Restoring the sacred temple

(Baonghean) - It has long been known that the summit of Pu Den (Choong village, Chau Ly commune - Quy Hop district) still retains traces of the Choong temple, and that the Kinh and Thai people of Quy Hop district eagerly await the day the temple is restored. Therefore, it was truly joyful to witness the bustling and lively scene on the sacred Pu Den mountain on April 15th...

Legend

Mr. Vi Van Tuyen (born in 1936), an elderly man who has attended many of the Luc Ngoat festivals at Choong Temple, recounts: Choong Temple, on Pu Den mountain, is where Nang Phom Hom (the fragrant-haired maiden) is worshipped. That was nearly 600 years ago. Nang Phom Hom was a Thai woman, the wife of a talented general who greatly assisted the Lam Son rebels in fighting the enemy. Around 1425, this talented general fell in love with Nang Phom Hom and they became husband and wife. She was a beautiful and virtuous woman, trusted by the rebels to lead the task of gathering food supplies to feed the troops fighting the Ming invaders. From birth, Nang Phom Hom was exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted, and her hair always had a faint fragrance of forest flowers.

The general and his army fought long and arduous battles, from the Battle of Tra Lan to the Battle of Do Gia, liberating the western region and then the entire vast Hoan Chau area… Following the news of the army's victories, she and the villagers worked even harder cultivating crops and weaving silk. Every evening, after finishing her chores, she would go to the riverside of the Nam Choong stream to wash her hair. One afternoon, lost in longing for her husband, she carelessly dropped her comb, reached for it, and was swept away by the water into the deep ravine…

Upon receiving news of his wife's death, the general and his soldiers immediately returned. Overwhelmed with grief, the general, his soldiers, and the people of Choọng village searched day and night. But the ravine was too deep; even after digging up the earth along the banks of the Nậm Choọng river and piling it up into a mountain, they could not find her, only her fragrant hair, like her spirit still lingering there. Out of love and remembrance for Nang Phốm Hóm, the people of Choọng village erected a temple in her honor on the hill they had built during their search – that temple is called Choọng Temple.

The legend of Pu Den Mountain, recounted by Mr. Tuyen, was collected and recorded by Cao Duy Thai, Deputy Secretary of the Chau Ly Commune Party Committee, and written into a five-part article titled "History of Choong Temple," published on his page "Muong Choong - A Sacred Mountain Realm." According to him, Choong Temple once received a royal decree from the imperial court. When the temple was destroyed, a Vi family in the area brought it back, but it was destroyed by fire in 1973, so the ancient legend remains subject to differing opinions. In the book "Geography of Quy Hop" edited by the late Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao, it is written that: The temple in Muong Choong (Chau Ly Commune) was built by people from Que Phong and Quy Chau who fled to the Quy Hop region during the war. The name Choong Temple came about because, at that time, the ruler of Muong Choong was a very beautiful girl named Nang Le. A general of the imperial court, leading troops to suppress the rebels, fell in love with her and married her. While the general was away, Náng Lẻ went to wash her hair by the Nậm Choọng riverbank when a dragon in the water rose up and swept her away. The general took the strand of hair and buried it on a sandy hilltop near the river, naming it Choọng Temple. The temple has two houses shaped like carpenters' rulers; the upper part is dedicated to deities similar to the Nine-Room Temple, while the lower part is dedicated to Náng Lẻ... Cao Duy Thái reflected: "There may still be no consensus, but the most common point is that, in the consciousness of the people, the person worshipped at Choọng Temple is a symbol of the virtues of a Thai woman – diligence, beauty, speech, and conduct – and the embodiment of the brotherly solidarity between the Thai and Kinh ethnic groups."

Hope

According to Mr. Vi Van Tuyen, the old appearance of Choong Temple is still vividly imprinted in his mind. The temple had two upper and lower halls made of lim wood with elaborate carvings, the platform was made of yellow heartwood, and the roof was thatched with rattan. Inside the temple, there were archways embroidered with gold thread depicting dragons and phoenixes; there were horizontal plaques and couplets. The temple had three altars, the central one having a seated female statue, in front of which was an image of a grain of rice, flanked by golden canopies, elephants, and cranes... The temple was destroyed around 1957-1958, and all the religious artifacts, bronze drums, and bronze cauldrons were lost among the people, leaving only 14 stone pillars and a few broken pottery items... He said: "I have so many memories of Choong Temple. It was where my father performed religious duties, and where my childhood, along with the villagers, was connected to the Luc Ngoat festival held on the 15th and 16th of June (Lunar Calendar) every year..."

