Duke of Nghia Quan, Tong Tat Thang

(Baonghean)Along Highway 15A, passing through Nam Loc commune (Nam Dan district), lies a small temple nestled against Quai Bai mountain, part of the Thien Nhan mountain range. In front of it flows the winding Lam River, irrigating the fields and riverbanks. This is Thong Chinh Temple, with a history spanning hundreds of years, dedicated to Nghia Quan Cong Tong Tat Thang, a man who brought glory to the Nghe An region through his talent and benevolence...

According to historical documents preserved by descendants of the Tong family in Nam Dan, Duke Nghia Quan Tong Tat Thang (1487-?) was from Nam Hoa Thuong village, Thanh Chuong district (now Nam Trung commune, Nam Dan district). His parents had two children, and he was the second. Despite his family's poverty and being orphaned at the age of 13, his mother was determined to raise him and provide him with an education. Not wanting to disappoint his hardworking mother and deceased father, Tong Tat Thang maintained his resolve and determination to diligently study and practice martial arts to become a man of both literary and martial prowess. Thanks to this, at the age of 15, he passed the provincial examination. Three years later, Tong Tat Thang was on the list of successful candidates in the examination of the year At Suu (1505) during the reign of King Le Uy Muc, and was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Pacification of the Man people before returning home in triumph. Later, he continued to hold important positions in the imperial court such as Minister of Personnel, Grand Academician of the Eastern Pavilion, and was granted the title of Duke of Nghia.

During his lifetime, Tong Tat Thang was upright, intelligent, and accomplished in both military and literary arts, earning the trust of the Later Le Dynasty. Whenever the Ai Lao, Chiem Thanh, and Bon Man invaders harassed the border, the king would often send Tong Tat Thang to lead the army to defend the border region of Nghe An – his homeland. In addition to his assigned duties, he also made significant contributions to strengthening the government and building trust among the people. Once, when the Bon Man invaders harassed the western region of Nghe An, Tong Tat Thang was again entrusted by the king with leading the army against them. Thanks to Tong Tat Thang's strategic brilliance, the Dai Viet army quickly achieved victory and soon returned victorious. However, he fell ill and died on the way back. After his death, his remains were buried in his hometown, now Trung Can village, Nam Trung commune (Nam Dan district). Admiring the talent, virtue, and achievements of a son of their homeland, the people of Nam Hoa Thuong village (now Nam Trung commune) have cared for Tong Tat Thang's tomb year-round and revered him as their tutelary deity. Since then, whenever invaders harassed the border region of Nghe An, the generals sent by the imperial court to suppress the rebellion would come to Nam Hoa Thuong village to light incense at Tong Tat Thang's tomb and altar in the village temple, praying for his spirit to bless them with victory. In 1995, Trung Can Temple and Tong Tat Thang's tomb in Nam Trung commune were recognized as a national historical and cultural relic. Trung Can Temple, in particular, is considered by researchers to be one of the most beautiful temples in Vietnam.

The royal decree for the Thống Chinh temple is currently preserved at the Nguyễn Hữu family church (Nam Tân commune - Nam Đàn district).

By 1553, in recognition of the meritorious service of Duke Nghia Quan Tong Tat Thang to the court, the country, and the people, King Le Trang Tong issued a decree for the villages in the area of ​​"Nine South" to build temples in his honor and hold annual ceremonies on the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month according to international rituals (a national-scale ceremony). According to Mr. Tong Xuan Hung (Hamlet 5, Khanh Son) - a 19th-generation descendant of Tong Tat Thang, the temple of Duke Nghia Quan was built at the foot of Quai Bai Mountain and is worshipped year-round by his descendants and the people of the region. In mid-February of the lunar calendar each year, people from all over the "Nine South" region and surrounding areas gather at Quai Bai Mountain to participate in the festival. The festival lasts for three days, with processions taking place both on the river (by boat) and on land, creating an atmosphere that is both sacred and exciting. Throughout the ups and downs of history, around the 1960s, due to fierce warfare, the local people lacked the resources to regularly maintain and repair the Thong Chinh Temple, causing it to seriously deteriorate. About 10 years ago, a descendant of the Tong family invested funds to restore the temple.

Regarding the Thong Chinh Temple and the career of Nghia Quan Cong Tong Tat Thang, according to Mr. Tong Xuan Hung, it currently holds several special points. Firstly, the descendants of the Tong family in Nam Dan (Nghe An) and Huong Son (Ha Tinh) still preserve a total of more than 60 royal decrees from the Later Le and Nguyen dynasties bestowed upon their ancestor. Having survived decades of war and conflict, preserving so many royal decrees for a prominent figure is no easy feat; it can be said that such a feat is very rare in the Nghe An region.

Secondly, it's remarkable that amidst the bombing and shelling, the Thong Chinh Temple fell into disrepair, forcing descendants of the Tong family and local residents to evacuate the religious artifacts and ceremonial objects to the Nguyen Huu family's ancestral temple in Nam Tan commune, about 5km away. We were truly fortunate to witness these treasures firsthand, including the royal throne, ceremonial robes, hats, boots, parasols, flags, ceremonial swords, bells, and gongs... all still intact. Notably, the temple currently preserves over 20 royal decrees from the reigns of Emperors Canh Tri, Duong Duc, Chinh Hoa, Vinh Thinh, Vinh Khanh, Canh Hung, Minh Menh, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, Dong Khanh, Thanh Thai, and Khai Dinh. The content of these decrees all focus on recognizing and honoring the meritorious deeds of Thong Chinh Chieu Nghia Dai Vuong Tong Tat Thang in assisting the king, helping the country, and ensuring peace for the people. These are words of praise for his morality, tolerance, upright character, intelligence, courage, and illustrious reputation that will last for generations. Even after his death, his spirit continued to assist dynasties in maintaining the country and reclaiming its borders, so he was bestowed the title of national loyal minister, supreme deity, and enshrined in a temple for eternal worship.

Another special feature is that the Thong Chinh Temple still preserves a stone stele with nearly 400 Chinese characters. According to records, this stele was carved and erected in 1853, on the occasion of the completion of the temple's restoration. The authors of the inscription were Thám hoa Nguyen Van Giao and Giải nguyên Nguyen Huu Lap - great scholars born and raised in the "Nine Souths" region. The content of the stele (original Chinese text, tentative translation) includes the following passage: "Famous scholars and poets have written poems praising the undying loyalty and great merits of the Lord. 350 years have passed, yet his righteous spirit still resonates, making people admire him even more, making us feel as if he is still alive, that we can still meet him here, his name at the top of the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations."

To show their respect and remembrance of him, at the beginning of Emperor Tu Duc's reign, the Emperor instructed the people of his old hometown to renovate the historical site in Dam Thuy, build a temple, and erect a stone stele to express their admiration and remembrance of this virtuous and talented person. In the autumn of the Quy Suu year, his spirit was brought to the temple to show their reverence.

Rivers may dry up, mountains may erode, but the example of his unwavering loyalty will forever remain as pure as the waters of Lake Dam Thuy."

Mr. Tong Xuan Hung added: "Currently, descendants of the Tong family are actively collecting documents and coordinating with the local government to prepare a dossier proposing the Thong Chinh Temple to be classified as a historical and cultural relic. This will create a legal basis for continuing the restoration and upgrading of the temple to truly reflect the merits of Nghia Quan Cong Tong Tat Thang; at the same time, it will 'connect' with the system of historical relics in the district to develop tourism, contributing to helping visitors from near and far understand more deeply about Nam Dan - a land of outstanding people and rich history."

Cong Kien