Cua Rao Temple at the river junction

Going upstream of Lam River, across Cua Rao Bridge, to the river junction, where the Nam Non and Nam Mo rivers meet, there is a hundred-year-old relic, Cua Rao Temple. It is just a small temple perched precariously on an islet, but this is a sacred place for the Thai, Kinh... ethnic groups in the area.

In front of Cua Rao Temple

Cua Rao Temple is the name of the Thai ethnic group, while the Kinh people often call this temple Van Temple. Some say that this is the temple to worship Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang - the 8th son of King Ly Thai To who had great merit in developing Nghe An land. Legend has it that he was injured and died in a battle, wherever his blood flowed, people built temples there. In Nghe An, there are dozens of villages with temples to worship him, the main temple is on Qua Son mountain (Boi Son commune - Do Luong district), Cua Rao Temple is also one of those temples. Another opinion says: In the temple area, there were Xa bandits who came to rampage. The ethnic groups in the area united and drove them out. The leader of the brothers who passed Cua Rao, because he did not know how to swim, was killed by the bandits. The people built a temple to worship that leader. The name Van Temple is because in the past, Cua Rao was a place for Do Luong fishermen to stop and trade rice and salt. Every time they went out or returned, they often stayed here and burned incense to pray for a profitable business. They also brought incense sticks from Qua Son Temple up here to worship.

The upper hall in the temple

As a long-standing temple with many ups and downs along with many important events of the country, today's Cua Rao Temple has changed a lot compared to ancient times. Mr. Dang Xuan Dieu - former Deputy of the Propaganda Department of Tuong Duong district, a person who is quite knowledgeable about this temple, said that: When he was a child, he still clearly remembered that on Tet holidays, especially on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the temple often held a very large ceremony, every year slaughtering buffalo, cow or pig. Attending the ceremony, in addition to local people, the dignitaries of the region, there were also many Kinh people. It was truly a festival and lasted throughout the first lunar month. During the anti-French period, the temple was severely damaged, people organized a casino to get money to restore the temple, then the French moved the casino to another place to rebuild the temple. There were years when the temple was a classroom. During the reform period to fight superstition, the temple was almost completely destroyed, leaving only the old foundation, the wall of the upper hall, the tiger stele and a few other rare artifacts.

As a district with 5 ethnic groups living together, the terrain is divided, making it difficult to travel and exchange cultures, so for a long time, the people in the area have wanted to rebuild the temple so that every year on Tet and the full moon day, people have a place to "go home". Partly responding to that wish, in recent years, Tuong Duong district has invested a part of the budget to restore the temple on the old foundation, the temple is also listed as one of the historical relics that need to be preserved and restored. One special thing is that over the past 30 years, although there were times when the temple was seriously degraded, there was still a volunteer to burn incense to protect the temple. That is Mr. Nguyen Dinh Ngu, a resident who lives just a river away from the temple and his work comes entirely from the "heart". Now the temple has been restored, although not as complete as before, but as said by comrade Vi Tan Hoi - Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong district: "Currently, the temple has partly met the spiritual needs of the people. But the district's wish is to elevate the spiritual activities into a festival with the characteristics of the upstream culture of Tuong Duong. Currently, the Department of Culture and Information is helping the district build a scenario, the key thing now is to accurately verify the historical value of the temple and invest in re-planning so that the temple is spacious and convenient for people to travel".

Located at the intersection of the Nam Non and Nam Mo rivers, Cua Rao Temple is fortunate to be located on a fairly flat hill. Although there has been no official festival in recent years, every year the people of Xa Luong commune organize fun activities to welcome the Spring such as sports, mass art performances, folk games such as throwing con, swinging, carving beds... and are widely welcomed by the people in the area. In the Spring, there will be another new bridge across the river, Cua Rao Temple will be a place for healthy cultural and spiritual activities, a gathering place for people from the upper and lower villages...

Article and photos:

Khanh Ly - My Ha