roads around the historical site.

PV:After many years of organizing the festival, what are the new features in this year's event, Comrade?

Comrade Trinh Van Nha:As in previous years, this year's festival will be held on the 9th and 10th days of the second lunar month, with two main parts: the ceremonial part and the festive part, which will be held concurrently on both days.

The ceremonial part includes the opening ceremony, the announcement ceremony, and the procession of the deity, held on the 9th, and the grand sacrificial ceremony on the 10th of February. The festival part includes cultural and sporting activities such as poetry recitation, a beauty contest, and sports like football, volleyball, wrestling, and pot smashing. The volleyball competition will feature many teams with well-known athletes from across the province.

During the cultural evening and beauty contest, the organizing committee will also invite the art troupe from the Center for Preservation and Promotion of Nghe An Folk Song Heritage to perform for the people and tourists. To enrich the activities, this year the district will cooperate with the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum to organize an exhibition of paintings and photographs about Soviet traditions and socio-economic achievements during the renovation period of the country, the province, and the district.

The district has assigned the Farmers' Association, the Women's Association, and other organizations to set up product display and sales points and other recreational activities. In addition, the tea plantation island and Cau Cau dam (located near Bach Ma Temple) are becoming a tourist attraction, which will further draw more people to the festival.

PV:Thank you, comrade!

PV(Perform)