Together with Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan, Vice Chairman of the Chau Ly Commune People's Committee, we visited Mr. Vi Van Thu's house in Choong village, the family that keeps the altar and religious artifacts of Nang Phom Hom's mother. Mr. Thu recounted that during the time the temple was destroyed, his uncle, Mr. Vi Van Thi, requested to take them home. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, and during festivals, they light incense to commemorate Nang Phom Hom and her mother. After Mr. Thi passed away, the religious artifacts were passed down to Mr. Thu's father, Mr. Vi Van Huong, and have been preserved to this day. Remembering his uncle's and father's words, Mr. Vi Van Thu has never neglected the incense burning rituals over the years and often tells his children, grandchildren, and generations in the village about the history of the temple. The religious artifacts Mr. Thu is preserving, stained with the colors of time, include: one altar, two parasols, two large swords, two sabers, and several candle holders and wax candles, all painted red and gilded. "These relics have been with my family for generations, for 50-60 years. Yet, for a long time, I have been waiting for the day the temple is restored so I can hand over these sacred relics. Like all the people, I hope that Mount Pu Den will have the Choong Temple again to meet the spiritual needs of the people," Mr. Thu said.

Restoring the sacred temple

Mount Pu Den, located next to National Highway 48C (approximately 1 km from the Chau Ly commune headquarters), boasts a beautiful setting. From National Highway 48C, access to the temple requires crossing the Nam Choong stream and a wide open area. To gradually restore Choong Temple, the Standing Committee of the Quy Hop District Party Committee assigned the District's Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Association to act as a bridge, connecting the generosity of philanthropists, businesspeople, and ethnic minority communities to jointly contribute to the construction of the main hall. On January 8, 2014, the Steering Committee for the Restoration and Renovation of Choong Temple, in coordination with the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Association and the Chau Ly commune government, held the groundbreaking ceremony. The project is planned to be built on an area of ​​approximately 10 hectares, including the following components: the main hall, lower hall, left and right wings, triple gate, four-pillar gate, courtyard, access roads to the lower and upper halls; bridges, roads, grounds, and other auxiliary structures. The total estimated investment is approximately 50 billion VND. Phase 1 of the project, outside of the planned area, involved clearing and leveling the construction site, and constructing the main hall using Group 2 wood, in a rectangular shape, with stone pillars supporting the columns, following the original design of the ancient temple.

Panoramic view of Choọng Temple.

The main hall of Choọng Temple is currently under construction.

On Pu Den mountain, the main hall of Choong Temple has taken shape, with intricately carved columns, trusses, and rafters assembled by carpenters from Ha Nam province. Along the Nam Choong river, road construction teams have built two bridge abutments. At the foot of Pu Den, the temple grounds have been leveled, and hundreds of youth union members have planted trees. Mr. Nguyen Giang Hoai, Chairman of the Quy Hop Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Association, said: "Despite facing many difficulties in production and business, in response to the call of the Party Committee and the district government, and the earnest wishes of all sectors of the population, businesses have enthusiastically participated in contributing. The total amount of money and materials contributed has reached approximately 3 billion VND (nearly 2 billion VND in cash)." Mr. Hoai said: "At this moment, I believe that the work in phase 1 of the restoration of Choong Temple will be completed as planned..."

From National Highway 48C, gazing at the bustling scene unfolding on Pu Den mountain, I believe what Mr. Hoai said. And I believe that the next stages will also be completed because the people's hearts are always filled with hope, as Mr. Vi Van Tuyen, sitting on the doorstep of his house, his eyes fixed on Pu Den, confided: "The restoration of Choong Temple, a wish I've had for decades, has finally come true. Now, even if I return to my ancestors, my heart will be at peace..."

Nhat Lan