Sacred Duc Hoang Temple Festival

(Baonghean) - Duc Hoang Temple is an architectural work of historical and artistic value. This is one of the eight beautiful landscapes revered by the ancients in the Dong Yen Nhi Huyen area. The temple is a memorial to Hoang Ta Thon - a general with many contributions to the resistance war against the Yuan - Mongols of our nation in the 13th century. Duc Hoang Temple Festival with many activities imbued with the cultural identity of the region, attracts a large number of people and tourists from all over the world to participate...

Spiritual temple

Duc Hoang Temple is located on a large, high land facing "Linh Dam Dieu Oc" where lotus fragrance spreads all year round. Although many times of restoration, the temple still retains its original state, ensuring solemn respect. Behind the temple is a primeval forest of ancient trees, green trees creating a quiet, peaceful space for visitors. The temple was built to worship Hoang Ta Thon - a general with many glorious achievements in the resistance war against the Yuan army. The temple has 3 buildings including the upper, middle and lower palaces. The architectural scale is not large but ancient and sacred, becoming a place for spiritual and cultural activities, imbued with the cultural identity of Nghe An countryside.

Duc Hoang Temple still retains its ancient and solemn beauty.

According to the stele “Nam Mieu Ton Than Su Tich” compiled by Cao Xuan Duc - General Director of the National History Institute of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1899, the Hoang family genealogy and the legend of Sat Hai Dai Vuong temple in Van Trang village, Hoang Ta Thon was born in 1254, in a fishing family in Van Phan village (now Dien Van commune, Dien Chau district). Being intelligent, braver than others and talented in martial arts and swimming, in 1285, when the Yuan Mongol invaders invaded our country for the second time, he was appointed to the elite navy and was awarded the title of “Noi Gia Thu” under the leadership of General Tran Quoc Tuan. In battle, Hoang Ta Thon always proved to be a talented general, many times achieving outstanding feats. In 1288, when the Yuan-Mongol invaders invaded our country for the third time, Hoang Ta Thon was assigned the important responsibility of commanding tens of thousands of naval troops and warships. The battle defeated our navy with the tactic of diving deep into enemy ships, destroying the warships of General O Ma Nhi and Phan Tiep on the Bach Dang River, which greatly contributed to the great victory of driving the Yuan-Mongol invaders out of our country.

Although it is not the festival yet, many tourists come to Duc Hoang temple.

After the victory over the Yuan-Mongol invaders, King Tran Nhan Tong appointed Hoang Ta Thon as "Sat Hai Dai Vuong" to command the army to defend the coastal areas. When the country was free of enemies, he was appointed by King Tran Nhan Tong to command the naval forces, guarding 12 seaports, protecting the coastal route from the Central region back. During the years of peace and independence, he advised King Tran Nhan Tong on many strategies to consolidate, build and train the naval forces in martial arts. When the Champa invaders came to cause trouble in our country's waters, Hoang Ta Thon directly commanded and defeated the enemy troops. When he returned home in glory, seeing the desolate villages and people suffering due to war, natural disasters and rampant epidemics, he spent his own money and, together with his sons, brought the coastal residents of Van Phan to Yen Thanh to reclaim land, establish villages, dig and build irrigation works, and bring fresh water to irrigate the fields.

Coming to Duc Hoang Temple, visitors can also learn about the history of the sacred temple.

Later, he fell ill and passed away on January 1, 1338, while on a patrol on the coast of Ha Trung district, Thanh Hoa province. The Tran Dynasty was extremely saddened and sent a dragon boat to carry his coffin back to his hometown in Van Phan village, Dien Van commune, Dien Chau district for burial and conferred the title "Trung dung Bao duc trung hung, ho quoc billion dan, Sat hai dai tuong quan, Thien bong nguyen soai chi than". He was a talented general who contributed to the country and the people, so when he passed away, the court built temples in many places, including Duc Hoang temple in Yen Thanh, which is currently the most ancient and sacred Hoang temple. With its great historical and cultural values, in 1997, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized Duc Hoang temple as a national historical and cultural relic.

Special festival

Mr. Dinh Van Duong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh) said: Duc Hoang Temple Festival is a traditional beauty that contributes to preserving and promoting the good cultural values ​​of the relic and meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of local residents.

This year's Duc Hoang Temple Festival will take place over 3 days, starting from January 30 and the first and second days of the second lunar month (ie from March 8 to 10, 2016) with many activities imbued with the cultural identity of the region, attracting a large number of local people and tourists from all over to pay their respects and visit, and becoming a festival of district and provincial scale.

Procession in Duc Hoang Temple Festival - one of the highlights of the Festival.

Coming to Duc Hoang Temple Festival, visitors seem to be immersed in the cool green ecological space of many ancient trees, standing in front of the altar, lighting incense sticks, feeling peaceful and light. The highlight of the festival is the procession of the gods around Dieu Oc Lake, the whole sky is covered with flags, canopies, drums and gongs, followed by people of all ages. The dragon palanquin carrying the tablets of 14 great clans in the region joins the palanquin of the god Sat Hai Dai Vuong Hoang Ta Thon and other gods worshiping at Duc Hoang Temple to join the festival. After the procession of the gods is the reception and the grand ceremony, the methodical ceremony of the gods at the temple has contributed to making Duc Hoang Temple Festival imbued with the sacredness and tradition of the Nghe An countryside.

The annual Duc Hoang Temple Festival attracts many people and tourists from all over.

In addition to the solemn and respectful ceremony, preserving the beauty of the ritual, the festival with rich activities in the relic area such as: The final of the men's volleyball tournament in Yen Thanh district, the women's volleyball exchange of the strong teams in the district; traditional wrestling, stick pushing, tug of war; drum competition between clans; boat racing; cultural village art festival; folk song club festival of communes in the district; elegant youth competition and lantern releasing festival. In addition, this year's festival also focuses on restoring traditional sports and folk games such as: cockfighting, chess, eel catching, swinging, jumping rope, cooking rice, walking on the bridge...

With careful preparation by Phuc Thanh commune and Yen Thanh district, it is hoped that Duc Hoang Temple Festival 2016 will be one of the spiritual and cultural tourist destinations attracting a large number of people and tourists from all over the world.

Thanh Thuy - Thu Huong